Jacob was one of the twin sons born to Isaac and Rebekah and is the third of Israel’s patriarchs. Clutching the heel of his older brother Esau, Jacob’s name captures his deceiving spirit Genesis 25:26. With the help of his mother, Rebekah, he stole his older brother’s blessing by deceiving his father Genesis 27:1-40.

With Esau furious at him, Jacob fled to Harran to the home of his uncle Laban. He fell in love with Laban’s daughter Rachael and worked for her for seven years but was deceived by Laban into marrying her older sister Leah. Jacob was allowed to marry Rachael in exchange for another seven years of labor Genesis 29:16-28.

Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter from his two wives and their two servants. As he returned to Canaan, Jacob wrestled with an angel of the Lord and was renamed “Israel,” meaning “struggles with God” Genesis 32:22-32. This new name became the nation’s name, and Jacob’s twelve sons became Israel’s twelve tribes.

Jacob and his family resided in Hebron Genesis 37:14 but ended up in Egypt due to a great famine in the land of Canaan. He died in Egypt in 147, but his sons carried him back to Canaan, where he was buried alongside Isaac and Abraham in Machpelah in Hebron Genesis 50:12-13.