The average American family today consists of 2.63 people; the average Israelite household would have consisted of 50 to 100 people. Jacob's household included about 70 people. The modern "Western" notion of family is more narrow, individualistic, private, and exclusive than the biblical view. For ancient Mediterranean people, their identity was derived primarily from being members of particular groups, such as tribes, clans, and families. In such a cultural context, the family had an importance that would be difficult for many modern cultures to imagine.