Genesis 30 gives the story of which patriarchs descend from which mothers:
Parents:
Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar (mandrakes), Zebulun, Dinah
Zilpah: Gad, Asher,
Rachel: Joseph, Benjamin
Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali
This establishes the first order of precedence and some of the character of the children, though much later in Genesis 48, a chapter which strangely at first refers to Jacob as 'Jacob' but then changes to calling him 'Israel', the name he was given in chapter 32 before Benjamin was born yet. In this chapter 48 Joseph's two sons become separate tribes such that there is no tribe of Joseph but instead two tribes called Ephraim and Manasseh. This is because Israel blesses the two boys directly, skipping their father. Perhaps it means that they become Jacob's sons in inheritance that way. Possibly this also foreshadows the adoption of many people to Abraham's family.
Numbers chapter 2 lists the order of encampment of Israel's tribes, descended from the above persons:
Encampment arrangement and order of marching:
East: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
South: Reuben, Simeon, Gad
Middle: Tent, Levites
West: Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin
North: Dan, Asher, Naphtali
Notice that Ephraim and Manasseh have become two tribes from the original tribe of Joseph. Notice also that the Tent counts as a tribe in the order of the march, listed as one of the units. It does not belong to any one tribe. Altogether the number of marching troops is fourteen.
In the marching order Judah breaks camp first, then Issachar, then Zebulun, then the tribes in the South, then the Levites, then the Tent of Meeting, then the tribes in the West, then the tribes in the North. The very last in the line is Naphtali.
If I understand correctly, none of this arranging has taken place until after the crossing of the Red Sea, but I could be wrong about that. The directions for making the tent of meeting aren't given until after the crossing, so I think that all of the Israelites left Egypt in no particular order.
I've always thought it very interesting that these details have been put in, and the arrangement of the tribes reminds me of a compass or a clock. East would be 3 O'clock, however they almost certainly would have begun breaking camp in the morning not in the afternoon, so if it like a clock its not a clock face like ours. The hours would be in different orientations from the Western clock. So how would the clock's face be arranged?
Jewish days end at sundown, so that would put the 1 somewhere around our 6pm to our 9pm (pointing south and slightly east). Twilight would be 12. That is confusing. No, an ancient Israelite clock may as well have tribes on it instead of numbers; so I will just use tribes. 3 will become Judah o'clock, 4 Issachar o'clock, 5 is Zebulun and so forth. This presents a logistical problem, however. Lets assume Judah is the first to break camp at around our 6:30 am. That means Judah breaks camp just after Reuben O'clock.
Thanks for Reuben my post.
Parents:
Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar (mandrakes), Zebulun, Dinah
Zilpah: Gad, Asher,
Rachel: Joseph, Benjamin
Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali
This establishes the first order of precedence and some of the character of the children, though much later in Genesis 48, a chapter which strangely at first refers to Jacob as 'Jacob' but then changes to calling him 'Israel', the name he was given in chapter 32 before Benjamin was born yet. In this chapter 48 Joseph's two sons become separate tribes such that there is no tribe of Joseph but instead two tribes called Ephraim and Manasseh. This is because Israel blesses the two boys directly, skipping their father. Perhaps it means that they become Jacob's sons in inheritance that way. Possibly this also foreshadows the adoption of many people to Abraham's family.
Numbers chapter 2 lists the order of encampment of Israel's tribes, descended from the above persons:
Encampment arrangement and order of marching:
East: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
South: Reuben, Simeon, Gad
Middle: Tent, Levites
West: Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin
North: Dan, Asher, Naphtali
Notice that Ephraim and Manasseh have become two tribes from the original tribe of Joseph. Notice also that the Tent counts as a tribe in the order of the march, listed as one of the units. It does not belong to any one tribe. Altogether the number of marching troops is fourteen.
In the marching order Judah breaks camp first, then Issachar, then Zebulun, then the tribes in the South, then the Levites, then the Tent of Meeting, then the tribes in the West, then the tribes in the North. The very last in the line is Naphtali.
If I understand correctly, none of this arranging has taken place until after the crossing of the Red Sea, but I could be wrong about that. The directions for making the tent of meeting aren't given until after the crossing, so I think that all of the Israelites left Egypt in no particular order.
I've always thought it very interesting that these details have been put in, and the arrangement of the tribes reminds me of a compass or a clock. East would be 3 O'clock, however they almost certainly would have begun breaking camp in the morning not in the afternoon, so if it like a clock its not a clock face like ours. The hours would be in different orientations from the Western clock. So how would the clock's face be arranged?
Jewish days end at sundown, so that would put the 1 somewhere around our 6pm to our 9pm (pointing south and slightly east). Twilight would be 12. That is confusing. No, an ancient Israelite clock may as well have tribes on it instead of numbers; so I will just use tribes. 3 will become Judah o'clock, 4 Issachar o'clock, 5 is Zebulun and so forth. This presents a logistical problem, however. Lets assume Judah is the first to break camp at around our 6:30 am. That means Judah breaks camp just after Reuben O'clock.
Thanks for Reuben my post.
