Tribes of Israel
Syllabification: (Tribes of Is·ra·el)
Definition of Tribes of Israel
- the twelve divisions of ancient Israel, each traditionally descended from one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Ten of the tribes (Asher, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Levi, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun, known as the Lost Tribes) were deported to captivity in Assyria circa 720 bc, leaving only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Also called Twelve Tribes of Israel.