Twelve Tribes of Israel facts for kids
The Twelve Tribes of Israel were groups of people who came from the twelve sons of a very important leader named Jacob. Jacob was also known as Israel, and his sons and their families became the Israelite nation. In ancient times, being part of a specific tribe was very important. It affected what people could do and what special things they received, as some tribes had more advantages or blessings than others.
The Story of Jacob and His Sons
Jacob, who was later called Israel, was the son of Isaac and Rebecca. He was the younger twin brother of Esau and the grandson of Abraham and Sarah. According to the Bible, God chose Jacob to be the leader of the Israelite nation.
Jacob had two wives, sisters Leah and Rachel, and two other partners, sisters Bilhah and Zilpah. He had at least thirteen children, but only twelve sons became the basis for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. These sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Jacob showed special favor to some of his children, especially Joseph and Benjamin, who were the sons of his favorite wife, Rachel. Because of this, the tribes themselves were not treated equally in God's plan. Joseph, even though he was one of the youngest sons, received twice the inheritance of his brothers. This was like he was the firstborn son instead of Reuben, who lost his special rights because of something he did. Because Joseph received a double share, his descendants later formed two separate tribes, named after his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Jacob's Sons and Their Tribes
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The Israelites were the descendants of the twelve sons of the important leader Jacob. Jacob also had a daughter named Dinah, but her descendants did not form a separate tribe.
Jacob's sons were born in a place called Padan-aram. They had different mothers:
- The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
- The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
- The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's helper, were Dan and Naphtali.
- The sons of Zilpah, Leah's helper, were Gad and Asher.
The Bible book of Deuteronomy (chapter 27, verses 12–13) lists these twelve tribes.
Jacob gave the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (who were the two sons of Joseph and his Egyptian wife Asenath) the same status as full tribes. This happened because Joseph received a double share of inheritance after Reuben lost his birthright.
In the Bible, after the Israelites entered the land of Canaan under Joshua's leadership, the tribes formed a loose group that sometimes worked together. This time is described in the Book of Judges. Today, historians have different ideas about how much of this story is exactly as described. For example, many scholars question the full account of the conquest under Joshua. The Bible's description of the "period of the Judges" is also widely debated. Even whether a truly united Kingdom of Israel ever existed is a topic of ongoing discussion.
Later, when the Israelites were forced to live far from their home in Babylon in the 500s BCE, a prophet named Ezekiel had a vision. He saw a future where the twelve tribes of Israel would live in their land again.
Dividing the Land
The Land of Israel was divided into twelve sections, one for each of the twelve tribes. However, the tribes that received land were slightly different from the original biblical list of Jacob's sons.
The Tribe of Levi did not get their own land. Instead, they were given six special safe cities to manage, as well as the important Temple in Jerusalem. Also, the Tribe of Joseph did not receive a land portion directly. Instead, Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each received their own land portion, fulfilling Joseph's double inheritance.
So, the tribes that received their own land were:
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Ephraim
- Judah
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Dan
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Asher
- Manasseh
- Benjamin
See also
In Spanish: Tribus de Israel para niños
