Joseph, Judah and the ‘Benjamin Conundrum’

This paper analyses Jub. 34:1-9, an extra-biblical account of Jacob and his sons warring against the Amorites. Herein, the Jubilean author portrays Joseph as an exemplary family man who assists his brothers in fighting for and occupying the allotment of Ephraim and Manasseh. While Joseph's portrayal corresponds to the favorable presentation of the patriarchs in Jubilees, it also highlights Israelite solidarity in the face of an enemy attack. Enhancing Jacob-Israel's military prowess, this unity leads the Israelites to victory and thus to inheritance of the land. While these themes appear apposite to the Maccabean period in general, the pericope does not reflect a historical military campaign.

ZDPV (Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins), 2024

In this study, I suggest a new historical scenario concerning the 10th cent. B.C.E. history of Benjamin. Benjamin first enjoyed its independence from its surrounding areas in the late 11th cent. B.C.E.; only a part of Benjamin – south of Gibeon – was affiliated to Jerusalem-Judah during the 10th cent. B.C.E. To propose this hypothesis, I systematically examine the following elements while critically reviewing previous scholarly works and re-examining their argumentations: 1. The Iron Age IB / Iron Age IIA transition period settlement pattern of Benjamin based on archaeology; 2. The archaeology of Jerusalem of the time (Stepped Stone Structure and Large Stone Structure in the city of David and the remains in the Ophel, Giv a¯tı¯ Parking Lot, and Jewish Quarter); 3. The Karnak temple list of Sheshonq I’s march; 4. The relevant Biblical accounts about the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon, as well as the Jeroboam-Rehoboam strife, dating to that period and related to Benjamin. The analysis of 10th cent. B.C.E. Benjamin history demonstrates that both FINKELSTEIN’s argument (the entire area of Benjamin was part of Northern Israel) and NA AMAN/SERGI /NIEMANN’s claim (it was part of Jerusalem-Judah) should be equally criticized.

Boston, Massachusetts : A.A. Beauchamp + The New Alexandria Library of Texas , 1917

This fascinating obscure book offers an in-depth analysis of Biblical prophecies concerning the roles of the tribes of Judah and Joseph in the unfolding narrative of Israel’s destiny. The book explores the promise of “many nations” to Abraham, focusing on the fulfillment of the birthright blessings given to Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and their connection to the rise of prominent Western nations, notably Britain and the United States. The work is divided into three parts: the first examines the birthright promises and their implications for the nations of Israel, the second focuses on the Davidic covenant and the enduring nature of the Davidic throne, and the third reveals the historical and prophetic significance of Israel’s scattered tribes, highlighting the global movement of Israelite descendants, particularly in relation to Anglo-Saxon nations. Allen’s analysis draws on scriptural interpretations, historical events, and genealogical connections to argue that the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant were not only spiritual but also have tangible, national consequences. The book is a foundational text for those interested in the British-Israelism and offers a unique perspective on how prophecy and history are interwoven, presenting a vision of the modern world through the lens of ancient Israel’s promises. CONTENTS Preface ………………………………………. 5 PART FIRST THE BIRTHRIGHT; OR, THE PROMISE OF MANY NATIONS TO ABRAHAM I. Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright ……………… 13 II. Race Versus Grace ………………………………………… 23 III. The Sceptre and the Birthright ………………………….. 36 IV. Jacob's Seed Divided Into Two Kingdoms ……………. 49 V. All Israelites Are Not Jews ……………………………… 62 VI. The Broken Brotherhood ………………………………… 79 VII. Ephraim-Samaria—Israel's Idolatry …………………… 90 VIII. Samaria-Israel Cast Out and Cast Off ……………….. 101 IX. The Jews Go to Babylon and Return ………………….. 112 X. Joseph-Israel Lost ………………………………………….. 125 XI. Joseph-Israel—(Continued) ……………………………… 137 PART SECOND THE SCEPTRE; OR, THE PROMISE OF A PERPETUATED HOUSE, THRONE, AND KINGDOM TO DAVID I. The Sceptre and the Davidic Covenant ………………….. 149 II. Jeremiah's Call and Commission ……………………….. 163 III. The Tearing Down and Rooting Out …………………. 169 IV. Vindication of the Personal Promises of Jeremiah … 183 V. A Royal Remnant That Escapes ………………………… 191 VI. The Prince of the Scarlet Thread ……………………….. 199 VII. The “Prince of the Scarlet Thread” and the Royal Remnant United … 207 PART THIRD THE VEIL LIFTED FROM ABRAHAMIC NATIONS I. Lost Israel and the First Overturn Located ………….. 219 II. Jacob's Pillow-Pillar Stone ………………………………. 230 III. The Other Overturns …………………………………….. 246 IV. Dan—The Serpent's Trail ………………………………… 259 V. Israel in the Isles ………………………………………… 271 VI. A Few More Identities …………………………………… 284 VII. A Study in “Scarlet” …………………………………….. 300 VIII. Egypto-Israelitish and Anglo-Saxon Emblems ……. 314 IX. The Two-Fold Aspect of Prophetic Israel …………….. 333 X. The Coming Exodus ………………………………………. 350 Key Themes and Concepts: • Judah’s Sceptre and the Royal Lineage: • Allen examines the prophecy of Judah’s scepter in Genesis 49:10, which speaks of a line of kings coming from Judah, pointing to the royal lineage of Judah and ultimately the kingship of Christ. The "sceptre" symbolizes authority and kingship, and Allen explores how this prophecy has enduring implications, particularly in the context of the British monarchy, which he believes has inherited this royal right. • Joseph’s Birthright and the Nations of Israel: • The book delves into the blessings given to Joseph in Genesis 48:16, where Jacob (Israel) blesses Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Allen connects these blessings to the rise of powerful nations, particularly Britain and the United States, which he argues to be modern-day descendants of Joseph’s two sons. These blessings are associated with material prosperity and influence among the nations. • Israel's Destiny: • Allen presents the view that the tribes of Israel were scattered, and that many of them became the foundation for European and Western powers. He asserts that the Biblical promises made to Israel regarding greatness and blessings are being fulfilled through the nations descended from Joseph’s line, such as the United States and the British Empire. • British-Israelism: • The book is central to the British-Israelism movement, which posits that the British people, and by extension the English-speaking nations, are the direct descendants of the ancient Israelites. Allen’s interpretation suggests that the promises to the tribes of Israel are not only spiritual but also have physical, national implications, especially for the nations that bear the blessings of Joseph’s sons. Historical Context and Influence: Rev. J.H. Allen’s work was published during the height of the British Empire, and his views were shaped by the belief in the Empire’s divine role in world history and the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy through Britain’s global influence. The book’s popularity grew in Christian circles that supported the idea that the British people had a special role in God's plan due to their supposed connection with the ancient Israelites. TAGS RELATED TO BOOK BELOW: Judah's Sceptre, Joseph's Birthright, Biblical prophecy, British-Israelism, Ephraim, Manasseh, Lost tribes of Israel, Abrahamic covenant, Davidic covenant, Israel’s destiny, Judah’s scepter, Biblical blessings, Anglo-Saxon nations, Biblical history, Scripture interpretation, British monarchy, United States, Israelite heritage, Ancient Israel, Biblical promises, Israelite migration, Biblical prophecy fulfillment, Old Testament, Israel’s future, Royal family of Judah, Twelve Tribes of Israel, Genesis 48, Genesis 49, Messianic prophecy, Modern Israel, Spiritual blessings, Historical theology, Covenant theology, Prophetic interpretation, Israel in the Bible, Jewish history, Christian theology, Messianic lineage, The Davidic throne, Israel's birthright, Lost Israel, Israelite identity, Ephraim-Samaria, Israel’s idolatry, Israel’s exile, Israel’s return from exile, Babylonian captivity, Israel’s scattering, The coming Exodus, Israel’s future restoration, The coming Kingdom, Davidic dynasty, The kingdom of Israel, Israel’s migration, Israel and the nations, Anglo-Israelism, Ephraim and Manasseh, The inheritance of Israel, Promised land, Abraham's descendants, The tribes of Israel, Israel's land promises, Prophetic kingdoms, Israel’s restoration, Biblical genealogies, Israel's rise, Ancient prophecy, The role of Israel in the world, British Empire, United States and Israel, Biblical blessings on nations, Israelite nations, Jacob’s blessing, The prophecy of the scepter, The promise of many nations, Anglo-Saxon roots, Israelite migration theories, The legacy of Judah, God’s promises to Israel, The British throne and Israel, The United States as Israel, The birthright promise, Bible-based nationalism, Jewish-Israelite descent, The Kingdom of Judah, British-Israel movement, Christian Zionism, Prophetic interpretation of the nations, Israel's role in the end times, Royal lineage, Identity of modern Israel, Ancient prophecies in modern times, Identity of the lost tribes, The Davidic line, Anglo-Israel historical claims, Israel’s place in prophecy, Israelite symbolism, Israel and the throne of David, Joseph's prophecy, The throne of David, The Jewish return to Israel, Anglo-Saxon and Jewish links, The scepter of Judah, British-Israel beliefs, The Israelites in Europe, The new Israel, The tribes in the West, Anglo-Saxon nations in prophecy, The future of Israel, Historical connections to Israel, The Israelite diaspora, Prophecy and identity, The Ten Tribes, Abraham's promise to the nations, The kingdom of David restored, Israel's role in God’s plan, The rise of Israelite nations, Prophecy in modern history, Israel and the throne, Israel and the British Empire, Anglo-Saxon Israelite identity, The Israelite covenant today, Israel and global influence, The kingdom of Ephraim, Davidic kingship, Prophetic Israel, Israel’s national identity, The Anglo-Israel movement, The scepter of Israel, The prophecy of Joseph’s sons, British-Israel historical theory, Israel’s future power, Prophetic expectations for Israel, Jacob’s prophecy, The throne of Israel, Israel and the nations of the earth, The lost tribes of Israel’s location, The Anglo-Saxon connection to Israel, The rise of the Israelite nations, The influence of Israel, Ancient Israel’s legacy, Prophetic Israel and the Western nations, Israel's end-times role, Restoration of the tribes, Prophetic significance of Israel.

The biblical accounts in 1Kgs 11:26-40 and 12:1-20 are in all likelihood no historical portrayal of the foundation of the kingdom of Israel. But when and to what end were the kingdom’s origins presented this way? Based on the reconstruction of a pre-deuteronomistic base layer, the paper focuses on the textual pragmatics and historical settings of 1Kgs 11-12. It shows that not only Jeroboam was originally introduced in a favourable light, but the separation of the Israelite tribes from Judah was also presented as a justified and consequent step prompted by Rehoboam’s pretension and bad governance. At the same time, the depiction of Jeroboam which models him as a second David reveals a high degree of veneration for David. The latter is in keeping with the manner the origins of the Northern kingdom are described – not as a glorious founding myth but rather with an legitimatory and almost apologetic tone. The narrative profile, literary stratigraphy, and textual pragmatics of the texts point to a Northern Israelite setting and a date before the end of the Northern kingdom in 720 BCE. Insights into the pragmatics and literary history of the texts also shed light on the development of the peculiar addition within 1Kgs 11:26-40 which implies that ten tribes for Jeroboam and one tribe for Rehoboam resemble twelve pieces of Ahijah’s garment.

Biblica, 2022

Observing historical (or historiographical) and geographical features, this paper demonstrates that Gen 35,16-21 is composed of an original story in vv. 16-19a.20-21 and a later insertion in v. 19b. Synthesizing textual analysis and archaeological observations of the occupation profiles of the pertinent sites leads to the conclusion that the sixth-century story in Gen 35,16-19a.20-21 locates Benjamin’s nativity and Rachel’s sepulcher within the Benjamin area and refers to Migdar-‘eder rather than to Jerusalem because the land of Benjamin had flourished while Jerusalem was greatly diminished. The article also argues that verse 19b echoes the mid-Persian period setting when Jerusalem was only a small cultic center, whereas Ramat-Rachel continued to thrive instead of Mizpah, and the Benjaminites resettled in Yehud.

AIL 40, 2020

An edited volume (eds. J. Krause, O. Sergi and K. Weingart). The essays collected in this volume reflect on many aspects of the early Israelite monarchy: state formation, local and collective identities, southern Canaan in the Iron I–IIA, the composition and redaction of the literary traditions about Saul and David, and the historical value of these traditions.

2019

Jacob's Initiation Story: A Judahite Late-Monarchical Composition, 2021

The article suggests that the unified Jacob-Esau-Laban story in Genesis 25, 27–33* was composed in Judah in the late monarchical period. The two ethnic groups that took part in the plot are the Edomites of the Negev and Mount Seir and the Arameans of the Harran region. The selection of these ethnic groups is deliberate, as the relations with both of them were particularly relevant for the author and his audience. Isaac and Jacob are presented in the story-cycle as the ancestors of ‘Biblical Israel’, and the story-cycle was probably composed in writing in the late monarchical period, either at the royal court of Jerusalem or at the temple. The narrative might be considered an initiation story, and the literary element that unifies the plot is that of Jacob’s gradual development of the skills of a trickster.

This book examines the origins of the people called "Israel" in light of the body of traditions transmitted in the kingdom of the same name. In particular, Fleming focuses on these traditions as found in the Primary History extending from Genesis through 2 Kings in the biblical canon. Though these books received much of their present form at the hands of Judahite scribes in the late monarchic and exilic periods, Fleming shows that it is nevertheless possible to isolate a tentative repertoire of Israel traditions that can then be compared with external sources of historical evidence. These traditions, so the author argues, originated in a society that preserved many points of continuity with the situation of Israel in the premonarchical period and even with the pastoral peoples of the region from times before Israel.

This article explores one point of contrast between the characterizations of Benjamin-Judah relations in the DtrH and Chronicles. The argument is that the Deuteronomist offers a stereotype of Benjaminite “special forces,” which the Chronicler then co-opts in service of his own agenda. The remarkable aspect of this cooption is that the Chronicler does not retain or adapt any of the Deuteronomistic material that contributes to this Benjaminite stereotype, only the stereotype itself—i.e., the stereotype only manifests itself in the Sondergut material. The article suggests that the Chronicler repurposes the stereotype in service of a conciliatory agenda: the reincorporation of wealthy Benjaminites into the Jerusalem temple’s sphere of influence. The irony of “Benjaminite” left-handedness is not a new observation; this essay suggests that they should be linked to the motif of “skill with long-distance weapons.” The two motifs are linked in three ways: 1) in practice, they represent a deviation from “regular” hand-to-hand warfare; 2) they overlap within the narratives; and 3) both are specifically linked to Benjaminites— left-handedness by the irony of the name, and long-distance weaponry by the fact that Benjaminites are characterized uniquely among the tribes by that skill (i.e., whenever Benjaminites are noted in a tribal list as having skill with the sling or bow, they are the only tribe that possesses that skill).