The Twelve-Tribe Confederacy
A striking feature in the early organization of the Israelites is their grouping into twelve tribes: each founded on the ancestors in Jacob's family line.
Jacob and his twelve sons
The twelve-tribe structure of Israel is read back into the ancestors described in the book of Genesis, namely: Jacob (who was renamed "Israel" after a crucial experience [Genesis 32:26-30]) and his twelve sons. The twelve tribes of "Israel" thus obtained their name from the twelve sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher [Genesis 35:23-26]. Each of these twelve sons was a leader of a tribe [Genesis 29:16-30:24; 35:16-20]. It was these twelve tribes which settled into Canaan and gained control of the whole country in a span of many generations. Full control of the land came to them in the time of David, around 1000 B.C.
United through the Covenant
Each of the twelve tribes functioned more or less on its own. Although there was no political unity, no central government, they had the Covenant Law and a shrine (where the Ark of the Covenant was kept) in common. Their unity was religious and not yet political. All of them believe that Yahweh was their King and that He fought their wars for them. Since the Yahweh and the Covenant made with Him was their source of unity, they also felt bound to assist each other, especially when one tribe or other was in trouble. As the tribes got together to help each other to fight the enemies, they eventually were led to the process of political unity - beginning with the tribes that settled in the northern territory of Canaan.
"May God rule"
The twelve-tribe confederacy basically was a theocratic community which had their common religious center at Shechem. Shechem was a great Canaanite city-state where Joshua called all the twelve tribes of "Israel" to a reaffirmation of the sacred covenant they made with Yahweh at Mt. Sinai. The reason for this reaffirmation was after entering Canaan and taking the land, "Israel" was tempted to adopt the religious practices of the Canaanites. Joshua thus led "Israel" to choose to serve Yahweh as their God, be faithful to the Covenant, and, in a manner of speaking, follow seriously the meaning of their name, "Israel": "may God rule".
A time of testing
The years after the entry into Canaan and before the establishment of the kingdom under David were rough years for the twelve tribes of "Israel". The people struggled to survive: ighting enemies and learning to farm from their Canaanite neighbours. It was a hard life for the twelve tribes of "Israel": they continually were tempted to follow the gods of their neighbours and thus incurred Yahweh's punishment in the form of encountering enemies and hostile forces. As the people cried out for God's mercy, God raised up a judge (a leader, a hero) to deliver His people. This pattern of sin, punishment, crying out to God, and the sending of a judge, was to be a ommon pattern in the life of the people until the establishment of the kingdom under David's rule.
Related resources:
- "Understanding the Old Testament", by Bernhard W. Anderson
- "Journey: Volume I - Torah", by Msgr. Marcel Gervais
- The Promised Land: Introductory Article
- The Promised Land: Three Theories of the Canaan Conquest
- Three Turning Points in the Life of Early Israel
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