Israel

''Jacob'' was in his difficult journey back to the land of his parents and worry with the encounter with his brother Esau. He sent gifts and all what he had first for he reasoned: "''If I first appease him with gifts that precede me, then later, when I face him, perhaps he will forgive me''" (Gn 32: 21). But it was not with Esau his brother that Jacob would have his great encounter. It can to be one of the most misteriuos passages of the Scriptures. That night he stayed alone and came a strange character with whom he would have a strugle. The most curious of the event is that Jacob showed to be stronger and the man has to plead: "''Let me go, for it is daybreak''" (Gn 32: 27). It is clear that Jacob understood that he was fighting with somebody out of common, since he said: "''I will not let you go until you bless me''" (Gn 32: 27b). The blessing became therefore a renaming for Jacob: "''You shall not longer b spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed''" (Gn 32: 29).