former name of Hebron, Kiriath-arba, mentioned in , derived from the name of Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim. In early nonrabbinic interpretation The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these early nonrabbinic sources: Genesis chapter 32 The 1st century CE Jewish Apocryphal book the Wisdom of Solomon told that Wisdom defended Jacob from his enemies, kept him safe from ambush, and in a hard conflict gave him victory, so that he might know that goodness is stronger than all else. In classical rabbinic interpretation The parashah is discussed in these rabbinic sources from the era of the Mishnah and the Talmud: Genesis chapter 32 The Rabbis of the Midrash questioned the wisdom of Jacob's decision to contact Esau in . Nahman ben Samuel compared the decision to waking a robber sleeping on a path to tell him of danger. The Rabbis envisioned that God asked Jacob: "Esau was going his own way, yet you sent to him?" The Rabbis of the Midrash deduced that the "messengers" of were angels. The Rabbis reasoned that if (as Genesis Rabbah 59:10 taught) an angel escorted Eliezer, who was just a servant of the house, how much the more would angels have accompanied Jacob, who was the beloved of the house. Rabbi Hama ben Hanina reasoned that if five angels appeared to Hagar, who was just Sarah's handmaid, how much more would angels appear to Jacob. And Rabbi Jannai reasoned that if three angels met Joseph (counting the three uses of "man" in ), and he was the youngest of the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel, how much more would angels meet Jacob, who was the father of all 12. Judah haNasi once directed Rabbi Afes to write a letter in Judah's name to Emperor Antoninus. Rabbi Afes wrote: "From Judah the Prince to our Sovereign the Emperor Antoninus." Judah read the letter, tore it up, and wrote: "From your servant Judah to our Sovereign the Emperor Antoninus." Rabbi Afes remonstrated that Judah treated his honor too lightly. Judah replied that he was not better than his ancestor, who in sent a message saying: "Thus says your servant Jacob." Rabbi Jacob bar Idi pointed out a contradiction between God's promise to protect Jacob in and Jacob's fear in ; Rabbi Jacob explained that Jacob feared that some sin might cause him to lose the protection of God's promise. Rabbi