What is Jacob's well? Why was it important?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Jacob's well holds significance as an ancient site linked to the patriarch Jacob in the Old Testament, symbolizing his return to Canaan and the establishment of his family there. In the New Testament, it serves as the backdrop for Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, revealing Jesus as the Messiah. This encounter led many Samaritans to believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world. Today, Jacob's well represents both physical provision and spiritual nourishment, illustrating Jesus' offer of eternal life for all who will believe in Him.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• For Jews and Muslims, the importance of Jacob's well is due to its ancient connection to the patriarch Jacob, the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. After an altercation with his brother Esau, Jacob spent twenty years with his relative Laban. When he returned, "Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel" (Genesis 33:18–20). Although Genesis does not mention a well, tradition and the account in John's gospel lend credibility to the claim that this well was either dug or purchased by Jacob.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jacob's well was the setting in John 4 for Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman. The woman had come to the well to draw water and, in the process, discovered Jesus was the Messiah. She believed in Him, and then returned to her town to tell others who came to see for themselves. John 4:41–42 concludes, "And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'"

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Jacob's well touches both physical and spiritual needs. The well provided fresh water for people to drink, which Jesus used as a metaphor for the spiritual living water He offered for those who accept Him: "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). It is rare for us to know the exact location of the events that are listed in the Gospels, but it is significant that this one is the place where Jesus offered salvation to those of mixed Jewish and Gentile descent.

UNDERSTAND

• Jacob's well is significant for its link to Jacob from the Old Testament.
• In the New Testament, Jacob’s well is where Jesus met the Samaritan woman.
• The Samaritan woman’s belief in Jesus as the Messiah at Jacob’s well influenced others' beliefs.

REFLECT

• How does the story of Jacob's well resonate with your understanding of spiritual encounters or pivotal moments in your life?
• Reflect on Jesus' offer of "living water" at Jacob's well. What does this metaphor mean to you personally in terms of spiritual fulfillment and eternal life?
• How does the idea of Jacob's well being a place of encountering Jesus relate to your own experiences of encountering God's salvation and grace?

ENGAGE

• As early as AD 380, Jacob's well has been a site of churches. The well now lies in the crypt of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Jacob's Well in Nablus in the West Bank. In 1979, the abbot of the monastery was murdered and the church defiled by Zionist Jews who wished to claim the area as a Jewish holy site. Jacob's well remains significant for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
• Why do you think Jacob's well holds significance for Jews, Muslims, and Christians? How does this shared significance impact interfaith interaction?
• What parallels do you see between the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well and encounters people have with Jesus today?