Twelve Tribes of Israel Chart

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The ancestral tribe of the Levites, however, was not counted along with the others. The Lord had said to Moses: ‘You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law—over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it” ( Numbers 1:47-50). What Happened to the Tribe of Joseph? Teyma is usually associated with the ancient oasis of Tayma, located northeast of the Hijaz district, on the trade route between Tathrib (Medina) and Dumah. Between Tayma and Dumah is the famous Nafud desert. It is thought that the present city of Tayma at the southwestern end of the great Nafud desert is built on the remains of the ancient oasis by the same name. The Israelites moved to Egypt after a period of drought in Canaan. During this time, Joseph was residing in Egypt and worked in the Pharaoh's government as a governor over all Egypt. Due to his favor with the Pharaoh, his relatives were given a territory to settle. The Israelites multiplied into a great nation and the Pharaoh, who did not know of Joseph, subjected them to slavery as he feared they would overpower the Egyptians because of their growth rate. In the Wilderness The Land of the Tribe of Issachar: The Tribe of Issachar was allocated land around the Valley of Jezreel ( Joshua 19:17-23).

The Land of the Tribes of Zebulun, Asher and Napthali: The Tribes of Zebulun, Asher and Napthali were allotted land in the north stretching from the coastal foothills near Tyre and Sidon all the way to the Sea of Galilee, a.k.a. Lake of Kinnereth ( Joshua 19:10-16 and 24-39). In listing the tribes in Numbers 1, you will see that Levi is no longer counted among the tribes and the tribe of Joseph is represented by Ephraim and Manasseh. What happened? From a geographical standpoint, Adummatu is often associated with the medieval Arabic Dumat el-Jandal, which was in ancient times a very important and strategic junction on the major trade route between Syria, Babylon, Najd, and the Hijaz area. Dumat el-Jandal is at the southeastern end of Al Jawf which is a desert basin and often denotes the whole lower region of Wadi as Sirhan, the famous depression situated halfway between Syria and Mesopotamia. This area has water and was a stopping place for caravans coming from Tayma before proceeding on to Syria or Babylonia.Many Christians and Jewish people alike travel to Israel every year to explore the roots of their faith and the rich heritage they have in common and share. For Jewish people this rich heritage is literal and it is in their DNA, for Christians it is spiritual. God spoke to Rebekah and told her that the older twin (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). Esau despised his birthright as firstborn, which would make him the spiritual leader and caretaker of the family and through which he would be entitled to a double portion of inheritance, and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of lentils. What Were The Twelve Tribes Of Israel? The 12 Tribes' respective territorial claims in Biblical times (left) relative to the geographic map of Israel today (right). In the book of Joshua 13, God commanded Joshua to divide the land among the tribes. The Lord laid out the land to be possessed and told him to divide the land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes and half-tribe Manasseh. Verse 14 spells out that the tribe of Levi received no inheritance. “The sacrifices of Israel made by fire are their inheritance” ( Joshua 13:14). In verse eight, the Lord says that the Reubenites and Gadites had already received their inheritance from Moses. Why Did God Choose 12 Tribes?

Benjamin: “But his father named him Benjamin” ( Genesis 35:18). Behind the Name defines Benjamin as meaning, “‘son of the south’ or ‘son of the right hand.’” Benjamin’s tribe is described as a ravenous wolf and conquerors. ( Genesis 49:27) The land of Benjamin is situated south of Ephraim and the Jordan River and north of Judah and the Dead Sea. Why Did God Choose 12 Tribes of Israel?Muslim chart from Adam to Arabian Tribes. Keohane, Alan, 'Bedouin, Nomads of the Desert', Kyle Kathi Ltd., London, 1994 As we have already mentioned, the sons of Kedar became known as the Kedarites. The Kedarites were the main military power of the sons of Ishmael. Isaiah speaks of Kedar’s “glory and her gifted archers” (Isaiah 21:16-17). Ezekiel 27:21 associates Arabia with all of the princes of Kedar, suggesting a confederation under their leadership. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” ( Genesis 12:3, emphasis added). Who is a Jew?’ is a question for one person. We need to ask not a personal question but a general one. ‘What is the Jewish nation?’ More than anything, we have to introduce the question.” Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum

So, the Patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel were: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. Also mentioned in Genesis 49 is Jesus as the lion. This is mentioned again in Revelation when Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.As I mentioned earlier, the tribe of Joseph in Numbers 1 is represented by Ephraim and Manasseh. Does this mean that Joseph’s tribe was split in two, representing 13 tribes instead of 12? No these two tribes represented the two sons born to Joseph while he was in Egypt. However, as you read in Genesis 48, Jacob in essence adopted them as his own and they were given the same blessing as Jacob’s other sons. Here is what Jacob said: The Word of God was written for readers of all times, so that anybody reading it can draw wisdom from it, provided they have eyes to see and ears to hear. In the Bible, Israel and Judah may refer to either the literal biological descendants of Abraham or the spiritual descendants of Abraham (the New Testament Gentile Church). Furthermore, often the Word of God uses analogies to link events or teachings meant for both the past and the future. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals’” ( Revelation 5:4-5). Where Do We See the Tribes Mentioned Throughout the Bible? The twelve tribes of Israel came from the twelve sons of Israel. “Israel” is the name that God gave Jacob (Genesis 32:28). His twelve sons are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 35:23-26; Exodus 1:1–4; 1 Chronicles 2:1–2). When the tribes inherited the Promised Land, Levi’s descendants did not receive a territory for themselves (Joshua 13:14). Instead, they became priests and had several cities scattered throughout all of Israel. Joseph’s tribe was divided in two—Jacob had adopted Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, essentially giving Joseph a double portion for his faithfulness in saving the family from famine (Genesis 47:11–12). This means the tribes who received territory in the Promised Land were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. In some places in Scripture, the tribe of Ephraim is referred to as the tribe of Joseph (Numbers 1:32–33). Tiglath Pileser III received tributes from Tayma, as well as from other Arabian oases. The Assyrians recorded how a coalition headed by Samsi, queen of the Arabs, was defeated. The coalition was made up of Massaa, the city of Tayma, the tribes of Saba, Hajappa, Badana, Hatti, and Idiba’il, which lay far to the west. Once defeated, these tribes had to send tribute of gold, silver, camels, and spices of all kinds.

God's love and desire to have a faithful family led to the birth of the nation of Israel whose ancestors were the patriarchs of the 12 tribes who descended from Jacob, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, who was renamed Israel and gave his name to the nation. Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee” ( Philippians 3:4-5). I hope this has given you a small introduction to who the 12 tribes of Israel were. As I said at the beginning, there is a lot more that could be written. Hopefully now when you read your Bible going forward some of the names, titles, and genealogies will make a little more sense. This strategic location effectively made the Dumah the gatekeepers to north Arabia. The oasis in this territory was the centre of rule for many north Arabian kings and queens, as related to us in Assyrian records. Matthew 13:44 - "The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." IssacharIssachar has even less biblical presence than Zebulun, but the tribe was loyal to Deborah and Barak ( Judges 5:15). They’re also remembered as “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” ( 1 Chronicles 12:32). 7. Dan. After Solomon’s reign, the kingdom of Israel divides. Some tribes remain loyal to David’s bloodline (the Southern Kingdom), but most tribes rebel and form their own new nation (the Northern Kingdom). They always say it is so hard to be a Jew, but how is it that so many want to become one?” Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum The other nine and a half tribes were assigned territories by drawing lots to divide the land on the west bank of the Jordan River ( Joshua 14:2 and 18:6,8).