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Mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel. From a synagogue wall in Jerusalem.
A reconstructed Israelite house, Monarchy period, 10th-7th BCE. Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel.
According to the Tanakh the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel (previously called Canaan) from the time of the conquest of the territory by Joshua in c.1300 BCE until they were conquered by the Babylonians in c.586 BCE and taken into exile. The Hebrew Bible is mainly concerned with the Israelites. According to the Hebrew Bible, they formed themselves into twelve tribes, each claiming descent from one of twelve sons and grandsons of Jacob. Jerusalem was their capital after c. 1050 BCE and the site of the temple at the center of their faith.
The Israelites became a major political power with the United Monarchy of Kings Saul, David and Solomon, from c. 1025 BCE. The independent existence of the Israelite nation ceased after it was conquered by the Babylonians in c. 586 BCE and its elite sent into exile. Zedekiah, king of Judah (597-586 BCE), is considered the last king from the house of David. Even after the elite was allowed to return from exile after some fifty years, the country was to remain a part of the Persian Empire as long as it existed.
The term Israelite derives from the patriarch Jacob, who was renamed Israel (Hebrew: ישראל (Standard Yisraʾel Tiberian Yiśrāʾēl)). (See Genesis 32:28-29). His descendants are called the "Children of Israel", the '"People of Israel", or the Israelites.
The term "Jew" refers to a person of the Jewish faith or identity, regardless of the historical period or their ancestry. Jews traditionally claim ancestry from the house of Jacob, descending from any of the 12 tribes. Other groups also claim ancestral and/or cultural descent from the Israelites.
The citizens of the State of Israel are called Israelis.
The Twelve Tribes
The Israelites were traditionally divided into family lines each called a shevet or mateh in Hebrew meaning literally a staff or rod. The term is conventionally translated as "tribe" in English although the divisions were not small isolated distinct ethnic groups in the modern sense of the term.
Some English speaking Jewish groups view the pronunciation, English transcription, and Hebrew spelling, of the tribal names to be extremely important; these transcriptions and spellings are as follows:
- Reuben: ראובן, Standard Rəʾuven, Tiberian Rəʾûḇēn
- Simeon: שמעון, Standard Šimʿon, Tiberian Šimʿôn
- Levi: לוי, Standard Levi, Tiberian Lēwî
- Judah: יהודה, Standard Yəhuda, Tiberian Yəhûḏāh
- Dan: דן, Standard Dan, Tiberian Dān
- Naphtali: נפתלי, Standard Naftali, Tiberian Nap̄tālî
- Gad: גד, Standard Gad, Tiberian Gāḏ
- Asher: אשר, Standard Ašer, Tiberian ʾĀšēr
- Issachar: יששכר, Standard Yissaḫar, Tiberian Yiśśâḵār
- Zebulun: זבולן, Standard Zəvúlun, Tiberian Zəḇûlun
- Joseph: יוסף, Standard Yosef, Tiberian Yôsēp̄, containing the tribes:
- Manasseh: מנשה, Samaritan Manatch, Standard Mənašše, Tiberian Mənaššeh
- Ephraim: אפרים, Samaritan Afrime, Standard Efráyim, Tiberian ʾEp̄ráyim / ʾEp̄rāyim
- Benjamin בנימין, Standard Binyamin, Tiberian Binyāmîn
Jacob's sons
Jacob's wives gave birth to twelve sons: Reuben (Genesis 29:32), Simeon (Genesis 29:33), Levi (Genesis 29:34), Judah (Genesis 29:35), Dan (Genesis 30:5), Naphtali (Genesis 30:7), Gad (Genesis 30:10), Asher (Genesis 30:12), Issachar (Genesis 30:17), Zebulun (Genesis 30:19), Joseph (Genesis 30:23), and Benjamin (Genesis 35:18).
In Egypt the tribe of Joseph was divided into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, by the virtue of Jacob's blessing. (Genesis 48:8-21)
Camps following the exodus
Following the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were divided into thirteen camps (Hebrew: machanot) according to importance [1] with Levi in the center of the encampment around the Tabernacle and its furnishings surrounded by other tribes arranged in four groups: Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; Reuben, Simeon and Gad; Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin; Dan, Asher and Naphtali.[2] Thus additionally Aaron and his descendants although descended from Levi were appointed as priests (kohanim) and came to be considered a separate division to the Levites.
The division of the land
1759 map of the initial tribal allocations - the actual territories occupied by the tribes during the United Monarchy and afterwards was somewhat different
The tribes were assigned territories following the conquests of land under Moses and Joshua. Moses assigned territories to Reuben, Gad and a portion of Manasseh on land east of the Jordan which they had requested (Numbers 32:5). Joshua assigned territories to Judah, Ephraim and the rest of Manasseh on land west of the Jordan which they had conquered. The tribe of Manasseh thus came to be divided into two parts by the Jordan each part referred to as a half-tribe (chatzi-shevet) of Manasseh, the part lying east of the Jordan being referred to as the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. Following the conquest of the remainder of Canaan, Joshua assigned territories to Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Issacher, Naphtali, Simeon and Zebulun. The land of Judah was considered too large for that tribe alone and Simeon was assigned a portion within the land of Judah instead of its own territory in the newly conquered land. Because the Levites, and kohanim (descendants of Aaron) priests played a special religious role of service at the Tabernacle to the people they were not given their own territories, but were instead assigned cities to live in within the other territories. Dan was assigned territory lying between Ephraim and Manasseh but was later displaced and subsequently settled in territory to the north of Naphtali.
The Kingdom of Judah consisted of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, and the parts of Levi within those lands, while the Kingdom of Israel contained Reuben, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, Ephraim, and the remainder of Levi.
The Kingdom of Israel was conquered in the 720s BC, by the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and then under Sargon II, who, after conquering the land, destroyed Samaria, its capital, and, deported most of the occupants into exile, with the southernmost tribe - Benjamin - managing to survive by joining the Kingdom of Judah; Assyrian chronicles of the time report that only a small number of people were deported. Assyrian policy was for the deportees to be scattered, and assimilated into the Assyrian empire, and, as a result this policy, the deported tribes lost their cultural identity, becoming traditionally known as the Ten Lost Tribes. The Kingdom of Judah survived until 586 BC, when it was conquered by Babylon, who ransacked Jerusalem, killed the heirs of the King of Judah before his eyes, gouged out the king's eyes ensuring that would be the last thing he saw, and then deported the population into the Babylonian Captivity.
Hebrews vs. Israelites vs. Jew
- See also: Hebrews and Who is a Jew?
Hebrews are defined as descendants of Eber, grandson of Noah. Eber was an ancestor of Jacob (six generations removed) and is therefore a distant ancestor of Israelites but also of many other people. Jews are all people of Jewish faith, regardless of ancestry. Israelites and Jews use the Hebrew language.
The terms "Hebrews" and "Israelites" usually describe the same people, called Hebrews before the conquest of the Land of Canaan and Israelites afterwards. [3] [4] Occasionally, "Hebrews" is used to designate the Jews, who use the hebrew language.[5] The Epistle to the Hebrews was probably written for Jewish Christians. The current State of Israel, the homeland of all Jews, is often nicknamed the "Hebrew state".
Genetic evidence of common descent
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Aaron, Waterlooplein, Amsterdam.
Patrilineal descent can be documented by analysis of the Y-chromosome, passed from father to son. Of the many variants, or haplogroups, of the Y-chromosome, haplogroups J1 and J2, both originating from the Middle East, are the most common among Jewish men.
- J2 is found in 23% of Ashkenazi Jews and 29% of Sephardi Jews. It is equally common among Muslim Kurds, Northern Iraqis, Modern Turks, Greeks, Italians, and Lebanese. J2 is thought to have originated in the Northern Levant.
- J1 is found in 19.0% of Ashkenazim and 11.9% of Sephardim. It is more common among Arab populations, especially Arab Bedouins.
- A variant of J1 and J2, called the Cohen Modal Haplotype, is found in a high proportion (about 65%) of Jewish males with the surname Kohen or its variants, less frequently among other Jews (25%) and other Middle-Eastern people (22% or less)[6]. Kohanim claim descent from Aaron, brother of Moses and the first priest of the temple. Aaron was from the house of Levi, the third son of Jacob.
The Cohen Modal Haplotype is more frequent in haplogroup J1, suggesting that this variant of the Y-chromosome is the one carried by Aaron and hence Abraham and all his descendants, including Jacob and the Israelites. J1 is believed to originate from the Southern Levant (modern day Israel, Palestinian territories and Jordan; biblical Canaan) or Egypt approximately 10,000 - 15,000 years ago. [7] Biblical tradition holds that Abraham and his ancestors, the Semitic tribes, originated from Southern Arabia or East Africa (Genesis 10). The high frequency of J1 among Arabs can be seen as confirming their descent from Ishmael, son of Abraham. [8] [9]
Thus, genetic evidences support a common patrilineal descent for a small portion of Jews, which probably represents descent from one of the Israelite tribe. The discovery of the Cohen Modal Haplotype confirms the Biblical and priestly claim of descent from a unique ancestor, namely Aaron, and also provides an objective test of claims of Israelite origin, as for example with the Lemba people. Note however that several Kohen families carry other Y-chromosome variants.[10] Note also that, given enough time, new mutations will blur the origin of a specific chromosome and decrease the usefulness of genetic information.
Archeology of Israelites
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There has been a great deal of interest among archaeologists and lay people as to whether the archaeological evidence in this period confirms or denies the historical accounts in the Hebrew Bible or whether archaeology should be expected to confirm every detail. A wide spectrum of opinions exist on the subject.
Other groups claiming descent
Samaritans
Samaritans, once a comparatively large, but now a very small ethnic and religious group, consisting of not more than about 700 persons[11] living in the State of Israel and the West Bank, regard themselves as descendants of the tribes of Ephraim (named by them as Aphrime) and Manasseh (named by them as Manatch). Samaritans adhere to a version of the Torah, known as the Samaritan Pentateuch, which differs in some respects from the Masoretic text, and less so from the Septuagint, sometimes in important ways. Samaritans do not regard the Tanakh as an accurate or truthful history. They regard only Moses as a prophet, have their own unique version of Hebrew, and do not regard themselves as part of Judaism.
Since 539 BCE, many Jews have rejected the Samaritan claim of descent from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, though some regard them as a sect of Judaism.
Karaites
Mainstream Judaism regards both the Tanakh and an Oral Law (codified and recorded in the Mishnah and Talmuds) as the foundation of their religion, morality, and other laws. Karaite Judaism regards the Tanakh as scripture, but reject the Oral Law.
There are approximately 50,000 adherents of Karaite Judaism, most of whom live in Israel, but exact numbers are not known, as most Karaites have not participated in any religious censuses. The differences between Karaite and mainstream Judaism goes back many hundreds of years.
Beta Israel
The Beta Israel or Falasha is a group formerly living in Ethiopia that has a tradition of descent from the lost tribe of Dan. They have a long history of practicing such Jewish traditions as kashrut, Sabbath and Passover and for this reason their Jewishness was accepted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Israeli government in 1975. They emigrated to Israel en masse during the 1980s and 1990s, as Jews, under the Law of Return. Some who claim to be Beta Israel still live in Ethiopia. Their claims were formally accepted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and are accordingly generally regarded as Jews.
Bnei Menashe
The Bnei Menashe is a group in India claiming to be descendants of the half-tribe of Menashe. Members who have studied Hebrew and who observe the Sabbath and other Jewish laws received in 2005 the support of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel in arranging formal conversion to Judaism. Some have converted and emigrated to Israel under the Law of Return.
Hebrew Israelites
Based on theory that the biblical Israelites were actually of a dark skin, the Hebrew Israelites, or Black Hebrews, believe that they are ethnic descendants of the Israelites.
They believe that modern Jews are actually descendants of the Kazars. However, DNA analysis has determined that modern Jews of the priestly tribe (the kohanim) share a common ancestry dating back about 3000 years, 1700 years older than the Khazar conversion to Judaism.[12]
The Hebrew Israelites claim that the word "Jewish" merely pertains to Judah and that the use of the term is as a result of a mistranslation in the King James Bible for Judah. Other commentators agree that the Latin word Iudaeus does mean Judaean or from the land of Judaea, they also note that the etymology of the English word can be traced back to Middle English with evidence of use in Old English as well (see Etymology of the word Jew).
The belief that the Israelites were black is based on the afro-centric view of Egyptian culture, which, based on a pre-supposition that the ancient Egyptians were a dark skinned race, asserts that Moses and Joseph were both dark-skinned because they were mistaken for Egyptians. Commentators have noted, however, that contemporary ancient Egyptian iconography (for example, the images on the thrones of Tutankhamen and grave images) shows a people of olive brown complexions and Hameo-Semitic features. Some claim that recent historical and genetic research into the origins of the Lemba tribe might lend support to the idea that members of that African tribe may have a Semitic origin.citation needed.
Ancient historians indicated an Ethiopian origin of the Israelites. The ancient Roman historian, Tacitus, wrote that “many, again, say that they [the Israelites] were a race of Ethiopian origin” (Histories (Tacitus), Book 5, Paragraphs 2 & 3).[13]
Rastafari
Some Rastas believe that the black races are the lost Israelites. They interpret the Bible as implying that Haile Selassie was the returned Messiah, who would lead the world's peoples of African descent into a promised land of full emancipation and divine justice. There are some Rastafarians that believe they are Jews by descent through Ras Tafari, Ras Tafari being a descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba via Menelik I. One Rastafari order named The Twelve Tribes of Israel, imposes a metaphysical astrology whereby Aries is Reuben, Aquarius is Joseph, etc. The Twelve Tribes of Israel differ from most Rastafari Mansions (sects) because they believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, while other Mansions claim that Haile Selassie I is the true God. With his famous early reggae song The Israelites Desmond Dekker immortalised the Rastafari concept of themselves as the Lost Children of Israel. However, sometimes peoples native to Africa are identified with descendants of Ham, whereas the Old Testament of the Bible states that Abraham is descended from Shem.
Messianic Judaism
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Messianic Judaism sometimes known as "Jews for Jesus" describes itself as Jewish while considering Jesus as the Messiah. There are several branches of Messianic Judaism, each of which accept to varying degrees core doctrines of Christianity and/or Judaism. Many individuals who are not ethnically Jewish attend the temples and meeting places of Messianic Judaism, especially those embracing the Two House Movement.
Members of Messianic Judaism regard themselves as Jewish and/or Israelite, even though they may not be ethnically Jewish, considering themselves as being "grafted into" the tribes of Israel (ie. not converted to Judaism), in a similar way to how the descendants of Caleb and those of Ruth (great grandmother of King David) are treated by the Bible as being Jewish, despite both Caleb and Ruth not originally being ethnically Jewish. Mainstream Judaism does not consider members of Messianic Judaism to be Jewish at all.
"Jews for Jesus" is generally seen by mainstream Judaism as an attempt by missionaries to convert Jews to Christianity by making Jews think that it is possible to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and still remain Jewish. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God movement actively encourage and aid the establishment of new Messianic Judaism congregations, as part of their efforts to evangelize to and convert the Jewish people to Christianity.
Latter-day Saints
- See also: Mormonism and Judaism
The Latter Day Saint movement (commonly termed Mormons), believe that through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, they become "regathered" as Israelites, either as recovered from the scattered tribes of Israel, or as Gentiles adopted and grafted into Israel, and thus becoming part of the chosen people of God[14]. These religious denominations derive from a movement started by Joseph Smith, Jr., and almost half of all members live in the United States; the movement does not strictly believe that they are ethnic Jews as such, but rather that Israelites can refer to many different cultures, on occasion including Jews[15]. They believe that certain Old Testament passages[16] are prophecies implying that the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) will take a prominent role in the spread of the gospel to all of scattered Israelites in the last days, and that the tribe of Judah (ie. Judah) also has a prominent role in the last days and during the Millennium[17].
Christian Identity
The Christian Identity movement comprises a number of groups with a racialized theology which claim to be the only true Israelites on the basis that white Europeans are, in their belief, the literal descendants of the Israelites through the ten tribes, and who are accordingly still God's Chosen People. These groups generally deny that present-day Jews are descended from the Israelites nor Hebrews (who were in Egypt and were in the Exodus) but are instead descended from Turco-Mongolian blood, or Khazars, and of the Biblical Esau (who was also called Edom) who traded his birthright for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:29-34)[3]
See also
References and notes
- ^ http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/bamidbar/coh "How Fair Are Your Tents, O Jacob", Dr. Gabriel H. Cohen, Bar-Ilan University
- ^ Numbers 10:12-28
- ^ Hebrews entry in Jewish Encyclopedia
- ^ entry in britannica.com
- ^ entry in thefreedictionary.com
- ^ Ekins, JE; E.N. Tinah, N.M. Myres, K.H. Ritchie, U.A. Perego, J.B. Ekins, L.A.D. Hutchison, L. Layton, M.L. Lunt, S.S. Masek, A.A. Nelson, M.E. Nelson, K.L. Pennington, J.L. Peterson, T. Tolley, S.R. Woodward (2005). "An Updated World-Wide Characterization of the Cohen Modal Haplotype". ASHG meeting October 2005.
- ^ https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas; Semino, et al, “Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area.” Am J Hum Genet. 2004 May; 74(5).
- ^ Tracing Mideast Roots Back to Isaac and Ishmael: Study of Y Chromosome Suggests a Common Ancestry for Jews and Arabs Forward, May, 2000 by Oransky, Ivan, [1]
- ^ Genesis correctly predicts Y-Chromosome pattern: Jews and Arabs shown to be descendants of one man, by Jonathan Sarfati, AiG–Austrlia, May 16, 2000 [2]
- ^ Behar, DM; Thomas MG, Skorecki K, Hammer MF, Bulygina E, Rosengarten D, Jones AL, Held K, Moses V, Goldstein D, Bradman N, Weale ME (2003). "Multiple Origins of Ashkenazi Levites: Y Chromosome Evidence for Both Near Eastern and European Ancestries". Am. J. Hum. Genet. 73: 768–779.
- ^ as of 2006
- ^ Hammer, M. F.; Karl Skorecki, Sara Selig, Shraga Blazer, Bruce Rappaport, Robert Bradman, Neil Bradman, P.J. Waburton, Monic Ismajlowicz (January 2 1997). "Y Chromosomes of Jewish Priests". NATURE, Volume 385. Article may be retrieved here
- ^ Tacitus: History: Book 5 [1]
- ^ Guide to LDS scriptural references on Israel
- ^ ibid
- ^ Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:10-13
- ^ ibid
External links
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