Die Geschichte Jaakobs : Roman

The first edition was published by S. Fischer in Berlin in October 1933 . After the seizure of power , Thomas Mann and his family settled in Küsnacht on Lake Zurich on September 27, 1933 ; his books were still able to appear in Germany until the Fischer publishing house emigrated.

“Deep is the well of the past.” With these words the prelude to the tetralogy, entitled “Descent into Hell”, begins. The stories of Jacob begin at the well and in the night . Here the aged Jacob meets the seventeen-year-old Joseph, the favorite of his twelve sons. Joseph appears before us as a handsome, lively, but also vain moon enthusiast. Father Jaakob is worried about finding him at the bottom of the well and half naked. He asks why Joseph is not with his brothers. To his sorrow he has to hear that one of the brothers called his favorite child "Laffe und Hurchen". The fraternal strife that will culminate in the sale of young Joseph to Egypt has begun.

The encounter between father and son gives rise to a comprehensive review of Jacob's life: we learn how he cheated his slightly older twin brother Esau of his father's blessing and thus the birthright . Fearing his brother's wrath and revenge, Jacob flees to Haran . There he hired himself out to his uncle Laban and fell in love with his daughter Rahel. When he asks for her hand in marriage, Laban gives him the condition that he will work for him for seven years before he can marry Rachel as a reward. When the wedding is finally celebrated at the end of this time, Jacob finds out the next morning that Laban has cheated on him: he gave him his older daughter Leahsupplied veiled. Jacob has to serve his uncle again for seven years so that he can also marry Rahel.

While the sons that Jacob has with Leah grow up, Rachel remains barren. As the maid Hagar once bore Abraham a son, so the maids Bilhah and Silpah bore sons to Jacob. He already has ten children, when Rahel finally gives birth to Joseph, the long-desired child of Jaakob, who is already very old, with the "right" woman, finally the "right" son: Joseph, also called Jaschup - which means something like increase and increase. As a reference to the Most High, the parents also call him Jehoseph .

During the years in Laban's service, Jacob prospers, returns to Canaan, and is reconciled with Esau.