The traditional division of Israel is based on the twelve tribes. Biblical tradition maintains that the twelve tribes of Israel are descended from the sons and grandsons of Jacob and that the tribes are collectively called Israel due to their origin, patriarch Jacob-Israel. Named after the twelve sons, each tribe occupied a different territory except for the tribe of Levi which was set apart to
Read more.... serve in the Holy Temple. The twelve tribes are: Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun. By Jacob's command, Joseph's sons were also given tribes: Ephraim and Menasseh, and allocated the lands of Joseph and Levi, keeping the number of tribes at twelve. Jacob and his family went into Egypt where their numbers grew strong. A pharaoh oppressed them by forcing them into labor. God "remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" and made Himself known to Moses, who in turn, rescued the Israelites from Egypt. At Sinai, the nation covenanted itself to God and after forty years of wandering in the desert under the leadership of Moses, the twelve Israelite tribes entered the land of Canaan under the command of Joshua. United, the twelve tribes conquered the land, distributing it among themselves. During this time, there was no predetermined pattern of leadership among the tribes, except for in times of need when deliverer-judges were sent to them by God. The lack of leadership forced the tribes into cooperative action against enemies under the leadership of the deliverer. The tribes sacral center was Shiloh and housed the Ark of the Covenant under the priestly family of Eli. With military pressures growing, the Israelites turned to Samuel to request the establishment of a monarchy, resulting in the crowing of Saul who led the twelve tribes as King. More reference links: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/tribes.html http://www.biblestudy101.org/Lists/12tribes.html