To:
Subject: jacob
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 21:23:51 -0800
Jacob had a couple of different interesting and applicable stories. To =
begin with, he stole the birthright and blessing from his twin brother =
Esau. One day when Esau was very hungry, after he had been out for a =
long day of hunting, Jacob had made a stew. Esau came home and begged =
Jacob for some food, he was so hungry; he would do anything for it. =
Jacob told Esau he would give him food if Esau promised him his =
birthright, Esau, never thinking ahead, did exactly that, and Jacob =
earned the rights of first born.
Later on, when Isaac (their father) was very old and dying, he =
requested that Esau go hunting, prepare him some delicious venison, and =
then come to him so he could bless him before he died. Rebekah, Isaac's =
wife, heard this and told Jacob to prepare meat, and put goats skin on =
his arms and neck (so he could be hairy like Esau), go to Isaac and ask =
for his blessing. Jacob did just this, he convinced Isaac he was Esau =
and received Isaac's blessing. Esau was cheated not only out of his =
birthright, but his blessing as well. On pages 80-81 of Perestroika, Roy =
blesses Joe and references this instance with Jacob, Esau and Isaac.
The other interesting, and perhaps more relevant story about Jacob is =
the incident in which he wrestles with an angel of god. Jacob's first =
encounter with the angel is in a dream. "And he dreamed, and behold a =
ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached heaven; and behold =
the angels of God ascending and descending on it," Jacob named the place =
where he had this dream Bethel. This story is very evident in the play, =
the name of the fountain that Prior loves is called Bethesda, and Prior =
ascends to heaven on a ladder from the sky...need I say more.
The second encounter Jacob has with an angel is an odd one. He is on =
his way to meet his brother, Esau, who he hasn't seen in years (they =
parted on bad terms), and a man blocks his way. The man and Jacob =
wrestled for a long while and when the man realized he could not =
overpower Jacob he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that Jacob's hip =
was wrenched. The man said, "let me go, for it is daybreak." Jacob =
replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" The man asked Jacob =
his name, and Jacob told him. Then the man said "your name will no =
longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and =
with men and have overcome." Prior, minding the advice of Hannah, =
wrestles with the Angel of America and forces her to bless him. In =
addition, Joe relates to this story of Jacob and tells Harper that he =
always feels as if he is in that same struggle.
Hope this was informative, sorry it was so late, I was having some =
email problems...which is why this isn't from my email account.
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Jacob had a couple of different interesting and applicable =
stories
Jacob had a couple of different interesting =
and
applicable stories. To begin with, he stole the birthright and blessing =
from
his twin brother Esau. One day when Esau was very hungry, after he had =
been out
for a long day of hunting, Jacob had made a stew. Esau came home and =
begged
Jacob for some food, he was so hungry; he would do anything for it. =
Jacob told
Esau he would give him food if Esau promised him his birthright, Esau, =
never
thinking ahead, did exactly that, and Jacob earned the rights of first =
born.
=
; Later
on, when Isaac (their father) was very old and dying, he requested that =
Esau go
hunting, prepare him some delicious venison, and then come to him so he =
could
bless him before he died. Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, heard this and =
told Jacob to
prepare meat, and put goats skin on his arms and neck (so he could be =
hairy
like Esau), go to Isaac and ask for his blessing. Jacob did just this, =
he
convinced Isaac he was Esau and received Isaac’s blessing. Esau =
was cheated not
only out of his birthright, but his blessing as well. On pages 80-81 of
Perestroika, Roy blesses Joe and references this instance with Jacob, =
Esau and
Isaac.
=
; The
other interesting, and perhaps more relevant story about Jacob is the =
incident
in which he wrestles with an angel of god. Jacob’s first encounter =
with the
angel is in a dream. “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up =
on the earth,
and the top of it reached heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending =
and
descending on it,” Jacob named the place where he had this dream =
Bethel. This
story is very evident in the play, the name of the fountain that Prior =
loves is
called Bethesda, and Prior ascends to heaven on a ladder from the =
sky…need I
say more.
=
; The
second encounter Jacob has with an angel is an odd one. He is on his way =
to
meet his brother, Esau, who he hasn’t seen in years (they parted =
on bad terms),
and a man blocks his way. The man and Jacob wrestled for a long while =
and when
the man realized he could not overpower Jacob he touched the socket of =
Jacob’s
hip so that Jacob’s hip was wrenched. The man said, “let me =
go, for it is
daybreak.” Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you =
bless me” The man
asked Jacob his name, and Jacob told him. Then the man said “your =
name will no
longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and =
with men
and have overcome.” Prior, minding the advice of Hannah, wrestles =
with the
Angel of America and forces her to bless him. In addition, Joe relates =
to this
story of Jacob and tells Harper that he always feels as if he is in that =
same
struggle.
=
; Hope
this was informative, sorry it was so late, I was having some email =
problems…which
is why this isn’t from my email account.