As Jacob returned to Canaan from Haran, his father-in-law Laban caught up with him in the hills of Gilead and confronted him for stealing away quietly with his daughter and grandchildren. After the two men reconciled, they established a covenant of peace between them and set up a monumental pillar there. Then Jacob continued on to Mahanaim, likely approaching the camp from the south side of the Jabbok River. Then he sent messengers to Seir over seventy miles southwest (see “The Negev” map) to find his brother Esau and seek his favor. The messengers returned with news that Esau was coming with four hundred men to meet Jacob, and Jacob prepared for the worst (Genesis 32:1-21). While Jacob was camped at Mahanaim, he divided all his family, servants, and livestock into two groups and sent them across the Jabbok River, but Jacob stayed back at the camp by himself. All during the night a man wrestled with him until Jacob compelled him to bless him, and the man changed Jacob’s name to Israel. So Jacob named the place Peniel (likely the hill on the other side of the Jabbok River; see “Mahanaim and Peniel” map) and headed out to meet Esau (Genesis 32:22-32). When Esau arrived, he embraced Jacob, and the two brothers were reconciled. Esau then returned to Seir while Jacob journeyed on to Succoth and built a house for his family and booths for his livestock. Sometime after this Jacob left and traveled to Shechem in the heart of Canaan (Genesis 33).
