But Jacob prayed to God to protect him, and after sending his family by night across a little mountain river, he remained alone in the darkness on the other side.  The Bible tells us that there he met God in the shape of a man and wrestled with Him until morning, saying, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”  And God did bless him and gave him a new name—­that of “Israel,” which means “a prince of God.”

[Illustration:  Jacob wrestled with him until morning.]

In the morning the brothers met, but Esau’s anger was all gone and in its place was such love for Jacob that he embraced him and kissed him, while both wept for joy.  Jacob had prepared a present of sheep and cattle and camels and other animals for his brother, which at first Esau did not wish to take, but he accepted it at last and then the brothers separated, Esau going to the hilly country of Seir, while Jacob continued his journey.

[Illustration:  Esau’s anger was all gone.]

Jacob halted for a while at a place called Succoth, where he built a house for himself and stables for his cattle.  Then he went to Shechem and bought some land near the city for “an hundred pieces of silver.”  In the time of his grandfather Abraham money was weighed, not counted, but now it was in the shape of rude coins with the figures of lambs stamped upon them.

After a while God told Jacob to go to Bethel, where, on his first night from home, he had vowed to give Him a tenth part of all his possessions, and to build an altar there.  His way to Bethel lay through a hostile country, but God protected him as He had promised; and at last Jacob reached the pillar which he had set up, and there he built the altar and worshipped God.

Jacob’s mother had died during his long absence from home and now her old nurse, Deborah, died, so in memory of the great love mother and son had for each other he buried Rebekah’s faithful servant under an oak-tree and called it “the oak of tears.”

[Illustration:  The tomb of Rachel near Bethlehem.]

From Bethel Jacob now set out for Hebron, but on the way, just before they came to Bethlehem—­the little village where Jesus was born many years afterwards—­his beloved Rachel died, leaving him his twelfth and last son, whom he called Benjamin.  Rachel was buried where she died and a pillar was placed above her grave.  Then Jacob went on to see his father, who was then living at Abraham’s favorite dwelling-place at the “Oaks of Mamre,” and there Isaac died, “being old and full of days:  and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

[Illustration:  Isaac died, being old and full of days.]

After their father’s death Esau and Jacob parted with the best of feeling because they were so rich in flocks and herds and servants that the land could not sustain two such large tribes.  Jacob continued to live quietly at Hebron as the head of his family, in touch with everything that went on, but leaving the actual work to be done by others.  He had a great number of servants and his ten older sons were in charge of his vast flocks and herds.