The Twelve Tribes of Israel

Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 7:30 pm at B’nai Israel Congregation
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
Andrew Tobolowsky – William & Mary

The twelve tribes of Israel are the indisputable centerpiece of the Hebrew Bible’s visions of Israelite identity, and the main protagonist of the biblical visions of history. They are, also, the main way the Hebrew Bible accounts for the unity of the historically and politically distinct kingdoms of Israel and Judah from the very beginning, right through the bitter end of their conquest and destruction.

But what do we really know about the actual history of Israel’s tribes? What do we know about the historical development of the biblical vision of the twelve, in its various forms? This talk offers a new look at the evidence, with some startling new conclusions.