Our father Jacob: The role of the Jacob narrative in the Fourth Gospel compared to its role in the Jewish Bible and in the writings of early Judaism

Commentaries recognized that two pericopae in the Gospel of John, viz. John 1:43-51 and 4:1-42, allude to stories about the Hebrew patriarch Jacob. This dissertation probes the theme of Jacob in these two pericopae and compares it with the theme as it occurs in the Jewish Bible and in the writings of early Judaism (before 100 CE). Four motifs of the Jacob Narrative occur in the Fourth Gospel: the meaning of Jacob's names, Jacob's vision at Bethel, Jacob's well in the land he gave to Joseph, and the greatness of Jacob.;Section Two analyzes the interpretation of the motifs in the writings of early Judaism. The name Jacob is never interpreted negatively. Israel is always positive and has various interpretations. Because of Jacob's vision at Bethel, Bethel is interpreted as a place where man encounters God and is associated quite closely with the temple. Jacob's well is not mentioned except in the targumim. Shechem has quite a negative connotation. Jacob may be the greatest of the patriarchs.;The Fourth Gospel follows quite closely the presentation and interpretation of the Jacob Narrative in the Jewish Bible. Where there are divergences between the Jewish Bible and the literature of early Judaism, the Evangelist follows the Bible. Targumic traditions did not influence the Evangelist. So it is the Jewish Bible that needs to be probed as the source of the interpretations of the Jacob Narrative in the Fourth Gospel. The writings of early Judaism are a part of the history of interpretation.;The method used is based on a distinction between the Jewish Bible and the writings of early Judaism. In Section One the four motifs of the Jacob Narrative are studied in the context of Genesis and the rest of the Jewish Bible. The name Jacob is usually negative when it is interpreted. Israel, on the other hand, is often ambiguous. Jacob's vision at Bethel is not prominent. Jacob's well is not prominent by itself although it does occur at Deut 33:28. Shechem is morally ambiguous although it has negative connotations in later biblical books. The greatness of Jacob is not emphasized.