Twelve Tribes of Israel

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Definition

Proper noun The Twelve Tribes of Israel refers to the twelve kin groups or tribes that, according to biblical tradition, constituted the ancient Israelite people. Each tribe is traditionally said to be descended from one of the twelve sons of the patriarch Jacob (who was also named Israel).

Usage and Examples

The term is used to refer to the collective ancestral and social divisions of the Israelites. * In the biblical narrative, the Twelve Tribes of Israel received an allotment of the Promised Land. * The high priest's breastplate contained twelve stones representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel. * Historians study the concept of the Twelve Tribes of Israel to understand the social organization of ancient Israel.

Advanced Usage and Context
  • The term is often used in religious, historical, and archaeological contexts to discuss the origins and structure of ancient Israel.
  • The list of tribes can vary slightly in different biblical sources, but traditionally includes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. (Note: Joseph's inheritance was often divided between his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, sometimes keeping the count at twelve).
  • The phrase "lost tribes of Israel" refers to the ten northern tribes that were exiled by the Assyrian Empire, a concept that derives from this foundational grouping.
Variants and Related Words
  • Israelite tribes: A more descriptive synonym.
  • Tribes of Israel: A common shortened form.
  • Jacob's sons: Refers to the progenitors but not the political/territorial groups themselves.
Synonyms
  • The tribes of Israel
  • The Israelite tribes
Related Concepts and Phrases
  • The Lost Tribes: Refers to the ten tribes from the northern Kingdom of Israel who were deported and assimilated, according to tradition.
  • The Diaspora: While broader, this term for the Jewish exile and dispersion is connected to the fate of the tribes.
  • Patriarch: Jacob, as the father of the tribal founders, is a key figure.
  • Allotment / Inheritance: Terms frequently associated with the distribution of land to each tribe.
Noun
  1. twelve kin groups of ancient Israel each traditionally descended from one of the twelve sons of Jacob

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