Genesis 35 recounts Jacob's journey back to Bethel and several significant family events that followed.
God instructed Jacob to go to Bethel, where he had earlier fled from his brother Esau, and to build an altar there. Jacob prepared his household by having them put away their foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their clothes before the journey. God protected Jacob's family as they traveled, causing terror to fall on the surrounding towns so no one pursued them.
At Bethel, Jacob built an altar and named it Elbethel (God of Bethel). Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried there.
God appeared to Jacob again, reaffirmed his name change to Israel, and repeated the covenant promises about descendants and land. Jacob set up a stone pillar at this place of divine encounter.
As they journeyed from Bethel toward Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel went into difficult labor and died while giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob set up a pillar at her grave.
While in that region, Jacob's eldest son Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine — a serious transgression noted but not immediately addressed.
Genesis 35 lists all twelve sons of Jacob, grouped by their mothers. Finally, Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre (Hebron), and the chapter ends with Isaac's death at 180 years old and his burial by both his sons, Esau and Jacob.
