The 12 tribes of Israel, named after Jacob's sons, are central to the Hebrew Bible narrative. Scholars question the ...

The twelve tribes of Israel, therefore, collectively carry the name of their father. Jacob had twelve sons with his four wives. With Leah, he had Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon.

However, it was their ability—despite being comprised of 12 children and their families ... both the biological sons of Israel as well as a people, united around a shared history, shared ...