The Tribes of Israel are clans of hebrew descent that would have originated in the family of jacob, one of the main Jewish patriarchs according to the Christian Bible.
There were twelve tribes of Israel, named after the sons of Jacob: reuben, simeon, Levi, Judah, From the, Naphtali, Gad, Aser, Issachar, Zebulun It is Benjamin.
The tribe that would belong to the son Joseph was divided into two, receiving the name of his heirs, Ephraim It is Manasseh.
The history of the tribes of Israel is told primarily in the Old Testament books of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, and Kings of the Bible.
Origin of the Tribes of Israel
Jacob, also called Israel, is considered one of the great Jewish leaders, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. He had two wives (Leah and Rachel) and two concubines (Zilpa and Bila) with whom he had children.
Of the sons of Jacob, those who had their names given to the clans were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin.
The other tribe, which would belong to Joseph, was given to his sons, Jacob's grandsons. At the end of his life, Jacob welcomed his grandchildren as heirs, with the names of Ephraim and Manasseh being given to each half of the tribe.
It was from the tribes that the land promised to the jews it was shared. only to tribe of Levi did not receive territory, for they gained from God the mission of the priesthood and lived in the cities of the other tribes. Despite the total of thirteen tribes, territorially they were twelve, as the tribe of Levi lived scattered.
Clans, which initially began as families, grew into significant populations. They inhabited the region of Canaan (promised land), which today correspond to the territory of Israel, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and parts of Jordan and Syria.
The tribes, despite the same origin, built individuality and, depending on the historical context, joined or separated. During the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon, the twelve tribes united into a single kingdom.
After the death of King Solomon (approximately 930 BC. C.), the tribes split into two kingdoms.
What do the 12 tribes of Israel mean?
The Christian Bible tells that Jacob, after having an encounter with God, had his name changed to Israel and his descendants became the people of Israel.
It is the sons of Jacob who named and composed each of the twelve tribes, initiating the formation of the people of Israel. Since Jacob is Abraham's grandson, the people of Israel are also the God's people.
After slavery in Egypt, the Hebrews of the twelve tribes arrived in the promised land of Canaan, and with the division of the territory into tribes they would form their people.
See also what were the plagues of egypt and what is the Lion of Judah.
