Jacob :: essays research papers

Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the counterpart familiar of Esau, was born in Canaan, around 2,000 BC. Even before his birth, enceinte things had been predicted of him by the Spirit of the Lord. It was prophesized that although he was the younger born of the twins, he should demand dominion, and be the father of a great and powerful nation. The predictions also include his descendents would reign supreme over all the descendents of his elder brother, Esau (Blunt 123).Jacob first appears in the Bible in the book of Genesis. The Bible says that Esau was the firstborn of the twins. after(prenominal)ward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esaus heel so he was named Jacob. (Genesis 2526). The boys grew up, and Esau was described as a skillful hunter, while Jacob was a low-keyed man, living in tents. Once when Jacob was cooking a perspiration in his tent, Esau came in from the from hunting in the fields and was famished. Jacob told Esau he would share with him hi s stew on the condition that Esau renounce his birthright to him. Esau accepted. Later, as their father, Isaac sat on his deathbed, he blessed Jacob, who was dressed in fur clothing to practise Esau who had more body hair than Jacob. Isaac thought it was Esau he was blessing (Meeks 41). After this, Jacobs mother advised him to go live with his Uncle Labon in Padan-Aram dismayed that Esau would become vengeful and kill Jacob after he tricked their father into talent him his blessing of the first born. On his way to Padan-Aram, he came to Bethel to sleep for the night. He took a sway and placed it under his head. Some critics believe that a correction to our traditional misunderstanding of this stone placing is that Jacob took the stone and placed it not under his head as a pillow, nevertheless rather at his head for protection. While sleeping here, he dreams of a ladder desexualise up on the earth, reaching all the way up to heaven. He saw the angels of God ascending and descen ding on it. The opinion of many critics is that what Jacob saw in his dream was not a ladder but a stairway. Some years ago, at a pose twenty-five miles northeast of Bethel, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a divided stone staircase leading from the city down to its water source.