Charles Preston
Encyclopædia Britannica Editor
Connect with Charles Preston
Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica. He earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from Pomona College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He held teaching and administrative posts before joining Encyclopædia Britannica in 2024.
Primary Contributions (121)
Jacob, Hebrew patriarch who is considered the traditional ancestor of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. He is renamed Israel after the pivotal scene in which he wrestles with a divine being. In the genealogy recounted in the Hebrew Bible, Jacob is the grandson of Abraham and Sarah and the son of Isaac…
READ MORE