- Tribe of Zebulun
The Tribe of Zebulun (] , and so the Canaanites "not driven out" actually represent those elements which continued in full the traditional religious practices.
Character
In the ancient
Song of Deborah , Zebulun are described as sending to the battle those which handle the "sopher shebet". Traditionally this has been translated and interpreted as referring to the "rod of the scribe", an object which in regard toAssyria n monuments was astylus of wood or metal used to inscribeclay tablets , or to write onpapyrus ; as such, the ones who wielded it would have been the associates/assistants of lawgivers [Archibald Sayce ] . Consequently, in Jewish tradition, the tribe of Zebulun was considered to have a symbiotic relationship with the tribe ofIssachar , its neighbour and a tribe which traditionally was seen as being heavily composed of scholars, whereby Zebulun would financially support Issachar's devotion to study and teaching of the Torah, in exchange for a share of the spiritual reward from such learning; the terms "Issachar" and "Zebulun" came to be used by Jews for anyone engaged in such a relationship. More recent scholarship, as expressed for example in translations such as theRevised Standard Version , instead render the description in the Song of Deborah of the people sent to battle by Zebulun as "those who handle the marshal's staff"; in other words, Zebulun had simply sent military officers.History of the tribe
The
Tribe of Zebulun plays an important part in the early history of Israel. At the census of the tribes in the Desert of Sinai during the second year of theExodus , the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400 men fit for war (Numbers 1:31). This army, under the command ofEliab the son of Helon, encamped with Judah and Issachar east of theTabernacle and with them made up the vanguard of the line of march (Numbers 2:3-9). Among the spies sent byMoses to view the land ofCanaan ,Gaddiel the son of Sodi represented Zebulun (Numbers 13:10).At Shittim, in the land of
Moab , after 24,000 men were slain for their crime, a second census was taken; Zabulon numbered 60,500 fighting men (Numbers 26:27).Elizaphan the son of Parnach was chosen to represent Zebulun at the division of thePromised Land (Numbers 34:25).The tribe seems to have easily conquered its portion. During the rule of
Joshua it received no special mention. While the judges ruled, its prowess was worthy of note. In the Song ofDeborah , the tribe is specially singled out as having "offered their lives to death in the region ofMerom ," (Judges 5:18); and praised because there came "out of Zebulun they that led the army to fight," as in Hebrew, "they that carry the pen of the writer," i.e., such as recruiting and inspecting officers (Judges 5:14).The reference is to
Barak 's campaign againstSisera , the commander of the forces ofJabin , King ofCanaan (Judges 4:10). They answered the call ofGideon and joined in battle againstMadian (Judges 6:35); and gave to IsraelElon , who judged it ten years (Judges 12:11). Among those that followedDavid toHebron to make him king were 50,000 fully armed men of Zebulun with no double heart (I Chronicles 12:33), who brought with them, as sign of their hearty allegiance, bounteous supplies of meat and drink to celebrate the accession of their new ruler (I Chronicles 12:41). WhenHezekiah made reparation for the abominations of his fatherAhaz , he invited all Israel to keep thePassover in the house of the Lord. Mockery and ridicule met the emissaries of the reformer; yet some were true to the religion of their fathers, and, even from far away Zebulun, went up toJerusalem , destroyed the idols, and kept the feast of theunleavened bread (II Chronicles 30:10-23).Division of the land
At the division of the land of Israel between the seven tribes not yet provided for, the lot of Zabulun was third. The tribe's territory started with Sarid (Joshua 19:10), which is supposed to have been
Tel Shadud , [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15739b.htm Zabulon] : entry at the [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/index.html Catholic Encyclopedia] ] some five miles southwest ofNazareth . Zebulun's boundaries have not been made out. Of the nineteen proper names that the book of Joshua gives to guide us, only Bethlehem ("Beit lahm", seven miles northwest of Nazareth) can be identified with certainty, although the archaeological site Tel Hanaton is associated with the city "Hanaton" listed as the boundary withAsher . The historian Josephus assigns to Zebulun the land near toCarmel and the sea, as far as the Lake of "Genesareth". [Josephus, Flavius, [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/josephus.html "Antiquities of The Jews"] , Book V, Chapter 1, Par. 22, at [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com Early Jewish Writings] ] To its northwest lay Asher, to the southeastIssachar . It included a part of theJezreel Valley , and the great highway from the sea to the lake. Within the territory of Zebulun,Christ was brought up, and did and said much that is narrated in theGospel s, especially in the Synoptics, about His Galilean ministry.Fate
As part of the
Kingdom of Israel , the territory of Zebulun was conquered by theAssyrians , and the tribe exiled; the manner of their exile lead to their further history being lost. However, some modern day groups claim descent, with varying levels of academic and rabbinical support. TheIgbo Jews ofNigeria claim to descend from the tribe, as well as from the tribes of Ephraim, of Manasseh, of Levi, and of Gad.ee also
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Zebulun
*Tribe of Issachar References
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