also occupied by a number of independent chiefs, of whom the most
powerful was Jabin, the king of Hazor, a title which afterward reappears
in the history. (Judges 4, 2.) They ruled over small tribes of various
races, from Mount Hermon to Mount Carmel, especially on the Plain of
Esdraelon. The king of Hazor called together the associated tribes, and
their camp was pitched near Lake Merom. Joshua made one of his
characteristic swift marches, up the Jordan Valley, attacked them
suddenly, and utterly defeated and scattered them. He burned the many
war chariots, and so cut the sinews of their horses as to make them
useless; since these animals were never used by the Israelites. After
the battle he marched through the northern regions, capturing the cities
and slaying their rulers, a number of whom are mentioned in the
catalogue of Josh. 12:9-24. This campaign closed the active operations,
so that "the land rested from war" (Josh. 11:23); but for many years the
strife was feebly continued, and it was not entirely finished until the
reign of David.
III. SUPPLEMENTARY CONQUESTS.
Although the struggle of the conquest was over, yet in most of the land
the task of expulsion or destruction was yet to be accomplished, and in
many places was never entirely wrought. The entire section of the
maritime plain remained in the hands of the Philistines; in almost every
tribe were fortresses, which long resisted the Israelites, and formed
centres of rebellion, and sometimes of oppression. And many of the
cities taken by Joshua were soon reoccupied by their original
inhabitants, and once more fortified. The book of the Judges relates
briefly three campaigns after the conquest.
1. =The Campaign of the Judaites and Simeonites.= (Judges 1:1-8.) This
was undertaken against Adoni-bezek, the king of Bezek, a place in or
near the tribe of Judah, not positively identified. Adoni-bezek was a
petty chieftain, who had cruelly mutilated no less than 70 local chiefs
whom he had taken in battle. He was surprised by the allied forces of
Judah and Simeon, and ten thousand of his warriors were slain. He was
taken prisoner, and treated as he had treated other captive kings; his
thumbs and great toes being cut off, thus making him helpless. After
this, the allied tribes marched down upon the maritime plain, and took
the Philistine cities of Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. But their conquests
were not permanent; they withdrew to the mountains, and the Philistines
were soon in possession of their cities, which long stood as a menace to
Israel. Another campaign was directed against the cities of the Negeb,
or South Country, and resulted in the destruction of Zephath and Hormah,
both south of Hebron.
2. =The Campaign of Caleb and Othniel.= Caleb was the oldest man in
Israel, having accompanied Joshua and the other spies, thirty-eight
years before the entrance of Israel into the Promised Land. (Num.
13-14.) For his faithfulness when so many were overcome with terror, he
received a promise of inheritance in the land. At least 45 years
afterward, Hebron, in the south of Judah, was allotted to him. It had
been taken by Joshua (Josh. 10:36, 37), but afterward reoccupied by the
Anakim (see page 38), and the Amorites, its original possessors. Caleb
led an army against it, once more won the city, and made it his own. He
promised his daughter, Achsah, to the warrior who should take Debir, or
Kirjath-sepher, south of Hebron, which had also been reoccupied by the
enemy. His younger brother (perhaps nephew) Othniel, won the city and
his bride. (Josh. 14:1-15; 15:13-19; Judges 1:10-15.) This campaign was
probably about the same time with the one narrated above, and may have
been in connection with it.
3. =The Danite Campaign.= (Judges 18.) The tribe of Dan found themselves
unable to overcome their Philistine neighbors, and were straitened for
room in their narrow possessions. They sent out a body of men to search
for a new home. These spies traversed the country as far to the north as
Laish, or Leshem, a Phoenician city, near one of the sources of the
Jordan. The Danite spies returned to their people at Zorah and Eshtaol,
and made their report. A part of the tribe agreed to migrate to this
northern region. Their first encampment on the journey, near
Kirjath-jearim, in Judah, long bore the name of "the camp of Dan." At a
village in Mount Ephraim they plundered Micah of his idols and carried
away their priest, who was a degenerate grandson of Moses the prophet.
At Laish they fell suddenly upon the defenseless Phoenicians, destroyed
their city, and built in its place one which they called Dan. It was the
northern landmark of the land, as Beersheba was its southern, giving
rise to the term "from Dan to Beersheba." Dan remained an idol
sanctuary, and a place of corrupting influence during all the after
history of Israel.
Upon the map are noted: 1. The six campaigns of the conquest, three on
each side of the Jordan. The precise route of travel cannot be
identified, but the general direction is shown by a red line. The
"supplementary conquests" are not indicated, in order to avoid
confusion, but can be easily traced. 2. The important battle-fields are
indicated by flags. These were at (1) Jahaz, (2) Edrei, (3) the land of
Midian, (4) Jericho, (5) Ai, (6) Beth-horon, (7) Hazor. Besides these
were many cities captured by Joshua during his campaign in Southern
Canaan. 3. The royal cities captured by Moses and Joshua are each
indicated on the map by a crown. These were, on the east of Jordan:
Heshbon, the capital of Sihon's kingdom, and Ashtaroth, the capital of
Og's kingdom; and on the west of Jordan, 31 cities, whose kings were
taken and slain by Joshua. (Josh. 12:9-24.) The places identified are
the only ones marked upon the map. 4. The four cities of the Hivite
league, which alone made a treaty with Israel, are shown by clasped
hands, the token of peace. 5. At the close of the conquest a large part
of the country was left in the possession of the native races. This
region is indicated by the yellow color. 6. Many towns remained in the
hands of the Canaanite and Philistine races. Some were taken by Israel,
but afterward reoccupied by their original inhabitants; others held out
against the Israelites, and were a constant source of danger, both by
their opposition, and still more by their friendship. The ceasing of the
war before the native races were either utterly exterminated or driven
away, was a mistaken mercy, which cost Israel centuries of strife, the
infection from their idolatry, and the corrupt influence of their
morals. The sparing of the Canaanites imperiled and well nigh thwarted
the destiny of Israel as the depositary of religious truth for all the
world.
OUTLINE FOR REVIEW.
I. _Conquest of Eastern Palestine._ 1. Gilead. (Amorites, Sihon, Jahaz.)
2. Bashan. (Amorites, Og, Edrei; Nobah, Kenath.) 3. Midian. (Phinehas.)
II. _Conquest of Western Palestine._ 1. Central. (Gilgal, Jericho, Ai,
Shechem, Gibeon.) 2. Southern. (Beth-horon, Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish,
Eglon, Hebron, Debir.) 3. Northern. (Hazor.)
III. _Supplementary Conquests._ 1. Judah and Simeon. (Adoni-bezek,
Bezek; Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron; Zephath, Hormah.) 2. Caleb and Othniel.
(Hebron, Debir.) 3. Dan. (Laish.)
[Illustration: CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION.]
PALESTINE AMONG THE TWELVE TRIBES.
THE division of the land among the Twelve Tribes took place in three
stages. 1. After the conquest of Eastern Palestine, during the lifetime
of Moses, the two tribes of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of
Manasseh received their portion, on condition that their warriors should
aid their kinsmen in the war for the rest of the land. (Num. 32.) 2.
After the campaigns in Western Palestine (see last map and
explanations), the two leading tribes of Judah and Ephraim and the
remaining half of Manasseh received their inheritance, and took
possession of it, as far as conquered: Judah in the south, Ephraim a
small but choice portion in the centre, and Manasseh immediately north
of it. (Josh. 15-17.) 3. The remaining seven tribes delayed long in
obtaining their portions in the land, but at last, after a rebuke from
the aged Joshua for their slowness, made the division by lot, and
entered upon their inheritance. (Josh. 18, 19.) The cities of refuge,
and those for the priests and Levites, were last of all appointed, late
in the life of Joshua, and then "the land had rest from war," and Israel
entered upon its history in its own land.
It is not easy to fix the tribal boundary lines, since some tribes
possessed cities within the domain of other tribes, and the boundaries,
if not entirely indeterminate, varied greatly in different ages.
Geographers are agreed upon the general position, but not upon the
precise boundary lines. We follow the map of Dr. James Strong, in
McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia.
[Illustration: VIEW IN THE EASTERN TABLE-LAND--BASHAN.]
I. =The Tribe of Reuben= (Num. 32:1-38; Josh. 13:15-23) had the river
Arnon for its southern border, this river separating it from Moab. It
was bounded on the east by the Syrian desert, and on the west by the
Dead Sea and the lower end of the Jordan. Its northern line began at
Beth-jeshimoth, and extended northeasterly to near Rabbath Ammon. Its
territory consisted of a low region by the sea and the river, a
precipitous mountain range, and a rolling plateau eastward, well adapted
for pasture. Among its prominent localities were: Heshbon, the capital
of the Amorite king, Sihon; Dibon, where recently the Moabite stone was
discovered; Mount Nebo, where Moses died; Bezer, a city of refuge;
Aroer, Ataroth, Medeba, Kiriathaim, and Kedemoth.
II. =The Tribe of Gad= (Num. 32:34-36; Josh. 13:24-28) was located north
of Reuben. Its boundary on the west was the river Jordan, from the Sea
of Chinnereth (Galilee) almost to its mouth. Its eastern border was the
desert, from Rabbath Ammon to Mahanaim, from which point its line ran
northwest to the Sea of Chinnereth. Like the land of Reuben, its
territory embraced portions of the Jordan Valley; the eastern
mountains, divided by the torrent Jabbok; and the table-land, a rich
and well-watered district. The part in the Jordan Valley was, however,
never possessed by the Israelites, but remained in the hands of the
native Canaanites. In the valley, its cities were Beth-nimrah and
Succoth. Among the mountains the places were: Jazer, near the border of
Reuben; Ramoth-gilead, a famous fortress, often the scene of war;
Penuel, the place of Jacob's wrestling with the angel (Gen. 32:24-32);
Jabesh-gilead, whose warriors rescued the bodies of Saul and Jonathan (1
Sam. 31:11-13); Mahanaim, a place of refuge both for the son of Saul,
and afterward for David (2 Sam. 2:8; 2 Sam. 17:24); and Gadara, a
foreign city, on the northern frontier.
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
|+---------------------------------------------------------+|
|| Manasseh, (East) 2,590 Sq. M. ||
|| (_Partly Desert_) ||
|+---------------------------------------------------------+|
|| Judah, 1,400 Sq. M. | |
||(_Exclusive of Philistia and | |
|| Desert by Dead Sea_) | |
|+-------------------------------+ |
|| Gad, | |
||1,300 Sq. Miles. | |
|+----------------------------+ |
||Simeon, 1,000 Sq. M.| |
||(_Partly Desert_) | |
|+--------------------+ |
||Manasseh, (West) | |
|| 800 Sq. M. | |
|+-----------------+ |
|| Naphtali, | |
|| 800 Sq. M. | |
|+-----------------+ |
|| Reuben, | |
|| 700 Sq. M. | |
|+--------------+ |
|| Ephraim, | |
|| 600 Sq. M.| COMPARATIVE SIZE |
|+------------+ |
|| Dan, | |
||500 Sq. M.| OF |
|+----------+ |
|| |Issachar, |
|| |400 Sq. M. TERRITORY OF THE TRIBES. |
|+------+ |
|| |Zebulon, |
|| |300 Sq. M. |
|+---+ |
|| |Asher, |
|| |300 Sq. M. |
|+---+ |
|| |Benjamin, |
|| |300 Sq. M. |
|+---+ |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
III. =The Half Tribe of Manasseh, East= (Num. 32:39-42; Josh. 13:29-31),
occupied the northern portion of Eastern Palestine, generally known in
the Old Testament as Bashan, larger than the portion assigned to any one
tribe. It extended from Mahanaim northward to Mount Hermon, and from the
river Jordan and its two northern lakes eastward to the desert. Though
some of this land is a desert, yet most of it is fertile, and even now
it is called "the granary of Palestine." It consists of undulating
plains between two masses of mountains; the one on the east, now known
as _el Ledja_, and the other on the side of the Jordan Valley. On its
western hills were Aphek, and Golan, a city of refuge; near its centre
were Ashtaroth, the former capital of Og, who reigned over Bashan before
the conquest, and Edrei. Kenath, taken by Nobah, was at the foot of _el
Ledja_, east of the line of the map. Its people never conquered the
Geshurites on the east, and were separated from their brethren by the
Canaanites in the Jordan Valley (see map on page 50), so that they were
not closely identified with the history of Israel, and were the first to
be carried away captive. (2 Kings 10:32, 33.)
IV. =The Tribe of Simeon= (Josh. 19:1-9) received a portion of the land
previously given to Judah. Its location was on the extreme south, and
its boundaries were indeterminate, being indicated only by the list of
eighteen towns belonging to it. It was the strip of grazing land between
the mountains and the desert of the wandering, where Abraham and Isaac
spent most of their lives. Its most important place was the historic
Beersheba; but it included also Gerar, on the Philistine border; Arad,
whose king twice resisted the Israelites' progress during the wandering;
Hormah, in the South Country; and Ziklag, at one time the home of David.
Nothing is known of this tribe's history. From its frontier position it
probably lost its individuality, a part of its people becoming merged
with the wandering races of the desert, and a part with its more
powerful neighbor, Judah. Most of its cities were held by the
Philistines until the reign of David.
V. =The Tribe of Judah= (Josh. 15:1-63) occupied the most valuable
portion of the land, and for three centuries was the rival of Ephraim in
the leadership of the nation. Its boundary line on the north is
described with great minuteness, but was changed after the building of
the Temple to include a part of the city of Jerusalem. It ran from the
northern end of the Dead Sea, south of Jerusalem, in a direction
generally east, though with many turnings, from the Jordan to the
Mediterranean. The region embraced five sections. 1. The Philistine
plain, by the sea, never conquered. 2. The Shefelah, or low hills, a
boundary disputed with the Philistines. 3. The "hill country," the home
of the tribe. 4. The Negeb, or South Country, extending from Hebron
southward. 5. The wild, uninhabitable Jeshimon, called in later history
"the wilderness of Judæa," on the western shore of the Dead Sea.
Omitting the Philistine cities by the Mediterranean, its most important
cities were: Hebron, the inheritance of Caleb; Debir, the conquest of
Othniel; Bethlehem, the birthplace of David, and, in after ages, of his
greater Son; Maon, Carmel; En-gedi, a haunt of David during his exile;
Lachish and Libnah, on the Shefelah; and Kirjath-jearim, at one time the
abode of the ark.
VI. =The Tribe of Benjamin= (Josh. 18:11-28) was located between Judah
and Ephraim, having the Jordan on the east, and Dan on the west. It was
a small country, 25 miles long by 12 wide, yet rich in natural
advantages; and many events of Bible history took place within its
borders. It included 26 cities, of which the most important were:
Gilgal, the military capital during the conquest; Jericho, the first
town taken on the west of the Jordan; Jerusalem, long held by the
Jebusites, but from the time of David the capital of the country;
Bethel, connected with many events; Ramah, the home of Samuel; Gibeah,
the residence of King Saul; Michmash, Gibeon and Mizpeh, the places of
famous battles. No portion of the land contains more of Jewish history
than Benjamin, the smallest of all the tribes of Israel.
[Illustration: COMPARATIVE POPULATION OF THE TWELVE TRIBES AT THE
ENTRANCE INTO CANAAN.]
Judah, 306,000.
Dan, 257,600.
Issachar, 257,200.
Zebulon, 242,000.
Asher, 213,600.
Manasseh, 210,800.
Benjamin, 182,400.
Naphtali, 181,600.
Reuben, 174,920.
Gad, 162,000.
Ephraim, 130,000.
Simeon, 88,800.
Levi, 46,000.
VII. =The Tribe of Dan= (Josh. 19:40-48; Judges 18) was situated between
Benjamin and the sea, and, though apparently large, was in reality very
small, since nearly all its territory was held by the original
inhabitants, the Canaanites. Its southernmost town was Timnath, a small
village not on the map, but two miles west of Beth-shemesh; its northern
limit was a brook just north of Joppa. The original inhabitants proved
too strong for the Danites, who were compelled to maintain a sort of
fortified camp in and between the villages of Zorah and Eshtaol, called
"the camp of Dan." (Judges 13:25.) A part of the tribe migrated
northward, as related in the interesting account in Judges 17, 18; and,
by a surprise, seized the Phoenician village of Laish, or Leshem, in the
far north of Palestine, changed its name to Dan, and made it a new
rallying centre for the tribe. This place, with Beersheba on the south,
was named, in the expression "from Dan to Beersheba," as one of the
limits of the land. It remained for centuries the place of an idolatrous
worship, perpetuated under all the changes of government, down to the
final captivity of the land.
VIII. =The Tribe of Ephraim= (Josh. 16) was located on the north of
Benjamin and Dan, and extended from the Jordan to the Mediterranean, in
the centre of the country. But inasmuch as the Canaanites were able to
resist the power of the Ephraimites on both sides of the mountain,
toward the river Jordan and toward the sea, the haughty tribe deemed its
possession too small for its needs, and asked a larger space of Joshua.
They were answered in a half-jesting, half-rebuking manner by the
leader, and urged to drive out the enemy and make for themselves more
room, a counsel which they followed only in part. (Josh. 17:14-18;
Judges 1:22-26.) The principal places in "Mount Ephraim" (as the
district of this tribe was generally called) were: Shechem, between the
twin mountains of Ebal and Gerizim; Shiloh, the place of the ark, and
the religious centre of the land; Beth-horon, the field where the
decisive victory of the conquest was won; Timnath, the burial place of
Joshua; and Samaria, built during the kingdom as the capital of the Ten
Tribes.
IX. =The Half Tribe of Manasseh, West= (Josh. 17), was located north of
Ephraim, and extended from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. Its boundary
followed the northern slope of Mount Carmel, except by the sea, where
the mountain was given to Asher. The lowlands on the Jordan, the Plain
of Esdraelon, and the Mediterranean, were held by the Canaanites, in the
cities of Dor, Megiddo, Taanach and Beth-shean, a chain of fortresses
which gave control of the larger portion of the province, so that the
Manassites were restricted to the mountains, where they occupied Geba,
Dothan and Jarmuth.
X. =The Tribe of Issachar= (Josh. 19:17-23) was allotted the Plain of
Esdraelon (which it was never able to possess), and the mountains of
Tabor and Little Hermon ("Hill of Moreh"), extending to the Jordan south
of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). Both the plain and the Jordan Valley
were held by the Canaanites, but the tribe occupied the mountains. Its
cities were En-gannim, Shunem, Haphraim, Daberath, and Beth-shemesh. The
towns of Cana, Nain and Nazareth, in New Testament history, were located
in this tribe.
XI. =The Tribe of Asher= (Josh. 19:24-31) lay along the sea-coast, and
extended from Mount Carmel to Zidon. Nearly all its cities were
controlled by the Canaanites and Phoenicians, and the people soon
entered into friendly relations with them, and lost their power. A part
of the tribe, however, occupied the mountain range, and retained their
relationship with the rest of the Israelites.
XII. =The Tribe of Zebulon= (Josh. 19:10-16) occupied a triangle between
Mount Carmel, the Sea of Chinnereth (afterward the Sea of Galilee), and
the village of Aijalon; having as its base the mountain border north of
the Plain of Esdraelon, and its western line the mountain chain
following the Mediterranean. As this belonged to the mountain region, it
was controlled mainly by the Israelites, though the Canaanites held two
towns, Kitron and Nahalol. (Judges 1:30.) Its principal places were:
Gath-hepher, the home of the prophet Jonah; Bethlehem (to be
distinguished from the town of the same name in Judah); and, in later
times, most of the cities of Galilee visited by our Lord.
[Illustration: PALESTINE AMONG THE TRIBES.]
XIII. =The Tribe of Naphtali= (Josh. 19:32-39) was the farthest to the
north in all Israel. It occupied a section running north and south,
between the Jordan and the Sea of Chinnereth on one side, and the
Phoenician border on the other. Its central city was Kedesh, a city of
refuge. Other towns were Hazor, Abel-beth-maachah, Beth-rehob (the
extreme point visited by the spies, Num. 13:21) and Beth-shemesh. Dan
(see on Tribe of Dan) was also in the limits of this tribe.
XIV. =The Tribe of Levi= was the priestly caste, and received no
separate province in the land, but was allotted certain cities
throughout the tribes. These cities were given up to the Levites, either
wholly or in part; though it is evident that they were not the only
places occupied by the priests, and that others besides the Levites
dwelt in them. These "Levitical cities" were divided into two classes:
those for the priests proper, or descendants of Aaron, thirteen in
number, and all in the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin (a
remarkable arrangement, since the altar and the Tabernacle were in the
tribe of Ephraim); and those for the Levites, or subordinate priests,
thirty-five in number, divided among the other tribes. Thus there were
in all forty-eight Levitical cities. These were so arranged that in each
tribe four cities were assigned to the priests, except in Judah (which
had more), and Simeon and Naphtali, the frontier tribes, which had less.
As far as they have been identified and located, they are indicated upon
the map: the priests' cities by the _tiara_, or head-dress, worn by the
priests; the Levites' cities by a _trumpet_, as they formed the choral
bands in the worship of the Temple. Six of these cities were assigned as
"cities of refuge" for the innocent man-slayer. (Josh. 20.) Three cities
were chosen on each side of the Jordan; in the south, the centre and the
north of the land. These were: Bezer, in Reuben; Ramoth-gilead, in Gad;
Golan, in Manasseh, East; Hebron, in Judah; Shechem, in Ephraim; and
Kedesh, in Naphtali. Each of these is indicated on the map by a tower.
OUTLINE FOR TEACHING AND REVIEW.
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING.
Draw a rough map of Palestine, omitting mountains and all other lines
except the river and the seas. Do not attempt to make it accurate. In
presence of the class, draw the boundary lines of the tribes, not
attempting an accurate copy, but roughly indicating them. With each
tribe indicate the most important places by their initial letters.
Review all the places before beginning another tribe, and occasionally
go back to the beginning and review all the work done. Let the class, on
slate or paper, also draw the map, and locate the places. At the close,
call upon the scholars to give the location and name the places of the
tribes.
REVIEW.
I. _Reuben._ Heshbon, Dibon, Mount Nebo, Bezer, Aroer, Ataroth, Medeba,
Kiriathaim, Kedemoth.
II. _Gad._ Beth-nimrah, Succoth, Jazer, Ramoth-gilead, Penuel,
Jabesh-gilead, Mahanaim, Gadara.
III. _Manasseh, East._ Aphek, Golan, Ashtaroth, Edrei, Kenath.
IV. _Simeon._ Beersheba, Gerar, Arad, Hormah, Ziklag.
V. _Judah_ (5 sections). Hebron, Debir, Bethlehem, Maon, Carmel,
En-gedi, Lachish, Libnah, Kirjath-jearim.
VI. _Benjamin._ Gilgal, Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethel, Ramah, Gibeah,
Michmash, Gibeon, Mizpeh.
VII. _Dan._ Zorah, Eshtaol, Dan.
VIII. _Ephraim._ Shechem, Shiloh, Beth-horon, Timnath, Samaria.
IX. _Manasseh, West._ Dor, Megiddo, Taanach, Beth-shean, Geba, Dothan,
Jarmuth.
X. _Issachar._ En-gannim, Shunem, Haphraim, Daberath, Beth-shemesh,
Cana, Nain, Nazareth (in New Testament History).
XI. _Asher._
XII. _Zebulon._ Gath-hepher, Bethlehem.
XIII. _Naphtali._ Kedesh, Hazor, Abel-beth-maachah, Beth-rehob,
Beth-shemesh.
XIV. _Levi._ Forty-eight Levitical cities in all. Six of these were
cities of refuge, as follows: Bezer, Ramoth-gilead, Golan, Hebron,
Shechem, Kedesh.
[Illustration: ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM.]
[Illustration: PALESTINE UNDER THE JUDGES.
THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON.]
PALESTINE UNDER THE JUDGES.