Excerpt from Faces of the Old Testament
by Joseph A. Callaway

Jacob, in name and in life, was at home in the Hyksos period. Little is said in the biblical narratives that helps us to localize Jacob in this period, but there is indirect evidence. The ease of travel from Beersheba to Haran is expected. Also the cities of Shechem and Bethel, built into significant centers by the Hyksos, are important in the Jacob narratives. Shechem, the city of the sons of Hamor (33:18ff.), was probably a caravan stopover. “Sons of Hamor” means literally “sons of the donkey,” or donkey drovers. Donkeys, we recall, were the beasts of burden in caravans during this time. The invitation to Jacob to live at Shechem “and trade in it” (34:21) suggests also its commercial character.

The biblical narratives dwell at length on Jacob’s adventures in the region of Haran. Actually the story is cast in a very interesting and suspense-laden form, once we see the issues involved. The listener, who would be a son of Jacob in Palestine, was aware that the legacy of Abraham rode with Jacob because he, not Esau, claimed the birthright. The hope of Israel was brought repeatedly to the brink of disaster in Jacob’s duel of wits with Laban, and every development that rescued the inheritance in the person of Jacob merely preserved it for another game of brinkmanship.

The final peril was that Jacob would stay in Haran, the land Abraham was commanded to leave. This problem was solved in the nick of time, and the inheritance was brought back to the land of promise, even though it was still threatened every step of the way. Of course, the listener of these stories was aware that the birthright and Jacob would always be extricated from every situation, but hearing the story was always a delight. I think the narratives still have magnetic attraction when we approach them in this natural way. To moralize sermons from every verse, I think kills the story and its message.

Joseph A. Callaway is the author of "Faces of the Old Testament", published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing. To order, go to the online bookpage or call 1-800-747-3016.