Reading Assignment: Memorize the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Twelve Tribes of Israel:
Reuben: one of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the oldest of Jacob's sons born of Leah, his first wife.
After the Exodus out of Egypt, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land and divided the territory among the 12 tribes. The tribe of Reuben apparently settled east of the Dead Sea in the same general area occupied by the tribe of Gad and played a secondary role in the history of the Jewish people. After the death of King Solomon (922 b.c.), the 10 northern tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam I that in (721 b.c.) fell to Assyrian conquerors. In time these northern tribes lost their identity through assimilation with other peoples, and thus the tribe of Reuben became known in legend as one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Simeon: one of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the second son born to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. Following the Exodus out of Egypt and the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land and divided the new territory among the 12 tribes. Though sources do not clearly indicate where the tribe of Simeon settled, it seems to have been in the south of Palestine beyond the powerful tribe of Judah. In time, part of the tribe of Simeon was apparently absorbed by Judah, while other members possibly relocated in the north. After the death of King Solomon (922 bc), Palestine split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. If the tribe of Simeon is counted among the tribes that formed the northern kingdom, then it too was assimilated by other peoples after the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 bc. One way or another, the tribe of Simeon disappeared from history and is thus numbered among the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Levi: (this priestly tribe did not receive a territory, and sometimes is not listed when the tribe of Joseph is listed as two separate tribes).
Judah: one of the 12 tribes of Israel, descended from Judah, who was the fourth son born to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. It is disputed whether the name Judah was originally that of the tribe or the territory it occupied and which was transposed from which.
After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, each was assigned a section of land by Joshua, who had replaced Moses as leader after the latter's death. The tribe of Judah settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah would come from among its members. Modern Jews, moreover, trace their lineage to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (absorbed by Judah) or to the tribe, or group, of clans of religious functionaries known as Levites. This situation was brought about by the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel in 721 bc, which led to the partial dispersion of the 10 northern tribes and their gradual assimilation by other peoples. (Legends thus refer to them as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.) The southern Kingdom of Judah thrived until 587/586 bc, when it was overrun by the Babylonians, who carried off many of the inhabitants into exile. When the Persians conquered Babylonia in 538 bc, Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, where they soon set to work to replace the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem that the Babylonians had destroyed. The history of the Jews from that time forward is predominantly the history of the tribe of Judah. Jesus came through Judah
Dan: one of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the first of two sons born to Jacob (also called Israel) and Bilhah, the maidservant of Jacob's second wife, Rachel. Nine of the other 11 tribes were also named after sons of Jacob, while two bear the names of Jacob's grandsons, children of Joseph.
After the death of Moses, the Israelites were led into the Promised Land by Joshua, who divided the territory among the 12 tribes. The portion assigned to the tribe of Dan was a region west of Jerusalem. At least part of the tribe later moved to the extreme northeast and took the city of Laish, renaming it Dan. As the northernmost Israelite city it became a point of reference in the familiar phrase "from Dan to Beersheba."
The great hero of the Danites was Samson, who, until his betrayal by Delilah, used his mighty strength against the Philistine invaders. Dan was one of the 10 northern tribes that disappeared from history after the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel in 721 bc. They are known in Jewish legends as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Naphtali: one of the 12 tribes that in biblical times constituted the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the younger of two sons born to Jacob and Bilhah, a maidservant of Jacob's second wife, Rachel. After Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land, he divided the new territory among the 12 tribes, assigning a region northwest of the Sea of Galilee to the tribe of Naphtali. After the death of King Solomon (922 bc), the 10 northern tribes established an independent Kingdom of Israel. In 734 bc the Naphtalites were conquered by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III, whose armies in 721 bc gained control over the entire northern kingdom. Israelites who were deported into slavery and those who remained behind were gradually assimilated by other peoples. The tribe of Naphtali thus lost its identity and became known in Jewish legend as one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Gad: one of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the first of two sons born to Jacob (also called Israel) and Bilhah, the maidservant of Jacob's second wife, Rachel. Nine of the other 11 tribes were also named after sons of Jacob, while two bear the names of Jacob's grandsons, children of Joseph. After the death of Moses, the Israelites were led into the Promised Land by Joshua, who divided the territory among the 12 tribes. The portion assigned to the tribe of Dan was a region west of Jerusalem. At least part of the tribe later moved to the extreme northeast and took the city of Laish, renaming it Dan. As the northernmost Israelite city it became a point of reference in the familiar phrase "from Dan to Beersheba."
The great hero of the Danites was Samson, who, until his betrayal by Delilah, used his mighty strength against the Philistine invaders. Dan was one of the 10 northern tribes that disappeared from history after the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel in 721 bc. They are known in Jewish legends as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Asher: One of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times constituted the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the younger of two sons born to Jacob (also called Israel) and Zilpah, the maidservant of Jacob's first wife, Leah. After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, Joshua assigned territory to each of the 12 tribes. The tribe of Asher apparently settled among the Phoenicians in the upper region of Palestine, beyond the tribe of Zebulun and west of the tribe of Naphtali.
Following the death of King Solomon (922 bc), the Israelites separated into the northern Kingdom of Israel (representing 10 tribes) and the southern Kingdom of Judah. When the northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 bc, the 10 northern tribes, including Asher, were partially dispersed. In time they were assimilated by other peoples and thus disappeared as distinctive units. Jewish legends refer to them as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Issachar: One of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times constituted the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the fifth son born to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. After the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land and apportioned the territory among the 12 tribes. The tribe of Issachar settled on land lying west of the Jordan River and southeast of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. After the death of King Solomon (922 bc), Issachar was one of the 10 northern tribes that established the independent Kingdom of Israel that survived until the Assyrian conquest of 721 bc. These 10 tribes, partially dispersed to other regions, eventually lost their identity and became known as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Zebulun: One of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times constituted the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named for the sixth son born of Jacob and his first wife, Leah. After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, Joshua divided the territory among the 12 tribes, assigning to the tribe of Zebulun a fertile section of land roughly northeast of the Plain of Jezreel. After the death of King Solomon (922 bc), the Israelites separated into the northern Kingdom of Israel (representing 10 tribes) and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. The northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 bc, and its tribes dispersed. Jewish legends thus consider the tribe of Zebulun as one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Joseph……..Manasseh and Ephraim
Ephraim: One of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after one of the younger sons of Joseph, himself a son of Jacob. After the death of Moses, Joshua, an Ephraimite, led the Israelites into the Promised Land and assigned territory to each of the 12 tribes. Members of his tribe settled in the fertile, hilly region of central Palestine. They gradually gained great power, for the Ephraimites acted as hosts to the tribal assemblies and had within their borders such religiously important centres as Shiloh and Bethel. In 930 bc the tribe of Ephraim led the 10 northern tribes in a successful revolt against the south and established the Kingdom of Israel, with Jeroboam I, an Ephraimite, as king. The seventh king of Israel, Ahab (reigned c. 874–c. 853 bc), was also an Ephraimite. His generally peaceful reign was marred by the worship of the Canaanite god Baal by his wife, Jezebel. From about 745 bc, the northern kingdom was often referred to as the Kingdom of Ephraim, a reflection of the tribe's importance. Assyrian conquerors overran the kingdom in 721 bc, dispersing some of the inhabitants and gradually assimilating others, occurrences that account for the eventual disappearance of the tribe of Ephraim along with the nine other northern tribes. They have become known in legend as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Manasseh: One of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel. The tribe was named after a younger son of Joseph, himself a son of Jacob.
After the Exodus from Egypt and the death of Moses, the Israelites entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, who assigned a territory to each of the 12 tribes. The tribe of Manasseh settled in central Palestine—some to the east, some to the west of the Jordan River, when the independent kingdom of Israel, established by the 10 northern tribes after the death of King Solomon... (100 of 171 words)
Benjamin: according to biblical tradition, one of the 12 tribes that constituted the people of Israel, and one of the two tribes (along with Judah) that later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the younger of two children born to Jacob (also called Israel) and his second wife, Rachel. After the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land and, dividing the territory among the 12 tribes, assigned south-central Palestine to the tribe of Benjamin. Members of the tribe were separated when two distinct kingdoms were established after the death of King Solomon (922 bc) and the territory of Benjamin was divided between them. Jews belonging to the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel disappeared from history after the Assyrian conquest of 721 bc and are known in legend as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Benjaminites in the southern kingdom of Judah were assimilated by the more powerful tribe of Judah and gradually lost their identity. Modern Jews thus consider themselves to be descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin or are classed as Levites to indicate an affinity with the religious functionaries who at one time exercised the priesthood in ancient Israel. Saul, the first of Israel's kings, and St. Paul the Apostle were both of the tribe of Benjamin.
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