The Twelve Tribes of Israel are, according to Abrahamic religious texts, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob (also known as Israel) through his wives, Leah and Rachel, and his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who collectively form the Israelite nation. If you are Jewish, you are a descendent of those bloodlines, but can you tell which one? In this post, we will try to explore what tribe of Israel did you descend from.
The short answer to the question What tribe of Israel did I descend from is Judah, as most Jews are descended from it. If your family name is either Levy/Levi or one of its abbreviations, then you can be traced back to the Kohanim (Priests) or Levites, which means you descend from the tribe of Levi. And there are other unique cases we specify below, referring to the 10 other “lost tribes” that were exiled from the land of Israel after being conquered by Assyria.
Within ancient Judaism, one’s tribal affiliation had a great impact on his or her practices and opportunities, as some tribes enjoyed privileges others did not and some tribes received more blessings than others. On the other hand, some modern scholars dispute whether there ever were (exactly) twelve Israelite tribes, and think that the number 12 more likely signifies a symbolic invented tradition as part of a national founding myth.
For the most part, tribal identities have been lost through the generations, and the majority of Jews do not know which tribe they are from. It is believed that most living Jews are descendants of Judah and its allied tribes (Benjamin, Dan, Shimon). However, there are some exceptions.
Tribe of Levi
There are a number of people whose families have passed down their identity as Kohanim (Priests) or Levites, which means they descend from the tribe of Levi.
The surnames that can be traced to this tribe are either Levy/Levi or one of its abbreviations: Levine or Segal (Hebrew abbreviation for “Segen” – meaning Levy) – or one of the priestly names (Levy was the priestly tribe) such as Cohen, Kagan (Russian pronunciation of Cohen) Kaplan (German corruption of Capella), Katz (Cohen-Tzedek – righteous priest).
Other Tribes
There are also a handful of non-Levite families who can trace their ancestry to a particular tribe, but these are few and far between.
As we mentioned before, only two tribes survived when the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed. That was Judah (which is why we are called Jews) and Benjamin. Having said that, members of other tribes had survived when they escaped the Assyrians or were living in the south (with Judah and Benjamin). Those are called “the lost 10 tribes” and can be traced to different locations.
The Tribe of Reuben – Reuben was a member of the Northern Kingdom of Israel until the kingdom was conquered by Assyria. The tribe of Reuben at this time was no longer recognizable as a separate force in this area. Even if still present at the outbreak of this war, the outcome of this war would have left them without a territory of their own, just like the tribes of Simeon and Levi.
The Tribe of Simeon – An apocryphal midrash claims that the tribe was deported by the Babylonians to the Kingdom of Aksum (in what is now Ethiopia), to a place behind the dark mountains.
The Tribes of Ephraim and Manassah – As part of the Kingdom of Israel, the territories of Ephraim and Manassah were conquered by the Assyrians, and the tribes were exiled. the manner of their exile led to their further history being lost. However, several modern-day groups claim descent, with varying levels of academic and rabbinical support. The Samaritans claim that some of their adherents are descended from this tribe, and many Persian Jews claim to be descendants of Ephraim. Further afield, in India, the Telugu Jews claim descent from Ephraim and call themselves Bene Ephraim, relating similar traditions to those of the Mizo Jews, whom the modern state of Israel regards as descendants of Manasseh.
The Tribe of Issachar – Remains from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun stayed in the territory of Judah after the exile of the ten tribes in the Babylonian Exile.
The Tribe of Zebulun – As part of the Kingdom of Israel, the territory of Zebulun was conquered by the Assyrians, and the tribe was exiled. the manner of their exile led to their further history being lost.
The Tribes of Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali – Ethiopian Jews, also known as Beta Israel, claim descent from the Tribe of Dan, whose members migrated south along with members of the tribes of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, into the Kingdom of Kush (now Ethiopia and Sudan), during the destruction of the First Temple. As noted above the Tribe of Simon was also deported to the Kingdom of Aksum (in what is now Ethiopia).
When Will You Know What Tribe of Israel Did You Descend From
Speaking from a purely scientific point of view, there is no real way to know which tribe of Israel one descend from, and it is even not that clear if those twelve tribes actually existed. As the believers say, when the Messiah comes, we will all find out which tribes we are from. So if this bit of information is important to you, do your best to hasten his arrival.
Mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel. From Givat Mordechai Etz Yosef synagogue facade, Ha Rav Gold street, in Jerusalem. Top row, right to left: Reuben, Judah, Dan, Asher Middle: Simeon, Issachar, Naphtali, Joseph. Bottom: Levi, Zebulun, Gad, Benjamin. Each tribe has a unique symbolic image:
- Asher: a tree
- Dan: Scales of justice
- Judah: Kinnor, cithara and crown, symbolising King David
- Reuben: Mandrake (Genesis 30:14)
- Joseph: Palm tree and sheaves of wheat, symbolizing his time in Egypt
- Naphtali: gazelle (Genesis 49:21)
- Issachar: Sun, moon and stars (1 Chronicles 12:32)
- Simeon: towers and walls of the city of Shechem
- Benjamin: jug, ladle and fork
- Gad: tents, symbolizing their itinerancy as cattle-herders
- Zebulun: ship, due to their bordering the Sea of Galilee and Mediterranean
- Levi: Priestly breastplate
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