Zebulun
Encyclopedia
Zebulun was, according to the Books of Genesis and Numbers
, the sixth son of Jacob
and Leah
, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Zebulun
. Some Biblical scholars
believe this to be an eponym
ous metaphor
providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite confederation. With Leah as a matriarch, Biblical scholars
believe the tribe to have been regarded by the text's authors as a part of the original Israelite confederation.
The name is derived from the Northwest Semitic root zbl, common in 2nd millennium BC Ugaritic texts as an epithet (title) of the god Baal
, as well as in Phoenician and (frequently) in biblical Hebrew in personal names.
The text of the Torah
gives two different etymologies
for the name Zebulun, which textual scholars
attribute to different sources - one to the Yahwist and the other to the Elohist
; the first being that it derives from zebed, the word for gift, in reference to Leah's view that her gaining of six sons was a gift from God
; the second being that it derives from yizbeleni, meaning honour, in reference to Leah's hope that Jacob would give her honour now that she had given birth to six sons. In Deuteronomy
, however an allusion is made to a third potential etymology - that it may be connected with zibhe, literally meaning sacrifice, in reference to commercial activities of the tribe of Zebulun - a commercial agreement made at Mount Tabor
between the tribe of Zebulun and a group of non-Israelites was referred to as zibhe-tzedek, literally meaning sacrifice to justice or sacrifice to Tzedek
.
The Torah states that Zebulun had three sons - Sered, Elon
, and Jahleel - each the eponymous founder of a clan. Beyond this, there is little other reference to Zebulun.
The Tomb of Zebulun is located in Sidon
, Lebanon
. In the past, towards the end of Iyyar, Jews from the most distant parts of Palestine
would make a pilgrimage to this tomb.
Some believe the depopulated village of Sabalan
in the District of Safad
was named after Zebulun.
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
, the sixth son of Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
and Leah
Leah
Leah , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is the first of the two concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and mother of six of sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with at least one daughter, Dinah. She is the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom...
, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Zebulun
Tribe of Zebulun
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Zebulun was one of the Tribes of Israel....
. Some Biblical scholars
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
believe this to be an eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite confederation. With Leah as a matriarch, Biblical scholars
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
believe the tribe to have been regarded by the text's authors as a part of the original Israelite confederation.
The name is derived from the Northwest Semitic root zbl, common in 2nd millennium BC Ugaritic texts as an epithet (title) of the god Baal
Baal
Baʿal is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Levant and Asia Minor, cognate to Akkadian Bēlu...
, as well as in Phoenician and (frequently) in biblical Hebrew in personal names.
The text of the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
gives two different etymologies
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
for the name Zebulun, which textual scholars
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
attribute to different sources - one to the Yahwist and the other to the Elohist
Elohist
The Elohist is one of four sources of the Torah described by the Documentary Hypothesis. Its name comes from the term it uses for God: Elohim; it is characterised by, among other things, an abstract view of God, using "Horeb" instead of "Sinai" for the mountain where Moses received the laws of...
; the first being that it derives from zebed, the word for gift, in reference to Leah's view that her gaining of six sons was a gift from God
El (god)
is a Northwest Semitic word meaning "deity", cognate to Akkadian and then to Hebrew : Eli and Arabic )....
; the second being that it derives from yizbeleni, meaning honour, in reference to Leah's hope that Jacob would give her honour now that she had given birth to six sons. In Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
, however an allusion is made to a third potential etymology - that it may be connected with zibhe, literally meaning sacrifice, in reference to commercial activities of the tribe of Zebulun - a commercial agreement made at Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor
-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
between the tribe of Zebulun and a group of non-Israelites was referred to as zibhe-tzedek, literally meaning sacrifice to justice or sacrifice to Tzedek
Tzedek
Tzedek may refer to:* The Hebrew word for righteousness and justice, and a West Semitic theonym, see Tzadik*Tzedek is the name of a UK based charity which aims to provide a Jewish response to the problem of global poverty....
.
The Torah states that Zebulun had three sons - Sered, Elon
Elon
In the Bible, Elon was a Judge of Israel.He followed Ibzan and was succeeded by Abdon. It is said that he was from the Tribe of Zebulun, led Israel for ten years, and was buried in Ajalon in Zebulon .- See also :*Biblical judges*Book of Judges...
, and Jahleel - each the eponymous founder of a clan. Beyond this, there is little other reference to Zebulun.
The Tomb of Zebulun is located in Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. In the past, towards the end of Iyyar, Jews from the most distant parts of Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
would make a pilgrimage to this tomb.
Some believe the depopulated village of Sabalan
Sabalan, Safad
Sabalan was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Safad, located northwest of Safad. It stood at an elevation of above sea level overlooking the Druze village of Hurfeish. In 1945, Sabalan had a population of 70. It was depopulated during the 1948 Palestine War.-History:In the 19th...
in the District of Safad
District of Safad
The District of Safad was an administrative district, situated in the British Mandate of Palestine around the city of Safad. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the district disintegrated.-Depopulated settlements:...
was named after Zebulun.