On the way to Harran, Jacob dreamed at Bethel of a stairway reaching heaven and heard God’s promise. In Laban’s household the man who had deceived others experienced deception himself. His love for Rachel, Leah’s loneliness, rivalry among the children and struggles over the flocks made the Harran years both fruitful and painful.
When God told Jacob to return to the land of his ancestors, he left secretly; Laban pursued him, but they finally separated under a covenant. Before meeting Esau, Jacob wrestled through the night with a mysterious figure and received the name Israel. Harran was more than the place where he gained wealth: it was the long school in which his character was tested and transformation began.