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Learn about the 12 sons of Jacob, the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel, and their blessings and inheritances. See how the chart connects the Old Testament and the New Testament through the prophecy of Jacob.
- Judah. The tribe of kings, and the most preeminent of the 12 tribes in the biblical narrative. Judah “prevailed over his brothers,” (1 Chronicles 5:2), and the tribe’s territory included the city of Jerusalem and the holy temple.
- Reuben. Descended from Jacob’s firstborn, whom Jacob said was as “uncontrolled as water” (Genesis 49:4). The tribe chose not to settle in the Promised Land, and instead asked Moses for some of the territory that they conquered east of the Jordan River.
- Simeon. The man Simeon (with his brother Levi) slaughtered the men of an entire city to avenge his sister (Genesis 34:25–31). The tribe’s portion of land was within the midst of Judah’s territory (Joshua 19:1); however, Simeon did not grow as rapidly as Judah and seems to have dispersed across multiple territories (1 Chronicles 4:38–43; 2 Chronicles 15:8–9).
- Levi. The tribe of the priesthood. The tribe of Levi stood by Moses (a Levite) during the golden calf incident at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:25–29), and later took their place as ministers to the tabernacle, and later the Temple.
'Tribes of Israel') are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob (also known as Israel), who collectively form the Israelite nation. The tribes were through his twelve sons through his wives, Leah and Rachel, and his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah.
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May 9, 2024 · Twelve Tribes of Israel, in the Bible, the Hebrew people who, after the death of Moses, took possession of the Promised Land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. The tribes were named after the sons or grandsons of Jacob (Israel). Learn more about the Twelve Tribes of Israel in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Maps of the Middle East, BCE: The Twelve Tribes of Israel. The original ancestors of the Tribes of Israel are 12 of the sons and grandsons of the Jewish forefather Jacob. Upon conquering Israel under the leadership of Joshua, each of the 12 tribes was designated an individual territory in the land.
The 12 sons of Jacob are the patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel. For example, Jacob's son Benjamin is the patriarch of the Tribe of Benjamin. Jacob's son Reuben is the patriarch of the Tribe of Reuben.
Biblical tradition holds that the twelve tribes of Israel are descended from the sons and grandsons of the Jewish forefather Jacob and are called “Israel” from Jacob’s name given to him by God. The twelve tribes are as follows: Reuben , Simeon , Judah , Issachar , Zebulun , Benjamin , Dan , Naphtali , Gad , Asher , Ephraim and Manasseh .
