Jacob and Joseph as Character Names in Modern Literature

The names Jacob and Joseph are of Hebrew origin; they appear often in both the Old and New Testaments and have inspired innumerable names, both actual and literary, throughout the history of Jews and Christians. In Genesis the patriarch Jacob obtained the blessing of his father by trickery; his sons and grandsons headed the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Joseph, the first son of his second wife, Rachel, was sold by his jealous brothers into Egypt, where he reached a high position and rescued his whole family who emigrated to Egypt at a time of famine. In the New Testament Joseph is the father of Jesus; in one of the Gospels, Joseph's father is also named Jacob (Matt. 1:16), as in Genesis. Two of Jesus ' disciples are named Jacob: the son of Zebedee (Matt. 4:21) and the son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3), as well as a so-called brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55). The Greek Jacob is changed to James in English but this change is not applied to the Old Testament figure. The reign of the English King James (ruled 1603-25) is called the Jacobean Age. The character name Jacob alludes to the OT patriarch, as a founder of the Jewish nation (his name was changed to Israel), as a trickster, and as one who wrestled with an angel.