Tribe of Naphtali

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Easton, Matthew George (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). Nelson and Sons. : Missing or empty |title= ( help ) The Hebrew Tribe of Naphtali "My wrestling", was founded by Naphtali , son of Jacob . On this tribe Jacob pronounced the patriarchal blessing, " Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words" (Gen. 49:21). It was intended thus to set forth under poetic imagery the future character and history of the tribe. At the time of the Exodus this tribe numbered 53,400 adult males (Num. 1:43), but at the close of the wanderings they numbered only 45,400 (26:48-50). Along with Dan and Asher, they formed "the camp of Dan," under a common standard (2:25-31), occupying a place during the march on the north side of the tabernacle . The possession assigned to this tribe is set forth in Josh. 19:32-39. It lay in the north-eastern corner of the land, bounded on the east by the Jordan River and the lakes of Merom and Galilee , and on the north it extended far into Coele-Syria, the valley between the two Lebanon ranges. It comprehended a greater variety of rich and beautiful scenery and of soil and climate than fell to the lot of any other tribe. The territory of Naphtali extended to about 800 square miles (2072 km²), being the double of that of Issachar . The region around Kadesh , its most prominent town, was originally called Galil, a name afterwards given to the whole northern division of Canaan . A large number of foreigners settled here among the mountains, and hence it was called "Galilee of the Gentiles " (q.v.), Matt. 4:15, 16. The southern portion of Naphtali has been called the "Garden of Palestine ." It was of unrivalled fertility. It was the setting of much of Jesus' public ministry as descibed in the Christian Gospels. Naphtali was the most powerful of the northern tribes: Deborah 's general Barak , who defeated Sisera , was a member of this tribe. Nevertheless, its remoteness made it subject to many other invasions throughout its history. Naphtali was also the first to suffer from the invasion of Benhadad , king of Syria , in the reigns of Baasha , king of Israel , and Asa , king of Judah (1 Kings 15:20; 2 Chr. 16:4). In the reign of Pekah , king of Israel , the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III swept over the whole north of Israel, and carried the people into captivity (2 Kings 15:29). Thus the kingdom of Israel came to an end (B.C. 722).

The Tribe of Naphtali ( Hebrew : נַפְתָּלִי , Modern : Naftali , Tiberian : Nap̄tālî , "My struggle") was one of the Tribes of Israel . Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE , Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes. The Tribe of Naphtali was allocated the eastern side of the Galilee (on the immediate west of the Sea of Galilee ), in the areas now known as the Lower Galilee , and Upper Galilee , and was bordered on the west by Asher , in the north by Dan , in the south by Zebulun , and by the Jordan River on the east. ( Joshua 19:32–39 ) The most significant city was Hazor . In this region, bordering the Sea of Galilee, was the highly fertile plain of Gennesaret , characterised by Josephus as the ambition of nature, an earthly paradise , and with the southern portion of the region acting as a natural pass between the highlands of Canaan , several major roads (such as those from Damascus to Tyre and Acre ) ran through it. The prosperity this situation brought is seemingly prophesied in the Blessing of Moses , though textual scholars view this as a postdiction , dating the poem to well after the tribe had been established in the land. From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BC , the Tribe of Naphtali was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes. No central government existed, and in times of crisis the people were led by ad hoc leaders known as Judges (see the Book of Judges ). With the growth of the threat from Philistine incursions, the Israelite tribes decided to form a strong centralised monarchy to meet the challenge, and the Tribe of Naphtali joined the new kingdom with Saul as the first king. After the death of Saul, all the tribes other than Judah remained loyal to the House of Saul, but after the death of Ish-bosheth , Saul's son and successor to the throne of Israel, the Tribe of Naphtali joined the other northern Israelite tribes in making David , who was then the king of Judah, king of a re-united Kingdom of Israel. However, on the accession of Rehoboam , David's grandson, in c. 930 BC the northern tribes split from the House of David to reform a Kingdom of Israel as the Northern Kingdom. In c. 732 BCE, Pekah allied with Rezin , king of Aram , threatened Jerusalem , and Ahaz , king of Judah , appealed to Tiglath-Pileser III , the king of Assyria , for help. After Ahaz paid tribute to Tiglath-Pileser, ( 2 Kings 16:7–9 ) Tiglath-Pileser sacked Damascus and Israel, annexing Aram and a large part of Israel, "including all the land of Naphtali." According to 2 Kings 16:9 and 15:29 , the population of Aram and the annexed part of Israel was deported to Assyria. The kingdom of Israel continued to exist until c. 723 BC, when it was again invaded by Assyria and the rest of the population deported. From that time, the Tribe of Naphtali has been counted as one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. (2003), "On the Reliability of the Old Testament" (Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Territory allotted to Naphtali (1852 map) The Tribe of Naphtali ( Hebrew : נַפְתָּלִי , Modern : Naftali , Tiberian : Nap̄tālî , "My struggle") was one of the northernmost of the twelve tribes of Israel . It is one of the ten lost tribes .

One of the twelve tribes of Israel Territory allotted to Naphtali (1852 map) The Tribe of Naphtali ( Hebrew : נַפְתָּלִי , Modern : Nap̄talī , Tiberian : Nap̄tālī , "My struggle") was one of the northernmost of the twelve tribes of Israel . It is one of the ten lost tribes .