664 J A C 
ed to 15,6x9 dollars, 26 cents. The town is fituated on 
the fouth fide of the neck of the fouth peninfula; fix 
leagues --weft-ward of Cayes de Jacmel, feven leagues and 
a half eaft of the bay and town of Baynet, as far fouth of 
Leogane on the north fide of the peninfula, thirteen fouth- 
weft of Port au Prince, and fifty-three eaft of Cape Tibu- 
ron. Lat. 18.21. N. Ion.7.5.2. W.-from.Paris. 
JAC'MEL, Cayes de, a town and parifh on the eaft 
fide of the ftream of its name, fix leagues eaft of the above 
town of Jacmel. This parifh is bounded eaft by the plain 
on the Spanifh. part, at the foot of the mountains of Ba- 
horuCo, eighty leagues fquare, fit for any kind of culti¬ 
vation. On the neighbouring mountains coffee would 
fucceed well. » 
JAC'OB, [Heb. a fupplanter.] A man’s name. 
JA'COB, the Hebrew patriarch, was the fon of Ifaac 
and Rebecca, and twin brother of Efau, and born in the 
year 1836 B. C. He -was the fecond in the order of birth, 
and came into the world holding his brother’s heel; on 
which account he was called Jacob ,'.from a Hebrew word 
which fignifies the heel, as well as the verb to fujiplant. 
His inclination led him to the paftoral life, for which he 
appears to have been beft qualified by his gentle ealy tem¬ 
per. Hence alfo he was his mother’s favourite, while his 
brother Efau recommended himfelf to the firft place in 
the affeflions of their father, by his more malculine and 
aftive fpirit. In our life of Esau, vol. vii. p. 7, we were 
necefiarily led to anticipate the early part of the liiftory 
of Jacob, and to relate the particulars of his obtaining 
Torn Efau the renunciation of the privileges of his birth¬ 
right, and of the manner in which he afterwards fup- 
planted him in receiving their father’s laft prophetic bleff- 
ing. After Rebecca had prevailed upon Ifaac to fend 
Jacob to her brother Laban, where he would be fafe from 
the reach of Efau’s threatened vengeance, file introduced 
her favourite to take his leave of his father, who con¬ 
firmed in a folemn manner the blefling which had been 
obtained by ftratagem, and g 3 ve him his parting com¬ 
mands. Jacob was lent away alone, with only his ftaff in 
his hand, probably for the purpofe of concealing'his de¬ 
parture from his brother; and, after completing his Journey 
to his uncle Laban’s at Padan-aram, was received by him 
with all the marks of friendlhip and affection. Jacob, 
when he had ftaid with his uncle a month, found himfelf 
captivated by the charms of his youngeft daughter Ra¬ 
chael, whom lie was defirous of marrying. As, however, 
he had no prefent to make her father, according to the 
cuftom of thofe days, and Laban was of too covetous a 
difpofition to part with his daughter without fome equi¬ 
valent, an agreement was made between them, that the 
latter iliould have the fervice of Jacob for feven yfears; at 
the end of which Rachael ihould become his wife. When 
the term of the agreement was about to expire, Laban pro¬ 
jected a difhonourable trick, by which Jacob was cheated 
into an additional feven years fervice; for, upon the ar¬ 
rival of the time at which he was to be put in poffeffion 
of the wife whom he had fo dearly earned, Laban, taking 
advantage of the eaftern cuftom of veiling the bride, fub- 
ftituted his eldeft daughter Leah in the room of Rachael, 
and Jacob did not dilcover the deceit till the next morn¬ 
ing. Fired with refentment at having been betrayed into 
marriage with the homely filler of the objefl of his affec¬ 
tions, he warmly remonltraced with Laban, who excufed 
himfelf by pretending, that the ufage of the country 
would not permit the younger daughter to be married be¬ 
fore the elder ; and added, that if Jacob would fulfil the 
nuptial week with his wife, and conlent to ferve him feven 
years more, as loon as the week was ended he would alfo 
bellow upon him Rachael. Notwitliftanding the unfair- 
nefs of this procedure, Jacob loved Rachael too well not 
to obtain her at any price ; he therefore acceded to the 
hard terms, and at the expiration of the feven days en¬ 
joyed the fruits of his fervitude and conftancy. Jacob’s 
behaviour to his two wives, as might be expefled, was 
,t>ery different; fince Rachael polfelfed his affeflions, and 
v J A C 
Leah was forced to content herfelf with cold civility, and 
a lefs frequent admiffion than her filler to her hulband’s 
bed. It pleafed God, however, that Leah Ihould fuccef- 
_lively prove the mother of four fons, while Rachael con¬ 
tinued barren._ At length Rachael, who had almoft de- 
fpaired of having iffue, proved with child, and to her 
great joy was delivered of her fon Jofeph. By this time 
Jacob, having completed his fourteen years fervitude, was 
defirous of returning to his aged parents, and requefted 
that his uncle would difinifs him and his family. But 
Laban, who had fufficiently experienced the value of his 
faithful fervices, entreated him to continue with liim a 
little longer, agreeing that he Ihould have by way of wages 
all the future produce of the flocks diftinguilhed by par¬ 
ticular marks. This bargain proved in time fo advan¬ 
tageous to Jacob, that Laban’s avarice led him to put in. 
practice many ffratagems to defraud his nephew of his 
juft right, which Jacob counteracted by other ftratagems 
in his own defence. No lefs than ten times, as.Jacob af¬ 
terwards complained, were the conditions of the agree¬ 
ment arbitrarily altered by Laban: but, notwithftandifig 
all, Jacob grew exceeding rich, “and had much cat¬ 
tle, and maid-fervants, and men-fervants, and camels, 
and affes.” His profperity, however, excited the jea- 
loufy of Laban and his fons againft him; and, being 
divinely admoniihed in a dream, he determin'ed to em¬ 
brace the firft favourable opportunity of departing with 
all that he had to his own country. Having imparted his 
defign to his wives, who were fatisfied of the prudence of 
that meafure, while Laban was'at a confiderable diltance 
{hearing his flieep, he collefled together his property, and 
fet forwards with as much expedition as pofiible towards 
the land of Canaan. It was not before the third day af¬ 
terwards that Laban received information of Jacob’s de¬ 
parture ; when he immediately coilefled a band of his 
kindred and dependants, and after a purfuit of feven days 
came up with his fon-in-law in that part of the hilly 
country connected with mount Libanus, which was after¬ 
wards known by the name of mount Gilead. The de¬ 
fign with which he had followed him was undoubtedly 
lioftite; but, being threatened in a dream with the ef- 
fefls of the Divine difpleafure if he ihould attempt to 
carry it into execution, Laban at firft confined himfelf to 
expoftulation with Jacob for ftealing away without giving 
him the opportunity of taking an affeflionate leave of his 
children and grandchildren, and of honourably difmiffmg 
them with the ufuai ceremonies of mufic and dancing, 
Jacob, on the other hand, enumerated the many grounds 
which he had of complaint and diftruft, which abundantly 
juitified the itep that he had taken ; and expoftulated in 
fuch moving language, on account of the injuries which 
he had received, that Laban appears to have been awaken¬ 
ed to fome fenfe of ihame for his condufl; and, after ex- 
prefiions of a tender regard towards his daughters and 
their offspring, lie propoied to Jacob that they ihould en¬ 
ter into an alliance, and erect a monument which iliould 
be a witnefs of it to future ages. To this propofal Jacob 
acceded, and a pile of ftones was reared by the joint la¬ 
bours of both parties, which Laban called in the Syrian 
tongue Jegar-fakadutlia, and Jacob in Hebrew Gilead ; 
both which fignify “ the heap of witnefs.” Here they 
mutually fwore to articles of indiifoluble peace and union, 
a facrifice being offered on the occafion ; and, after the 
ceremony was ended, Jacob made'a feaft for the whole 
company. On the following day, Laban, after embracing 
and bleifing Jacob and his family, fet out on his return 
to Padan-aram. 
No fooner was Jacob thus happily delivered from the 
intended enmity of his father-in-law, than his mind be¬ 
came diilreffed with apprehenfions of his brother Eiau, 
whole refentment he ftill dreaded. A vifion which he 
had on his way to Canaan, of a hoft of protefling angels, 
contributed in fome degree to allay his anxiety; but,that 
he might be fully affured of his brother’s difpofition to¬ 
wards him, he thought it proper to fend meffengers to 
acquaint 
