Who are the Israelites?

And the Lord said unto her...

"[T]wo nations are in thy womb, and two manners
of people shall be separate from thy bowels; and
the one people shall be stronger than the other people;
and the elder shall serve the younger.”
[Genesis 25:23, 24]

When Rebekah was pregnant with two sons in her womb God proclaimed Jacob
as the one He loved and the other (Esau), He hated. Before they were born,
God named them, and loved one but not the other.

Isaac was old and going blind and called Esau to hunt venison and prepare a tasty
dish that Isaac loved before he is to give Esau the blessing before he dies. Rebekah
plotted with Jacob to deceive Isaac into thinking that Jacob was Esau and prepared
a dish made from goat meat. The deception worked and Jacob deceitfully received
the blessing.

For fear of what Esau may do to him after the deception, Jacob fled to Haran (Samaria)
and stayed with Rebekah’s brother Laban, the Syrian. For fourteen years he worked
for Laban and received, as payment, two wives and herds of animals. When it was time
to return home to his father Isaac, he told Laban his intention and in due time he
departed Haran and headed for the land of Canaan where his father and mother lived.

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