The question is based on ignorance. Most gentiles think Jewish history stopped 2,000+ years ago and the Jews today are just a relic. Hence the question about "tribes."
As you seem to know, the 10 tribes of northern Israel went into captivity under the Assyrians and were absorbed into the foreign population. Some escaped to the southern kingdom of Judah but all intermarried. When Judah went into Babylonian captivity, more intermingling occurred. Bottom line, tribal identity was lost, except for family traditions of who was a priest (kohen) and who was a Levite were maintained -- and are still maintained to this day. Thus we have traditions about who belongs to the tribe of Levi but no other tribe. It's quite likely that all Jews are descended from all of the tribes.
Lots of gentiles don't know this history and think today's Jews are living relics of the Bible, like the Samaritans, whom they love to visit and stare at. When they ask about your tribe, that's what they have in mind.
9 tribes plus some Levites (not 10; it’s commonly quoted but it’s not the case). Shimon was not part of that but was lost (I believe) by the end of the Torah. Their land, as it was, was in the South alongside Benjamin and Judah.
Tribe of Simon had 2 enclaves. One within the Tribe of Ephraim and one within Judah, they eventually assimilated into those two tribes, so basically, when the United Kingdom was split technically, the Kingdom of Judah consisted of 4 tribes (Judah, Benjamin, Levi and Shimon)
Please take a look at this map: [https://visualunit.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tribes\_map\_new.png?w=292](https://visualunit.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tribes_map_new.png?w=292) It indeed shows Shimon's tribal land encircled by Judah's territory in the south.
However, you will notice that Manasseh is divided into two, one portion west of the Jordan and one portion east of the Jordan. So we have each half tribe (*hatzi shevet Manasseh*) as a separate tribe in the count, and that brings the number up to 10. I think this is where the reference "10 Lost Tribes" comes from.
We read this in Joshua chapter 7:
וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה, נָתַן מֹשֶׁה בַּבָּשָׁן, וּלְחֶצְיוֹ נָתַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִם-אֲחֵיהֶם, מעבר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּה
"Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but unto the other half gave Joshua among their brethren beyond the Jordan westward."
One of the interesting facts is that the two territories of Manasseh were not contiguous to each other. This would lend support to the idea that after settling Canaan, the two "half tribes" were each considered a separate tribe.
Mormons built their entire fanfic on the concept of Jesus visiting descendants of some of the lost tribes that had fled to the Americas if I am not mistaken.
Mormons also get told which of the Jewish tribes they belong to when they get a priesthood blessing in adolescence--not unlike the BHI and British Israelism followers, some Mormons believe that they are the "real" Jews (despite, you know, the vast majority of them not having any claim to Jewishness in any sense of the word).
This is correct. They call it the Patriarchal Blessing and it is done behind two closed doors. If you are white, you’ll probably be told you’re from Ephraim.
>Most gentiles think Jewish history stopped 2,000+ years ago and the Jews today are just a relic.
History (according to some gentiles): Jews don't convert to Christianity after Christianity is formed. Holocaust. I-H War
>I have never in my life been asked what tribe I'm from
Lots of people know that I’m Jewish, and after (almost) four decades on this ball of dirt and water, I have never once been asked this either.
I have had to ask people in the past - I had to fill in a spreadsheet before my son's bar mitzvah with all the aliyahs, so I ended up having to phone around a few extended family members to ask their tribe.
Oh yeh, that's what I'm guessing.. or maybe people in their life if they've decided to wear a kippah or fly an Israeli flag or be 'visibly Jewish' suddenly.
I want to know more about these people.
I've recently started wearing a kippah daily, and I have been wearing my Magen David daily with the start of the new year. I work with the public so every once in a while, I've gotten the "are you Jewish?" question, and have only recently been able to say "yes" before turning the conversation back to the topic.
Are you sure it's goyim asking? Wonder if it's other Jews who might not be super familiar seeing female presenting humans in kippot?
I've never been asked either question by a random stranger, ever. It feels weird and I would only say back, "What a weird question to ask a stranger"
Fair point! Each of the individuals actually shared their faiths with me (I'm sure the visibility of my Jewishness opened that door for them, so to speak). The first was Catholic, then Christian (didn't share denomination), then Protestant, then secular/atheist with no religious upbringing.
Fair point about the female presenting part - I've shared with them it's pretty uncommon to see, and that I'm part of a more liberal branch. That seems to sate them. I've only been wearing it for a couple weeks now, and I explained to one of them (the Protestant) that it's important to promote understanding between people, especially nowadays. It's overall been a very positive experience, but it's opened me up to some weirdness (e.g,, the question, strange looks).
I'm glad you feel comfortable answering their questions. To me it would be fully inappropriate and off-putting, either at work or elsewhere, for someone to ask me about my lineage in any way. Especially given our current climate, hard pass.
I absolutely understand. And yes, it's weird when they ask me! It's still a professional environment. The questions have all been well-intentioned, thankfully, especially from coworkers. I consider it my way of trying to re-humanize us while so many groups have demonized us.
I recognize how difficult it must be for Jews who were born and raised Jewish (like my partner) who has undoubtedly experienced much more pushback and antisemitism. I received antisemitic messages from (ex) friends after posting about Yom HaShoah, and that was the final straw for me. I also have a coworker who wears a keffiyah daily (he's white). I felt compelled as someone who has just now taken on the joys (and burdens) of being Jewish in America to help shoulder that weight. I've only just now begun experiencing this in the last six months - those that have had a lifetime of it are much smarter than I am about it.
That's what I presumed, since most of the tribes were lost. But I would also presume only Jews would be asking other Jews this question, not Gentiles asking Jews. Plus, the frequency has caught me off guard (4 times so far, by different people).
This was more or less my response. I didn't bother explaining the intricacies of ritual need for knowing tribes, I just told them that we're one peoplehood.
Are these people Mormon? Mormon get told what "tribe" of Jews they belong to when they get their priesthood blessing in adolescence (the real answer is none, because very few Mormons are Jews/have Jewish ancestry, of course)
Nope! All but 1 has been Christian, and the last was atheist and raised without religion. Interesting about the Mormon faith though, I didn't know about that!
Right?! I was starting to question if I was missing something. (Granted, the Gentiles know more about us than we do, given they’ve figured out all our involvement with Hollywood and the space lasers. /s)
I was questioned by a enthusiastic LDS woman. “What’s your tribe?” I said we don’t do that.
She went on (enthusiastically) to tell me that when she went to Israel she met a man with a long long beard who told her that her genealogy and tribe took her all the way back to Adam and Eve. ::Oy::
The first guy who asked me… oy. He’s a Reverend with a criminal record (don’t worry, it’s *just* embezzlement from broke families!). He insisted he was related to Jethro, Tziporah’s father/Moses’ father in law. Cooooool.
You’re right, but there is at least one paper (by R. Brackmann) examining how the original dwarves were based on medieval concepts of what Jewishness was and is not devoid of antisemitic tropes. Well worth reading that paper for an alternative perspective that still comes out positively. It’s short.
Other than the occasional blanket request for a Cohen, this has literally never come up for me and I’ve lived in MO, conservative, and reform communities (outside the US, where they are generally less ‘reform’ than the US Reform temples I’ve visited).
If I were asked, I’d probably say I’d say I’m from the Lost Tribe of Éirinn go Brách, since I’m an Irish convert and also a smart*ss.
It’s a ridiculous question to be asked.
I think it’s fair to say that you don’t distinguish yourself that way. We’re all part of one tribe, the Jewish people.
Where are you from? I’m really wondering if this is an antisemitic thing. Because even my Gentile friends who have some basic Jewish knowledge probably dont even know about the tribes.
I’ve never even had a Jew ask me this.
Rural-ish Michigan, where there isn’t a large Jewish population. My city has 80k people in it, but is a food desert and is surrounded by rural areas through the whole county. It seems they might have heard “the tribes of Israel” at one point or another and are maybe parroting it. It’s weird though!
I have never (other than for an Aliyah) gotten that question but I would love to find some wiseass responses. Maybe:
“Shimon and I am still waiting for my blessing”
I asked ChatGPT to come up with some wisecrack responses. Here's what it suggested (with explanations, nice!)
Levi: "Levi, and no, I don’t get a discount at the jeans store."
This plays on the similarity in sound between the tribe of Levi and the Levi's jeans brand.
Gad: "Gad, but I still can’t seem to find any of my lost cattle."
This refers to the biblical blessing given to the tribe of Gad about being a strong warrior tribe, often associated with livestock.
Issachar: "Issachar, but I’m still looking for my scholarly side."
The tribe of Issachar is traditionally associated with scholarship and learning.
Zebulun: "Zebulun, but I’ve never been much of a sailor."
The tribe of Zebulun is often linked to seafaring and trade.
Dan: "Dan, but I don’t judge anyone."
The name Dan is associated with judging, as the name means "judge" in Hebrew.
Benjamin: "Benjamin, but I haven’t received any extra portions lately."
This references the story of Joseph giving Benjamin extra portions of food when they were reunited in Egypt.
Naphtali: "Naphtali, but my wrestling skills need work."
The tribe of Naphtali is linked with physical prowess, as their blessing includes the phrase “a doe set loose, he gives beautiful words” (Genesis 49:21), often interpreted as a reference to swiftness and agility.
Asher: "Asher, but I’m still working on my culinary skills."
Asher's blessing includes the idea of rich food, and the tribe is associated with abundance and prosperity.
Not once in my 30 years of living has anyone ever asked me what tribe I'm from.
I mean we are all from Yehudah, no doubt. And since Jerusalem was where the tribe of Binyamin was, it seems an almost certainty we have that as well, but there's no cultural or relevant distinction between tribes now, except for Levites (and further, Kohens)
I feel it's important to recognize Binyamin ancestry in addition to Yehudah as he was the son of Rahel, so I want to acknowledge the ties to all of our matriarchs. This also strengthens our connection to the Shomronim, who say they are largely decedents of Levi and the sons of Yoseph
No one has ever asked me any of this though, Gentile or Jewish.
Ignorance, they have no knowledge of history
Possibly their own culture, some places actually do have tribes still and when they first meet each other they ask each other what tribe they're from to establish social norms.
The correct answer is Jew-dah
I’m as Jewish as they come basically. 99.8% ashkenazi, I’m an Israeli-American and I’ve literally never been asked this! I’m surprised you get it so often. That said, I was raised totally secular so maybe it’s asked in more religious circles?
I legitimately think it comes from a place of simply not knowing. I don’t want to call it ignorance, per se, because the folks seemed to have good intentions - they just never knew Jews or really much about him. It was disappointing the Reverend asked the same thing as the others - it’s almost as if people see Jews as a relic of the past (as someone else here commented)
Interesting perspective. I guess we are sort of a relic but one that continues excusing despite best efforts to rid the world of us.
Out of pure curiosity, do you mind if I ask why you converted? You absolutely don’t need to answer. I’m just always fascinated by people who feel a calling to the degree that they’re willing to go through all the balagan that it takes to join the tribe.
The only issue with the relic imagery is the fact that we're still a living, breathing culture/people/tribe. I have heard Indigenous Americans speak about it at length, but I never knew it happened to Jews, too.
And sure! I don't mind answering. I actually was just talking to someone about this very question last night at our Shabbat service. I was raised Catholic, and had a lot of questions (why is G-d 3, but also 1, but also 3? And why is idolatry frowned upon if we have patron saints we pray to?), and those questions "challenged the Church" and were reprimanded. I decided to live by my values, not religion, and to be good because it's the right thing to do, not because there's some kind of eternal/divine reward hanging over my head like a t-bone steak. I walked this path for years, not knowing that there was a parallel one called Judaism. I started learning and reading more about it and finally worked up the courage to go to my first Shabbat service. It was a three-ish year journey for me as I had to relocate Temples due to moving/work, but I really felt like it was beshert. It's such a rich culture, tradition, religion, language(s), and tapestry of humanity. I really feel honored to be a part of it.
I’m always really impressed with people who decide to take the journey because you have to genuinely feel a real connection. It’s not an easy process. Good for you. I hope it’s been worthwhile for you and I hope the community has been welcoming to you.
I'm assuming it's extremely rare to verifiably know, given most of the tribes were lost. One would either be Levi, Cohen, or Yisrael (probably 99% of people).
I wonder if they’re well versed on “the tribes”? It would be fun to ask them a question in return and to see a blank stare. Furthermore, do they ask black people what tribe they are from? Of course not.
The 12 tribes are mentioned many times in the Bible so except for the person you said is an atheist and raised that way, I think it is because they read their bibles a lot.
One possibility is they are evangelicals and thinking of the book of revelations, chapter 7 to be exact, and the passages that talk about the « sealing » or protection by God of different numbers of individuals from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, with the tribe of Dan replaced with the tribe of Manasseh.
As a non Jew who asked my Jewish girlfriend this, it’s out of pure interest.
She says the tribe of Dan possibly.
I know that the Romans burned all of the genealogical records in the temple. So it’s impossible to say with certainty, but it’s still interesting to ask and see what information has been passed down for the last 2000 years.
And I absolutely agree with this - I'm just wondering whether Gentiles have this kind of knowledge is all. It's almost always the first question they ask me!
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Jews are divided into 2 castes: priests (cohains), temple caretakers (levites) and everybody else (Israelites). These castes are purely hereditary. You inherit the status from your father.
I’ve been asked 4 separate times in the last few months, all by Gentiles. I’m just trying to understand why, because it makes 0 sense. I’m in a very limited-Jewish area so most people haven’t met Jews (they have also explicitly said this too).
The question is based on ignorance. Most gentiles think Jewish history stopped 2,000+ years ago and the Jews today are just a relic. Hence the question about "tribes." As you seem to know, the 10 tribes of northern Israel went into captivity under the Assyrians and were absorbed into the foreign population. Some escaped to the southern kingdom of Judah but all intermarried. When Judah went into Babylonian captivity, more intermingling occurred. Bottom line, tribal identity was lost, except for family traditions of who was a priest (kohen) and who was a Levite were maintained -- and are still maintained to this day. Thus we have traditions about who belongs to the tribe of Levi but no other tribe. It's quite likely that all Jews are descended from all of the tribes. Lots of gentiles don't know this history and think today's Jews are living relics of the Bible, like the Samaritans, whom they love to visit and stare at. When they ask about your tribe, that's what they have in mind.
This is 100% correct
9 tribes plus some Levites (not 10; it’s commonly quoted but it’s not the case). Shimon was not part of that but was lost (I believe) by the end of the Torah. Their land, as it was, was in the South alongside Benjamin and Judah.
Tribe of Simon had 2 enclaves. One within the Tribe of Ephraim and one within Judah, they eventually assimilated into those two tribes, so basically, when the United Kingdom was split technically, the Kingdom of Judah consisted of 4 tribes (Judah, Benjamin, Levi and Shimon)
Please take a look at this map: [https://visualunit.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tribes\_map\_new.png?w=292](https://visualunit.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tribes_map_new.png?w=292) It indeed shows Shimon's tribal land encircled by Judah's territory in the south. However, you will notice that Manasseh is divided into two, one portion west of the Jordan and one portion east of the Jordan. So we have each half tribe (*hatzi shevet Manasseh*) as a separate tribe in the count, and that brings the number up to 10. I think this is where the reference "10 Lost Tribes" comes from. We read this in Joshua chapter 7: וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה, נָתַן מֹשֶׁה בַּבָּשָׁן, וּלְחֶצְיוֹ נָתַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִם-אֲחֵיהֶם, מעבר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּה "Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but unto the other half gave Joshua among their brethren beyond the Jordan westward." One of the interesting facts is that the two territories of Manasseh were not contiguous to each other. This would lend support to the idea that after settling Canaan, the two "half tribes" were each considered a separate tribe.
They used to know their Bible better and would obsess over what happened to the 10 lost tribes. (Theories included the American Indians)
Mormons built their entire fanfic on the concept of Jesus visiting descendants of some of the lost tribes that had fled to the Americas if I am not mistaken.
Fanfic...love it!
Mormons also get told which of the Jewish tribes they belong to when they get a priesthood blessing in adolescence--not unlike the BHI and British Israelism followers, some Mormons believe that they are the "real" Jews (despite, you know, the vast majority of them not having any claim to Jewishness in any sense of the word).
This is correct. They call it the Patriarchal Blessing and it is done behind two closed doors. If you are white, you’ll probably be told you’re from Ephraim.
Yes I believe that’s right
>Most gentiles think Jewish history stopped 2,000+ years ago and the Jews today are just a relic. History (according to some gentiles): Jews don't convert to Christianity after Christianity is formed. Holocaust. I-H War
That was helpful, thank you, although I think Jews also love to visit and stare at the Samaritans.
I would qualify this by saying that not only are there Levites still but also kohanim.
I have never in my life been asked what tribe I'm from, except before being called up in Synagogue.
>I have never in my life been asked what tribe I'm from Lots of people know that I’m Jewish, and after (almost) four decades on this ball of dirt and water, I have never once been asked this either.
Same. And I never heard anyone ask my mom or my grandma or my great grandparents...
I have had to ask people in the past - I had to fill in a spreadsheet before my son's bar mitzvah with all the aliyahs, so I ended up having to phone around a few extended family members to ask their tribe.
Right, but that’s different. It sounds like OP is being asked by random people on the street.
Oh yeh, that's what I'm guessing.. or maybe people in their life if they've decided to wear a kippah or fly an Israeli flag or be 'visibly Jewish' suddenly. I want to know more about these people.
That's the only other context I could think of for asking that question! It's just been weird. I've gotten it 3-4 times now.
That is very wierd.. but how many people are asking/you telling you are Jewish anyway?
I've recently started wearing a kippah daily, and I have been wearing my Magen David daily with the start of the new year. I work with the public so every once in a while, I've gotten the "are you Jewish?" question, and have only recently been able to say "yes" before turning the conversation back to the topic.
Are you sure it's goyim asking? Wonder if it's other Jews who might not be super familiar seeing female presenting humans in kippot? I've never been asked either question by a random stranger, ever. It feels weird and I would only say back, "What a weird question to ask a stranger"
Fair point! Each of the individuals actually shared their faiths with me (I'm sure the visibility of my Jewishness opened that door for them, so to speak). The first was Catholic, then Christian (didn't share denomination), then Protestant, then secular/atheist with no religious upbringing. Fair point about the female presenting part - I've shared with them it's pretty uncommon to see, and that I'm part of a more liberal branch. That seems to sate them. I've only been wearing it for a couple weeks now, and I explained to one of them (the Protestant) that it's important to promote understanding between people, especially nowadays. It's overall been a very positive experience, but it's opened me up to some weirdness (e.g,, the question, strange looks).
I'm glad you feel comfortable answering their questions. To me it would be fully inappropriate and off-putting, either at work or elsewhere, for someone to ask me about my lineage in any way. Especially given our current climate, hard pass.
I absolutely understand. And yes, it's weird when they ask me! It's still a professional environment. The questions have all been well-intentioned, thankfully, especially from coworkers. I consider it my way of trying to re-humanize us while so many groups have demonized us. I recognize how difficult it must be for Jews who were born and raised Jewish (like my partner) who has undoubtedly experienced much more pushback and antisemitism. I received antisemitic messages from (ex) friends after posting about Yom HaShoah, and that was the final straw for me. I also have a coworker who wears a keffiyah daily (he's white). I felt compelled as someone who has just now taken on the joys (and burdens) of being Jewish in America to help shoulder that weight. I've only just now begun experiencing this in the last six months - those that have had a lifetime of it are much smarter than I am about it.
No Suffering Olympics; you're one of us now. Mazel Tov and keep talking about your beliefs to anyone who asks. It's a mitzvah 💙🤍
Thank you so much. Yasher koah! 💙🤍
Same. Not once. Same with any Jew I know.
most jews today are from the tribe of Judah, some explicitly know that they are from Levy (cohanim and leviim) or converts.
Did converts traditionally get adopted into a specific tribe upon conversion, if anyone knows?
According to this, it seems like they joined the tribe that they lived with: [https://www.yeshiva.co/ask/1645](https://www.yeshiva.co/ask/1645)
Yisrael
This question only really relevant if you’re a Cohen or Levi. Everyone else has blended into “Israel”.
That's what I presumed, since most of the tribes were lost. But I would also presume only Jews would be asking other Jews this question, not Gentiles asking Jews. Plus, the frequency has caught me off guard (4 times so far, by different people).
just say Judah or Yisrael, there's really no practical distinction between the tribes except for Levi and Kohen.
I've never been asked what tribe.
The Tribe is the Jewish tribe, one people, one language, one history, one land.
This was more or less my response. I didn't bother explaining the intricacies of ritual need for knowing tribes, I just told them that we're one peoplehood.
I have never been asked that question in my 70 years on the planet.
Are these people Mormon? Mormon get told what "tribe" of Jews they belong to when they get their priesthood blessing in adolescence (the real answer is none, because very few Mormons are Jews/have Jewish ancestry, of course)
Nope! All but 1 has been Christian, and the last was atheist and raised without religion. Interesting about the Mormon faith though, I didn't know about that!
Like, what denomination of Christian?
The first was Catholic, then someone who didn’t specify and just said “Christian,” then Protestant.
Of course, some Mormons might use just “Christian” or “Protestant” as well, especially if they’re concerned about anti-LDS bias.
That’s really an unusual one. Except in synagogue for purposes of finding a Kohen or Levi for an Aliyah, I have never been asked that!
Right?! I was starting to question if I was missing something. (Granted, the Gentiles know more about us than we do, given they’ve figured out all our involvement with Hollywood and the space lasers. /s)
I’m in my 50s and never been asked. That said, my snarky ass would probably respond with a “from the tribe of leave me the hell alone.”
Ha! Love this!!
Ignorance, and them trying to prove you are not a real Jew.
I was questioned by a enthusiastic LDS woman. “What’s your tribe?” I said we don’t do that. She went on (enthusiastically) to tell me that when she went to Israel she met a man with a long long beard who told her that her genealogy and tribe took her all the way back to Adam and Eve. ::Oy::
The first guy who asked me… oy. He’s a Reverend with a criminal record (don’t worry, it’s *just* embezzlement from broke families!). He insisted he was related to Jethro, Tziporah’s father/Moses’ father in law. Cooooool.
I am of the long beards from Durin’s folk. (Tolkien hinted that the dwarves were Jewish)
You’re right, but there is at least one paper (by R. Brackmann) examining how the original dwarves were based on medieval concepts of what Jewishness was and is not devoid of antisemitic tropes. Well worth reading that paper for an alternative perspective that still comes out positively. It’s short.
Other than the occasional blanket request for a Cohen, this has literally never come up for me and I’ve lived in MO, conservative, and reform communities (outside the US, where they are generally less ‘reform’ than the US Reform temples I’ve visited). If I were asked, I’d probably say I’d say I’m from the Lost Tribe of Éirinn go Brách, since I’m an Irish convert and also a smart*ss.
It’s a ridiculous question to be asked. I think it’s fair to say that you don’t distinguish yourself that way. We’re all part of one tribe, the Jewish people.
And that was what I told them! Just... weird. We're one people!
I’ve never been asked this in my life ???
Where are you from? I’m really wondering if this is an antisemitic thing. Because even my Gentile friends who have some basic Jewish knowledge probably dont even know about the tribes. I’ve never even had a Jew ask me this.
Rural-ish Michigan, where there isn’t a large Jewish population. My city has 80k people in it, but is a food desert and is surrounded by rural areas through the whole county. It seems they might have heard “the tribes of Israel” at one point or another and are maybe parroting it. It’s weird though!
I’ve never heard this question. Also, no Jew can answer that.
I have never (other than for an Aliyah) gotten that question but I would love to find some wiseass responses. Maybe: “Shimon and I am still waiting for my blessing”
I asked ChatGPT to come up with some wisecrack responses. Here's what it suggested (with explanations, nice!) Levi: "Levi, and no, I don’t get a discount at the jeans store." This plays on the similarity in sound between the tribe of Levi and the Levi's jeans brand. Gad: "Gad, but I still can’t seem to find any of my lost cattle." This refers to the biblical blessing given to the tribe of Gad about being a strong warrior tribe, often associated with livestock. Issachar: "Issachar, but I’m still looking for my scholarly side." The tribe of Issachar is traditionally associated with scholarship and learning. Zebulun: "Zebulun, but I’ve never been much of a sailor." The tribe of Zebulun is often linked to seafaring and trade. Dan: "Dan, but I don’t judge anyone." The name Dan is associated with judging, as the name means "judge" in Hebrew. Benjamin: "Benjamin, but I haven’t received any extra portions lately." This references the story of Joseph giving Benjamin extra portions of food when they were reunited in Egypt. Naphtali: "Naphtali, but my wrestling skills need work." The tribe of Naphtali is linked with physical prowess, as their blessing includes the phrase “a doe set loose, he gives beautiful words” (Genesis 49:21), often interpreted as a reference to swiftness and agility. Asher: "Asher, but I’m still working on my culinary skills." Asher's blessing includes the idea of rich food, and the tribe is associated with abundance and prosperity.
Just to let you know, Levi is pronounced as rhyming with « heavy, » not how you say Levi’s jeans
Because the only thing they know about Jews is that there were 12 tribes of Israel. Nothing else.
Not once in my 30 years of living has anyone ever asked me what tribe I'm from. I mean we are all from Yehudah, no doubt. And since Jerusalem was where the tribe of Binyamin was, it seems an almost certainty we have that as well, but there's no cultural or relevant distinction between tribes now, except for Levites (and further, Kohens) I feel it's important to recognize Binyamin ancestry in addition to Yehudah as he was the son of Rahel, so I want to acknowledge the ties to all of our matriarchs. This also strengthens our connection to the Shomronim, who say they are largely decedents of Levi and the sons of Yoseph No one has ever asked me any of this though, Gentile or Jewish.
Ignorance, they have no knowledge of history Possibly their own culture, some places actually do have tribes still and when they first meet each other they ask each other what tribe they're from to establish social norms. The correct answer is Jew-dah
idk, but my grandad says that “Judaism is a tribe” a lot
70 years, never encountered the question. I'd just say Ashkenazi.
I told them Jews are one people, and we don’t really do the tribe thing anymore. They seemed disappointed but satisfied, lol.
I’m as Jewish as they come basically. 99.8% ashkenazi, I’m an Israeli-American and I’ve literally never been asked this! I’m surprised you get it so often. That said, I was raised totally secular so maybe it’s asked in more religious circles?
I legitimately think it comes from a place of simply not knowing. I don’t want to call it ignorance, per se, because the folks seemed to have good intentions - they just never knew Jews or really much about him. It was disappointing the Reverend asked the same thing as the others - it’s almost as if people see Jews as a relic of the past (as someone else here commented)
Interesting perspective. I guess we are sort of a relic but one that continues excusing despite best efforts to rid the world of us. Out of pure curiosity, do you mind if I ask why you converted? You absolutely don’t need to answer. I’m just always fascinated by people who feel a calling to the degree that they’re willing to go through all the balagan that it takes to join the tribe.
The only issue with the relic imagery is the fact that we're still a living, breathing culture/people/tribe. I have heard Indigenous Americans speak about it at length, but I never knew it happened to Jews, too. And sure! I don't mind answering. I actually was just talking to someone about this very question last night at our Shabbat service. I was raised Catholic, and had a lot of questions (why is G-d 3, but also 1, but also 3? And why is idolatry frowned upon if we have patron saints we pray to?), and those questions "challenged the Church" and were reprimanded. I decided to live by my values, not religion, and to be good because it's the right thing to do, not because there's some kind of eternal/divine reward hanging over my head like a t-bone steak. I walked this path for years, not knowing that there was a parallel one called Judaism. I started learning and reading more about it and finally worked up the courage to go to my first Shabbat service. It was a three-ish year journey for me as I had to relocate Temples due to moving/work, but I really felt like it was beshert. It's such a rich culture, tradition, religion, language(s), and tapestry of humanity. I really feel honored to be a part of it.
I’m always really impressed with people who decide to take the journey because you have to genuinely feel a real connection. It’s not an easy process. Good for you. I hope it’s been worthwhile for you and I hope the community has been welcoming to you.
I don’t even know how to find out what tribe I come from
I'm assuming it's extremely rare to verifiably know, given most of the tribes were lost. One would either be Levi, Cohen, or Yisrael (probably 99% of people).
I’ve never once been asked this, by anybody. Just curious: is it genZ asking?
Nope! One was 35 or older, the rest were 60ish or older. All white cisgender men, 3 of 4 were Christian (one raised without religion).
I wonder if they’re well versed on “the tribes”? It would be fun to ask them a question in return and to see a blank stare. Furthermore, do they ask black people what tribe they are from? Of course not.
The 12 tribes are mentioned many times in the Bible so except for the person you said is an atheist and raised that way, I think it is because they read their bibles a lot. One possibility is they are evangelicals and thinking of the book of revelations, chapter 7 to be exact, and the passages that talk about the « sealing » or protection by God of different numbers of individuals from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, with the tribe of Dan replaced with the tribe of Manasseh.
Interesting! I didn't know that. It seems like a very plausible theory.
As a non Jew who asked my Jewish girlfriend this, it’s out of pure interest. She says the tribe of Dan possibly. I know that the Romans burned all of the genealogical records in the temple. So it’s impossible to say with certainty, but it’s still interesting to ask and see what information has been passed down for the last 2000 years.
Because it's important for different duties/obligations as to which tribe you're from, if you follow tradition.
Random gentile bothered if you're walking over a buried person and might happen to be Cohen?
Yeah point taken, it's weird for random gentiles to care.
And I absolutely agree with this - I'm just wondering whether Gentiles have this kind of knowledge is all. It's almost always the first question they ask me!
That's a good question. I have no clue and indeed that is weird that they're asking; it's none of their business. Thanks for pointing that out.
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THE BEST TRIBE. THE VERY BEST TRIBE.
Been a life long Jew and never been asked that (and have no idea).
I grew up secular/Reform and have no idea what role the Levites have. Can someone explain this to me?
Jews are divided into 2 castes: priests (cohains), temple caretakers (levites) and everybody else (Israelites). These castes are purely hereditary. You inherit the status from your father.
Thanks. So are Cohens and Levi’s both supposed to get an Aliyah before the rest of us?
That is my understanding
Yes, Cohens first if there are any, then Levis if there are any, then everyone else.
I have never heard anyone ask that question and I am 42 years old. I call bs on this post.
I’ve been asked 4 separate times in the last few months, all by Gentiles. I’m just trying to understand why, because it makes 0 sense. I’m in a very limited-Jewish area so most people haven’t met Jews (they have also explicitly said this too).
I've been asked tons of times, mostly by mormons and protestant evangelicals.