Jacob was the second born twin of Isaac and Rebecca, who won his older brother's birthright for a bowl of stew and later conspired with his mother to obtain the blessing from his father Isaac intended for his brother Esau. Following the success of this trickery upon the aged and failing Isaac, Jacob left fearing for his life, and met Rachel, whom he fell in love with.
Rachel was the daughter of his maternal uncle Laban, who agreed to the marriage, but then Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his elder daughter Leah instead, after Jacob had worked seven years to marry Rachel. Not to be dissuaded, Jacob bartered another seven years of his life to have Rachel to wife as well, and so he was married to both sisters at the same time, preferring Rachel over Leah. Rachel was barren and jealous of Leah's ability to birth sons for Jacob, and so gave to her husband her handmaid to impregnate, and Leah, tiring of pregnancy, did the same. This is where the tribes come from. The youngest two sons are Joseph and Benjamin, from the opened womb of Rachel. Leah also had one daughter that we know of.
Joseph is said to prefigure Christ in quite a few ways...