Back to Bethel

God commands Jacob to go live in Bethel in the land of Canaan. Jacob orders his family to give up their private gods and to be clean with God. In doing so they all gave Jacob their private gods, earrings and other idols which Jacob buried in the ground. Upon reaching Bethel, Jacob builds an altar and reaffirms his covenant with God. In this chapter we have the recorded deaths of Rachel, Deborah and Issac and the birth of Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin. Trivia: Genesis 34 never mentions the name of God and is one of the darkest chapters in Israel's ancient history. Genesis 35 mentions the name of God 10 times and another 11 times in names such as Bethel and Israel.