The Tribes of Israel are the traditional divisions of the ancient Jewish people. Biblical tradition
holds that the twleve tribes of Israel are descended from the sons and grandsons of the Jewish
forefather Jacob and are called "Israel" from Jacob's name given to him by God.
According to biblical tradition, the ancient Jews, descendants of Jacob (Israel), were divided into
12 tribes ("tribes") bearing the names of the sons of Jacob (except for the tribes of Manasseh
and Ephraim, who are descendants of Joseph, son of Jacob, and bear the names of the two
sons of Joseph). Descendants of Jacob's son Levi are not included among the 12 tribes, as the
tribe of Levi, dedicated to the service of the Lord, did not have their own land inheritance in
Canaan and were scattered across the country. Usually in lists of all knees the past ones are
grouped according to the origin of the maternal line: Lina's tribes are Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun; Zelfina's tribes are Gad and Asher; Rachel's tribes are Ephraim,
Manasseh and Benjamin; Wallin's tribes are Dan and Naphtali. The tribe consisted of groups of
families united by blood ties and forming a social and political community. Over time, stronger
tribes began to absorb weaker ones. After the establishment of the monarchy The Tribes have
ceased to exist as independent social units and mostly lost their individuality, but the very
concept of "The 12 Tribes of Israel" preserved and appears in the relatively late Jewish literature.
Christianity. Encyclopedic Dictionary, vols. 1-3. M., 1993-1995 Biblical encyclopedia. M., 1996