Penuel


In the Hebrew Bible, Penuel is a place not far from Succoth, on the east of the Jordan River and south of the river Jabbok.
It is also called Peniel "Face of God" by Jacob:
Here Jacob wrestled "with a man" "till the break of day." This episode resulted in God changing Jacob's name to "Israel" which literally means, "he who strives with God" or "God strives".
According to 1 Kings. On his return, Gideon tore down the tower there and killed all the men of the city.
When the Northern Kingdom of Israel broke away from the United Monarchy c. 930 BCE, Jeroboam, its first king, established his capital in Shechem. A short time later, he left Shechem and fortified Penuel, declaring it as his new capital. He and his son, Nadab, ruled there, until Baasha seized the throne in 909 BCE and moved the capital to Tirzah.
Pnuel is a common name given to males in the Assyrian culture.
The material of Genesis 32-35, including the account of Jacob being renamed Israel at Penuel may be a later addition that introduces a new power structure centered around the establishment of sacral places in the North.