Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder
   A prophetic dream by the patriarch Jacob of a ladder ascending to heaven has given us the term Jacob's ladder. "And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it" (Genesis 28:12-13).
   Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the father of twelve sons who became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. His name means "heel grabber" because he gripped the heel of Esau, his twin brother, as Jacob left his mother's body. Jacob was blessed with a new name, Israel, and is thus the eponymous ancestor of the Jewish state of Israel. In mundane activities, a Jacob's ladder is a useful device to ascend from a smaller ship to a larger one or to descend from a larger ship to a smaller one. The ladder is made of rope or cable with wooden or metal rungs. Harbor pilots use such a ladder to come aboard.
   A steep winding road, a twisting path up a mountain, or a flight of steps up a cliff are sometimes called Jacob's ladder. The name is also used for an herb or small plant with a flower-and-leaf formation resembling a ladder.

Dictionary of eponyms. . 2013.

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  • Jacob's Ladder — refers to a ladder to heaven, described in the Book of Genesis, which the biblical patriarch Jacob envisions during his flight from his brother Esau.ourceThe description of Jacob s ladder appears in the Book of Genesis (28:11 19):Jacob left… …   Wikipedia

  • Jacob's ladder — Jacob Ja cob, n. [Cf. F. Jacob. See 2d {Jack}.] A Hebrew patriarch (son of Isaac, and ancestor of the Jews), who in a vision saw a ladder reaching up to heaven ( Gen. xxviii. 12); also called {Israel}. [1913 Webster] And Jacob said . . . with my… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Jacob's ladder — n. 1. Bible the ladder from earth to heaven that Jacob saw in a dream: Gen. 28:12 2. a portable ladder used on ships and having, typically, wooden rungs and rope or wire sides 3. any of several plants (genus Polemonium) of the phlox family, with… …   English World dictionary

  • Jacob's Ladder — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel: Jacob s Ladder – In der Gewalt des Jenseits Originaltitel: Jacob s Ladder Produktionsland: USA Erscheinungsjahr: 1990 Länge: 108 Minuten Originalsprache: Englisch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jacob’s Ladder — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel Jacob’s Ladder – In der Gewalt des Jenseits Originaltitel Jacob’s Ladder …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jacob's Ladder — Para otros usos de este término, véase Escalera de Jacob (desambiguación). Jacob s Ladder Título La escalera de Jacob Alucinaciones del pasado Ficha técnica Dirección Adrian Lyne …   Wikipedia Español

  • Jacob's-ladder — mėlynasis palemonas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Palemoninių šeimos dekoratyvinis, vaistinis augalas (Polemonium caeruleum), paplitęs Europoje ir vakarų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Polemonium caeruleum angl. bluejacket; charity; charity… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Jacob’s ladder — mėlynasis palemonas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Palemoninių šeimos dekoratyvinis, vaistinis augalas (Polemonium caeruleum), paplitęs Europoje ir vakarų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Polemonium caeruleum angl. bluejacket; charity; charity… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Jacob’s ladder — palemonas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Palemoninių (Polemoniaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Polemonium). atitikmenys: lot. Polemonium angl. Greek valerian; Jacob’s ladder vok. Himmelsleiter; Jakobsleiter; Sperrkraut rus. синюха lenk.… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • Jacob's Ladder (disambiguation) — Jacob s Ladder is a ladder to heaven , described by biblical Jacob in the Book of GenesisJacob s Ladder may also refer to:* High voltage traveling arc, an electrical effect, classic in cinematic portrayal of laboratories * Crepuscular rays… …   Wikipedia

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