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twelve tribes of Israel
Definition:
The term, "twelve tribes of Israel" refers to the twelve sons of Jacob and their descendants.
- Jacob was Abraham's grandson. God later changed Jacob's name to Israel.
- These are the names of the tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.
- The descendants of Levi did not inherit any land in Canaan because they were a tribe of priests who were set apart to serve God and his people.
- Joseph received a double inheritance of land, which was passed on to his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
- There are several places in the Bible where the list of the twelve tribes are slightly different. Sometimes Levi, Joseph, or Dan is left out of the list and sometimes Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh are included in the list.
(See also: inherit, Israel, Jacob, priest, tribe)