Jacob (redirected from Ya'kov)

Jacob (jā`kəb), in the Bible, ancestor of the Hebrews, the younger of Isaac and Rebecca's twin sons; the older was Esau. In exchange for a bowl of lentil soup, Jacob obtained Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, received the blessing that the dying Isaac had intended for his older son. Esau became so enraged that Jacob fled to his uncle, Laban, in Paddan-aram. On his way, at Bethel, he had a vision of angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven. After 20 years serving Laban, Jacob started back to his native land with his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and his many sons—the eponymous ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. On the banks of the Jabbok, Jacob wrestled with an angel, received the name of Israel, and reconciled with Esau the next day. Later, Jacob migrated to Egypt, where he was reunited with his son Joseph. Jacob died there, but his sons buried him in the family plot at Machpelah. Modern biblical scholars question the historicity of Jacob. In the New Testament the name James is equivalent to the Hebrew Jacob.

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Jacob

Hebrew patriarch, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel. His story is told in the Book of Genesis. The younger twin brother of Esau, he used trickery to gain Isaac's blessing and Esau's birthright. On a journey to Canaan he wrestled all night with an angel, who blessed him and gave him the name Israel. Jacob had 13 children, 10 of whom founded tribes of Israel. His favorite son, Joseph, was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, but the family was later reunited when a famine forced the brothers to go to Egypt to seek grain.

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Jacob

1. Old Testament the son of Isaac, twin brother of Esau, and father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel

2. any of an ancient breed of sheep having a fleece with dark brown patches and two or four horns

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Jacob

dressed as Esau to obtain father’s blessing. [O.T.: Genesis 27:15–16]

See : Disguise

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Jacob

serves Laban for fourteen years before receiving permission to marry Rachel. [O.T.: Gen. 24:34]

See : Patience

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Jacob

through guile, obtained blessing intended for Esau. [O.T.: Genesis 27:18–29]

See : Trickery

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Jacob

according to Biblical myths, the younger twin son of Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob bought the right of primogeniture from his brother Esau for some pottage and then cunningly received Isaac’s blessing as the first-born son. The 12 sons of Jacob, from his wives Leah and Rachel and his concubines Zilpah and Bilhah, became the ancestors of the 12 tribes. After wrestling with god, Jacob himself received the second name of Israel, which means literally “he strove with god,” and his sons became known as the “children of Israel.”

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Jacob

a family of French craftsmen who made fine furniture in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Georges Jacob. Born July 6, 1739, in Cheny, in Burgundy; died July 5, 1814, in Paris. Head of the Jacob family. Became a craftsman in 1765.

Although he began by imitating the work of A. C. Boule, Jacob had created, by the early 1780’s, his own style of furniture, full of austere grace in the classical style. His furniture was carved, with gilding; later he used polished mahogany and gilded bronze with classical motifs. Jacob placed his furniture in many French and foreign palaces, including Pavlovsk. He also worked from sketches made by J. L. David (furniture for the painter’s studio, 1789–90), C. Percier, and P. Fontaine (furniture for the hall in which the Convention met, 1793). In 1796, he entrusted his business to his son.

Francois-Honore Jacob (nicknamed Jacob- Desmalter). Born Feb. 6, 1770, in Paris; died there Aug. 15, 1841. Son of Georges Jacob.

In 1803, Georges Jacob and his son founded a firm (which existed until 1812) that became famous for its Empire furniture for Napoleon’s palaces. Since the mid-19th century, the “Jacob style” has meant furniture made of mahogany, on which corrugated strips of brass are glued. This furniture was manufactured in the workshop of Franc. ois-Honoré’s son, Georges-Alphonse Jacob (born Feb. 21, 1799, in Paris; died there Tune 7, 1870).

REFERENCE

Salverte, F. de. Les Ebénistes de XVIII siècle, 4th ed. Paris, 1953.