12 Tribes of Israel

The Twelve Tribes of Israel were the family groups that formed from the sons and descendants of Jacob, who was also called Israel. They became the foundation of the Israelite people, shaping their identity from the patriarchal period through the Exodus, the wilderness journey, and the settlement of Canaan.

The tribes were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. In the later land division, Joseph was often represented through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, meaning they sometimes appear as separate tribes while Levi is treated as the priestly tribe without a regular territorial inheritance.