Ya'aqov (Jacob) is one of the Bible's most prominent names, appearing 349 times as both a personal name and a national designation. The folk etymology in Genesis 25:26 connects it to 'aqev ('heel'), since Jacob grasped Esau's heel at birth, and the narrative of Genesis 27:36 puns on 'aqav ('to supplant'). Egyptian records mention a place called Ya'qub-'el, suggesting the name may have originally contained a divine element. As patriarch, Jacob received the name Israel after wrestling with God (Gen 32:28), and the name Jacob thereafter alternates with Israel as a designation for his descendants and their nation, especially in prophetic poetry.