Twelve Tribes of Israel

 

l  Jacob’s Wives and Sons

 

Leah: Reuben,1  Simeon,2  Levi,3  Judah,4  Issachar,9 Zebulun10

Zilphah: Gad,7  Asher8

Rachel: Joseph,11  Benjamin12

Bilhah: Dan,5  Naphtali6

 

l  12 Tribes of Israel

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh (son of Joseph), Ephraim (son of Joseph), Benjamin.

 

The tribes of the Israelites began from Jacob’s twelve sons. There are total 13 tribes in the Israelites. Among them, Levi tribe is the priest tribe, and thus it was excluded from Israel twelve tribes. Twelve tribes received their own land properties with obvious borders, but the special land was distributed for Levi tribe in the land of each tribe. Thus Levi tribe lived in all twelve tribe lands. So normally only 12 tribes are counted as the tribes of Israel.