42 Facts About Jacob

Jacob, later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Jacob first appears in the Book of Genesis, where he is described as the son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandson of Abraham, Sarah, and Bethuel.

Jacob is said to have bought Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, deceived his aging father to bless him instead of Esau.

Jacob is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah.

Jacob had twelve sons through four women, his wives, Leah and Rachel, and his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who were, in order of their birth, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin, all of whom became the heads of their own family groups, later known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

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Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, were born to Isaac and Rebecca after 20 years of marriage, when Isaac was 60 years of age.

Jacob's received the prophecy that twins were fighting in her womb and would continue to fight all their lives, even after they became two separate nations.

Jacob requested that Esau go out to the fields with his weapons to kill some venison.

Jacob protested that his father would recognize their deception since Esau was hairy and he himself was smooth-skinned.

Jacob feared his father would curse him as soon as he felt him, but Rebecca offered to take the curse herself, then insisted that Jacob obey her.

Jacob did as his mother instructed and, when he returned with the kids, Rebecca made the savory meat that Isaac loved.

Isaac demanded that Jacob come close so he could feel him, but the goatskins felt just like Esau's hairy skin.

Jacob had scarcely left the room when Esau returned from the hunt to prepare his game and receive the blessing.

Jacob's convinced Isaac to send Jacob away by telling him that she despaired of his marrying a local girl from the idol-worshipping families of Canaan .

Jacob feared that his descendants would never be free of Esau's domination, but God assured him that at the End of Days, Edom too would come falling down.

Jacob, having been celibate until the age of 84, fathered twelve children in the next seven years.

Jacob suggested that all the spotted, speckled, and brown goats and sheep of Laban's flock, at any given moment, would be his wages.

Jacob placed rods of poplar, hazel, and chestnut, all of which he peeled "white streaks upon them, " within the flocks' watering holes or troughs, associating the stripes of the rods with the growth of stripes on the livestock.

Jacob then transported his family and flocks across the ford Jabbok by night, then recrossed back to send over his possessions, being left alone in communion with God.

Jacob then demanded a blessing, and the being declared in Genesis 32:28 that, from then on, Jacob would be called ?????, Israel .

Some commentators cite this placement as proof that Jacob continued to favor Joseph over Leah's children, as presumably the rear position would have been safer from a frontal assault by Esau, which Jacob feared.

Jacob actually diverted himself to Succoth and was not recorded as rejoining Esau until, at Machpelah, the two bury their father Isaac, who lived to be 180, and was 60 years older than they were.

Jacob then arrived in Shechem, where he bought a parcel of land, now identified as Joseph's Tomb.

Jacob returned to Bethel, where he had another vision of blessing.

Jacob then made a further move while Rachel was pregnant; near Bethlehem, Rachel went into labor and died as she gave birth to her second son, Benjamin .

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Jacob then settled in Migdal Eder, where his firstborn, Reuben, slept with Rachel's servant Bilhah; Jacob's response was not given at the time, but he did condemn Reuben for it later, in his deathbed blessing.

Jacob was finally reunited with his father Isaac in Mamre .

Jacob's flocks were often fed in the pastures of Shechem as well as Dothan.

When Jacob heard of these dreams, he rebuked his son for proposing the idea that the house of Jacob would even bow down to Joseph.

Jacob wanted to know how things were doing, so he asked Joseph to go down there and return with a report.

Later that day, the report that Jacob ended up receiving came from Joseph's brothers who brought before him a coat laden with blood.

Jacob couldn't understand how they were put in a position to tell the Egyptians all about their family.

Jacob led the servants of Pharaoh, and the elders of the houses Israel and Egypt beyond the Jordan River to Atad where they observed seven days of mourning.

The couple therefore devised a series of signs by which Jacob could identify the veiled bride on his wedding night.

Jacob had still another reason for grieving the loss of Joseph.

Jacob is recognized in Islam as a prophet who received inspiration from God.

The Quran specifically mentions that Jacob was guided and inspired and was chosen to enforce the awareness of the Hereafter.

Jacob is described as a good-doer and the Quran further makes it clear that God inspired Jacob to contribute towards purification and hold the contact prayer.

The Quran narrates the story of Joseph in detail, and Jacob, being Joseph's father, is mentioned thrice and is referenced another 25 times.

Jacob is later mentioned in the Quran in the context of the promise bestowed to Zechariah, regarding the birth of John the Baptist.

The Quran makes it clear that Jacob was blessed by God as a prophet and, therefore, Muslims believe that his father, being a prophet as well, knew of his son's greatness.

Jacob is cited in the Hadith as an example of one who was patient and trusting in God in the face of suffering.