Joshua 18:11-19:48
The first allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. It lay between the territory assigned to the tribes of Judah and Joseph.The northern boundary of Benjamin’s land began at the Jordan River, went north of the slope of Jericho, then west through the hill country and the wilderness of Beth aven.From there the boundary went south to Luz( that is, Bethel) and proceeded down to Ataroth addar on the hill that lies south of Lower Beth horon.The boundary then made a turn and swung south along the western edge of the hill facing Beth horon, ending at the village of Kiriath baal( that is, Kiriath jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath jearim. From that western point it ran to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,and down to the base of the mountain beside the valley of Ben Hinnom, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. From there it went down the valley of Hinnom, crossing south of the slope where the Jebusites lived, and continued down to En rogel.From En rogel the boundary proceeded in a northerly direction and came to En shemesh and on to Geliloth( which is across from the slopes of Adummim). Then it went down to the Stone of Bohan.( Bohan was Reuben’s son.)From there it passed along the north side of the slope overlooking the Jordan Valley. The border then went down into the valley,ran past the north slope of Beth hoglah, and ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea, which is the southern end of the Jordan River. This was the southern boundary.The eastern boundary was the Jordan River. These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.These were the towns given to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Jericho, Beth hoglah, Emek keziz,Beth arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,Kephar ammoni, Ophni, and Geba— twelve towns with their surrounding villages.Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,Zela, Haeleph, the Jebusite town( that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath jearim— fourteen towns with their surrounding villages. This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah’s territory.Simeon’s homeland included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,Hazar shual, Balah, Ezem,Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,Ziklag, Beth marcaboth, Hazar susah,Beth lebaoth, and Sharuhen— thirteen towns with their surrounding villages.It also included Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan— four towns with their villages,including all the surrounding villages as far south as Baalath beer( also known as Ramah of the Negev). This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Simeon.Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah.The third allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun. The boundary of Zebulun’s homeland started at Sarid.From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam.In the other direction, the boundary went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia.Then it continued east to Gath hepher, Eth kazin, and Rimmon and turned toward Neah.The northern boundary of Zebulun passed Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtah el.The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem— twelve towns with their surrounding villages.The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun included these towns and their surrounding villages.The fourth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Issachar.Its boundaries included the following towns: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem,Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,Remeth, En gannim, En haddah, and Beth pazzez.The boundary also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth shemesh, ending at the Jordan River— sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Issachar included these towns and their surrounding villages.The fifth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Asher.Its boundaries included these towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph,Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The boundary on the west touched Carmel and Shihor libnath,then it turned east toward Beth dagon, and ran as far as Zebulun in the valley of Iphtah el, going north to Beth emek and Neiel. It then continued north to Cabul,Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far as Greater Sidon.Then the boundary turned toward Ramah and the fortress of Tyre, where it turned toward Hosah and came to the Mediterranean Sea. The territory also included Mehebel, Aczib,Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob— twenty two towns with their surrounding villages.The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Asher included these towns and their surrounding villages.The sixth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali.Its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and extended across to Adami nekeb, Jabneel, and as far as Lakkum, ending at the Jordan River.The western boundary ran past Aznoth tabor, then to Hukkok, and touched the border of Zebulun in the south, the border of Asher on the west, and the Jordan River on the east.The fortified towns included in this territory were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth,Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,Kedesh, Edrei, En hazor,Yiron, Migdal el, Horem, Beth anath, and Beth shemesh— nineteen towns with their surrounding villages.The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali included these towns and their surrounding villages.The seventh allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Dan.The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir shemesh,Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,Elon, Timnah, Ekron,Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,Jehud, Bene berak, Gath rimmon,Me jarkon, Rakkon, and the territory across from Joppa.But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land, so they attacked the town of Laish. They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages.
Joshua 17:1-13
The next allotment of land was given to the half tribe of Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph’s older son. Makir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead. Because his descendants were experienced soldiers, the regions of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to them.So the allotment on the west side of the Jordan was for the remaining families within the clans of the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These clans represent the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph.However, Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said,“ The Lord commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.” So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.As a result, Manasseh’s total allocation came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River,because the female descendants of Manasseh received a grant of land along with the male descendants.( The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.)The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah.The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh’s territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh’s territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh’s boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher, however, were given to Manasseh: Beth shan, Ibleam, Dor( that is, Naphoth dor), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land.
