Jewish patriarch. Twin son of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 25:26) and a gentle man "who dwelled in tents," from birth, he competed with his "hunter" twin, Esau, for their father's attention and love. With Rebekah's assistance, he stole the birthright that legitimately belonged to Esau as the elder of the twins. Jacob, who was renamed Israel (literally, "one who has struggled with God") had 12 sons who became the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He is buried in the Cave of the Machpelah in Hebron.
Historical Dictionary of Israel. Bernard Reich David H. Goldberg. Edited by Jon Woronoff..