tribes of Israel

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Pronunciations

tribes of Israel (TRYEBZ uhv IZ-ree-l) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The 12 groups the Israelites were divided into in biblical times.

Example Sentences

  • "The tribes of Israel were split between North and South. To the South was Judah and Benjamin. The remaining 10 tribes were in the North and they were defeated in a war and led away in chains. They became lost and we only have anecdotal evidence of their existence." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • English

Who Uses This

  • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

Regions

  • North America

Dictionaries

  • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

Alternative Spellings

12 tribes of Israel, twelve tribes of Israel

Notes

  • "These tribes, from which all Jews are thought to be descended, were named for the 12 sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. When Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan, he divided the land into 12 separate sections. Joseph was given a double portion of land, and later 2 of his sons, Ephraim and Menasseh, resided there. For centuries, Jews maintained their tribal identity until the exile from Israel after the destruction of the Temple." (JPS)

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