Isaac

1
Isaac

• Historical / Cultural Context
• 1891 1711 BC
• Isaacs story is related in both Christianity
• and Judaism.

• Connotations
• Religious, family man, sacrifice, daft

• Explanation
• Isaac is mentioned only either in relation to
• his father, when he is asked to be
• sacrificed, or in relation to his sons Jacob
• and Esau. He is sometimes thought of as
• being daft because his son Jacob was
• able to trick him and claim the family
• inheritance.

2
Jacob

• Historical / Cultural Context
• 1831 - 1684 BC
• Jacobs story is also found in the Jewish
• and Christian religions.

• Connotations
• Father, trickster, loving, favoritism, loyalty,
• family

• Explanation
• Jacob is the son of Isaac who steals his
• brothers birthright and claims his fathers
• blessing. He is a hard worker because he
• was willing to work for 14 years in order to
• marry the woman he loved. He is also
• considered the father of all of Israel
• because he had 12 sons, most notably
• Joseph, whom he loved deeply.

3
Jacob and Esau

• Historical / Cultural Context
• 1831 1734 BC
• The events between Jacob and Esau
• occurred during Biblical times and are
• related in both the Christian and Jewish
• faiths.

• Connotations
• Trickery, loyalty, forgiveness

• Explanation
• Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac.
• One day Esau came home from the
• wilderness, and was very hungry. So
• much so that he was willing to trade his
• birthright for a pot of stew that Jacob had
• prepared. Jacob then feared for his life
• and ran away, but years later he was
• forgiven by Esau .

4
Jacobs Ladder

• Historical / Cultural Context
• 1831 - 1684 BC
• This is actually a part of Jacobs life which
• is spoken of in the Jewish and Christian
• faiths.

• Connotations
• Heaven, divine intervention, angels, God

• Explanation
• Jacobs Ladder is Gods way of letting
• Jacob know that he has been chosen as
• the next great patriarch of the Hebrews.
• Jacob has fallen asleep on a long journey
• that he is taking in order to find a wife, and
• God appears to him and tells him that he
• will inherit the land he is lying on and
• much of the surrounding area.

5
Jephthahs Daughter

• Historical / Cultural Context
• 1406 1011 BC
• This story is explained in the Christian and
• Jewish faiths.

• Connotations
• Virginal, pure, sorrowful, loyal, devotion to
• father and God

• Explanation
• Jephthah was a king who made a promise
• to God that he would sacrifice the first
• thing he saw when he arrived home if the
• Lord would help him win a battle.
• However, when he arrived home, the first
• thing he saw was his daughter. She
• agrees that a deal is a deal, but asks to go
• into the mountains for three months with
• her friends to mourn the fact that she will
• die a virgin.

6
Jezebel

• Historical/Cultural Context
• 1004-954 BC
• The story of Jezebel is told in the Christian
• and Jewish faiths. Her story is often told
• to try and show that God is supreme and
• that he punishes those who turn against
• him.

• Connotations
• Wicked, adulterous, lustful, evil, sinner

• Explanation
• Jezebel is considered to be the most evil
• queen in the whole of the Bible. She is a
• pagan worshipper and tries to enforce her
• beliefs on her husbands subjects by
• killing all of the prophets of God. After
• her husband is killed in battle, she is
• thrown over the palace wall and trampled
• to bits. Dogs then came and ate her body
• in accordance with Gods word.