Credible Theories
Hebrew Bible · Genesis 28:12

Jacob's ladder

ReferenceGenesis 28:12
Writtenc. 900–500 BCE
SetJacob, patriarchal era
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Translation: KJV

Read it literally

A fixed structure between ground and sky with traffic going both ways. Jacob names the spot Bethel, 'house of God', and calls it 'the gate of heaven'. A space elevator with a landing site.

What scholars say

The 'ladder' may be a ramp or stair, like the stairs up a ziggurat.

Looks like technology From the sky
People and places hereBethelJacob

Quick answers about Genesis 28:12

Where is Genesis 28:12 found?

Genesis 28:12 (Hebrew Bible). Translation quoted: King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with Apocrypha.

When was Genesis 28:12 written?

c. 900–500 BCE.

What do scholars say about Genesis 28:12?

The 'ladder' may be a ramp or stair, like the stairs up a ziggurat.

Sources

  1. King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with ApocryphaPrimary text

Scholarly dates are rounded. The wording follows the named public-domain translation.

Updated