![]() Others feel that the tribes descended from the matriarch Leah - namely Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun and Issachar - existed at an earlier stage as a confederation of six tribes whose boundaries in Canaan were contiguous. With the passage of time, those who dwelt in these areas assumed the names of the localities. This school recognizes in the names of some of the tribes the names of ancient sites in Canaan, such as the mountains of Naphtali, Ephraim, and Judah, the desert of Judah, and Gilead. All of the traditions which see the twelve tribes as one nation as early as the enslavement in Egypt or the wanderings in the desert are regarded as having no basis in fact. One school of thought holds that the confederation took place inside the country toward the end of the period of the Judges and the beginnings of the Monarchy. Scholars differ as to when this union of twelve took place and when the tribes of Israel became one nation. ![]() The alliance of the twelve tribes is believed to have grown from the organization of independent tribes, or groups of tribes, forced together for historical reasons. This simplistic scheme, it is felt, stems from later genealogical speculations which attempted to explain the history of the tribes in terms of familial relationships. Modern scholarship does not generally accept the biblical notion that the twelve tribes are simply divisions of a larger unit which developed naturally from patriarchal roots. After the death of Solomon, the tribes once again split along territorial and political lines, with Judah and Benjamin in the south loyal to the Davidic house and the rest of the tribes in the north ruled by a succession of dynasties. He ruled from Hebron and later Jerusalem over all the tribes of Israel and following his death was succeeded by his son, Solomon. David’s struggle with the house of Saul ended in victory for him and all the elders turned to David for royal leadership. Upon his death, Saul’s son was accepted by all the tribes as the new king, save Judah and Simeon who preferred David. ![]() Under the impact of military pressures, the Israelites felt compelled to turn to Samuel with the request that he establish a monarchy, and Saul was crowned to rule over all the tribes of Israel. Shiloh served as a sacral center for all the tribes, housing the Ark of the Covenant under the priestly family of Eli. During this period of settlement, and the subsequent period of the Judges, there was no predetermined pattern of leadership among the tribes though various crises forced the tribes into cooperative action against enemies. ![]() After wandering for 40 years in the desert under the leadership of Moses, the twelve tribes enter the land of Canaan with Joshua in command.Īfter conquering the land, each tribe was allotted an individual territory to settle. By this time the nation numbered “600,000 men on foot” which is usually understood to be military-aged men excluding women and children.Īt Mount Sinai, the Israelite nation is given its laws and regulations - the Torah - and affirms their covenant with God. God “remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob,” made Himself known to Moses and rescued the Israelites from Egypt. ![]()
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