Manasseh
in Rabbinical Sources-Continued
by Yair Davidiy
Manasseh
- A National Character Appraisal
based on Rabbinical Sources.
Contents:
Continued from Manasseh
in Rabbinical Sources (1)(2)(3)
(4) Some Tribal Interrelationships.
Menasseh to contain a good portion of Simeon [i.e. Welsh and Irish according to Brit-Am] both in the physical sense and in the sense of Tribal attributes.
Some Tribal Interrelationships:
Judah and Benjamin
Simeon and Manasseh
Benjamin Missing?
It was prophesied that the Kingdom of Israel would be split in two. Ten Tribes would separate off from the Ruling House of David and ONE Tribe remain. The problem is that there were Twelve Tribes (at least) of Israel.
What is the answer?
[1-Kings 11:11] WHEREFORE THE LORD SAID UNTO SOLOMON, FORASMUCH AS THIS IS DONE OF THEE, AND THOU HAST NOT KEPT MY COVENANT AND MY STATUTES, WHICH I HAVE COMMANDED THEE, I WILL SURELY REND THE KINGDOM FROM THEE, AND WILL GIVE IT TO THY SERVANT.
[1-Kings 11:12] NOTWITHSTANDING IN THY DAYS I WILL NOT DO IT FOR DAVID THY FATHER'S SAKE: BUT I WILL REND IT OUT OF THE HAND OF THY SON.
[1-Kings 11:13] HOWBEIT I WILL NOT REND AWAY ALL THE KINGDOM; BUT WILL GIVE ONE TRIBE TO THY SON FOR DAVID MY SERVANT'S SAKE, AND FOR JERUSALEM'S SAKE WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN.
Here it says that only ONE tribe would remain for the House of David.
[1-Kings 11:28] AND THE MAN JEROBOAM WAS A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOUR: AND SOLOMON SEEING THE YOUNG MAN THAT HE WAS INDUSTRIOUS, HE MADE HIM RULER OVER ALL THE CHARGE OF THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH.
[1-Kings 11:29] AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME WHEN JEROBOAM WENT OUT OF JERUSALEM, THAT THE PROPHET AHIJAH THE SHILONITE FOUND HIM IN THE WAY; AND HE HAD CLAD HIMSELF WITH A NEW GARMENT; AND THEY TWO WERE ALONE IN THE FIELD:
[1-Kings 11:30] AND AHIJAH CAUGHT THE NEW GARMENT THAT WAS ON HIM, AND RENT IT IN TWELVE PIECES:
[1-Kings 11:31] AND HE SAID TO JEROBOAM, TAKE THEE TEN PIECES: FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, BEHOLD, I WILL REND THE KINGDOM OUT OF THE HAND OF SOLOMON, AND WILL GIVE TEN TRIBES TO THEE:
[1-Kings 11:32] (BUT HE SHALL HAVE ONE TRIBE FOR MY SERVANT DAVID'S SAKE, AND FOR JERUSALEM'S SAKE, THE CITY WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN OUT OF ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL:)
The garment was rendered into twelve pieces. Ten pieces went to Jeroboam. Ahijah then says that ONE tribe would remain.
[1-Kings 12:19] SO ISRAEL REBELLED AGAINST THE HOUSE OF DAVID UNTO THIS DAY.
[1-Kings 12:20] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ALL ISRAEL HEARD THAT JEROBOAM WAS COME AGAIN, THAT THEY SENT AND CALLED HIM UNTO THE CONGREGATION, AND MADE HIM KING OVER ALL ISRAEL: THERE WAS NONE THAT FOLLOWED THE HOUSE OF DAVID, BUT THE TRIBE OF JUDAH ONLY.
Jeroboam was made king over ALL ISRAEL except for "THE TRIBE OF JUDAH ONLY".
Where is the Twelfth Tribe?
Radak (1-Kings 11:13) explains,
<<[The Twelfth Tribe is] Benjamin for he had his portion with Judah in Jerusalem which was shared between the two and both together were considered one tribe>>.
This is confirmed by Scripture. After the northern Ten Tribes under Jeroboam rebelled against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, Rehoboam assembled an army from the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
[1-Kings 12:21] AND WHEN REHOBOAM WAS COME TO JERUSALEM, HE ASSEMBLED ALL THE HOUSE OF JUDAH, WITH THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, AN HUNDRED AND FOURSCORE THOUSAND CHOSEN MEN, WHICH WERE WARRIORS, TO FIGHT AGAINST THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, TO BRING THE KINGDOM AGAIN TO REHOBOAM THE SON OF SOLOMON.
Cf. The Patriarch Judah had guaranteed the Forefather Jacob that he would take responsibility for Benjamin.
I WILL BE SURETY FOR HIM [i.e. for Benjamin]; OF MY HAND SHALT THOU REQUIRE HIM: IF I BRING HIM NOT UNTO THEE, AND SET HIM BEFORE THEE, THEN LET ME BEAR THE BLAME FOR EVER [Genesis 43:9].
Scripture may be understood at several different levels. Judah was destined to remain faithful to the ancestral truth until the end of time. Most of Benjamin remained with Judah as part of the Jewish people. On a symbolic level Jacob represents the aspect of spiritual Israel in Exile remaining faithful to the Law.
At the time of Exile of the Northern Ten Tribes it says:
[2-Kings 17:18] THEREFORE THE LORD WAS VERY ANGRY WITH ISRAEL, AND REMOVED THEM OUT OF HIS SIGHT: THERE WAS NONE LEFT BUT THE TRIBE OF JUDAH ONLY.
Radak: The Tribe of Benjamin is included with Judah.
The Ten Tribes that were given to Jeroboam are Reuben, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim, Manasseh.
The Tribe of Levi in effect moved later to Judah.
[2-Chronicles 11:1 AND IN EVERY SEVERAL CITY HE PUT SHIELDS AND SPEARS, AND MADE THEM EXCEEDING STRONG, HAVING JUDAH AND BENJAMIN ON HIS SIDE.
[2-Chronicles 11:13] AND THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES THAT WERE IN ALL ISRAEL RESORTED TO HIM OUT OF ALL THEIR COASTS.
[2-Chronicles 11:14] FOR THE LEVITES LEFT THEIR SUBURBS AND THEIR POSSESSION, AND CAME TO JUDAH AND JERUSALEM: FOR JEROBOAM AND HIS SONS HAD CAST THEM OFF FROM EXECUTING THE PRIEST'S OFFICE UNTO THE LORD:
Really there were thirteen tribes. "Judah" consisted of the Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi.
Levi is not included in the quorum of Twelve Tribes when Joseph is counted as the two separate tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Joseph was divided into two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh. There are Commentators that say that Joseph had other sons apart from Ephraim and Manasseh. Descendants of these others are included in either Ephraim or Manasseh.
[Genesis 48:5] AND NOW THY TWO SONS, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, WHICH WERE BORN UNTO THEE IN THE LAND OF EGYPT BEFORE I CAME UNTO THEE INTO EGYPT, ARE MINE; AS REUBEN AND SIMEON, THEY SHALL BE MINE.
[Genesis 48:6] AND THY ISSUE, WHICH THOU BEGETTEST AFTER THEM, SHALL BE THINE, AND SHALL BE CALLED AFTER THE NAME OF THEIR BRETHREN [Ephraim or Manasseh] IN THEIR INHERITANCE.
Despite Scripture saying that the other sons of Joseph being included in either Ephraim or Manasseh there were those who wanted to count "Joseph" as a separate entity alongside Ephraim or Manasseh.
This is in fact a common phenomenon in Scripture and in Scriptural Exegesis. Canaan had twelve sons who were "sons of Canaan" but Canaan is also counted as a separate entity alongside of them. Javan had sons who became individual nations alongside of the nation of Javan. The same for Gomer and his three sons.
Midrash Tanchuma ("VeYechi" 15): <<Rabbi Yochanan said, "How can you say there were only twelve tribes? Scripture already tells us, "EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, AS REUBEN AND SIMEON, THEY SHALL BE MINE". We therefore have fourteen tribes! However when Levi is counted in the quorum they are not counted with him, and when Levi is not counted they are each counted separately.>>
We therefore see that though there may have been fourteeen Tribal-like entities a quorum of Twelve was always maintained in Biblical Nomenclature.
Was Simeon Part of The Ten Tribes?
Simeon and Judah
The Tribe of Simeon was exiled with the Northern Ten Tribes and is counted as one of them.
Different sources indicate that a minority of Simeon did return and re-attach itself to Judah.
Tosefoth, Aracin 32;a: <<From each tribe a few returned>>.
Midrash "Seder Olam" (ch.29): <<In the Time of Ezra there returned from Babylon 12000 from the other Tribes [apart from the Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi]>>.
Simeon at an early stage was almost absorbed by Judah (Joshua 19:1 19:9 Judges 1:3).
[Joshua 19:1] AND THE SECOND LOT CAME FORTH TO SIMEON, EVEN FOR THE TRIBE OF THE CHILDREN OF SIMEON ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES: AND THEIR INHERITANCE WAS WITHIN THE INHERITANCE OF THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH.
[Joshua 19:9] OUT OF THE PORTION OF THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH WAS THE INHERITANCE OF THE CHILDREN OF SIMEON: FOR THE PART OF THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH WAS TOO MUCH FOR THEM: THEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF SIMEON HAD THEIR INHERITANCE WITHIN THE INHERITANCE OF THEM.
[Judges 1:3] AND JUDAH SAID UNTO SIMEON HIS BROTHER, COME UP WITH ME INTO MY LOT, THAT WE MAY FIGHT AGAINST THE CANAANITES; AND I LIKEWISE WILL GO WITH THEE INTO THY LOT. SO SIMEON WENT WITH HIM.
We see from this that Simeon was at one stage closely associated with Judah and it may be that a portion of the Tribe was absorbed in Judah. Despite this most of Simeon went into exile with the Ten Tribes.
Simeon and Manasseh
In our soon to be published work on the Khazars and in "The Tribes" we bring additional Scriptural and archaeological evidence that Simeon even before the Assyrian Exile was associated with the Northern Tribes and went into Exile with them.
Not only that but we show from the sources an indication that Simeon in his place of Exile had leading Princes from the Tribe of Manasseh who lead them in conquering a region to the south of the Caucasus. From this combination of Simeon and Manasseh emerged the basic core of the Khazar nation.
We find this partnership of Simeon and Manasseh preceded elsewhere and repeated later.
When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt and wandered in the Wilderness they held two
Census counts, one near the beginning of their sojourn and the other about forty years later
close to the end.
Compare the following points from the First Census with the Second Census
First Census
Simeon
[Numbers 1:23] THOSE THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THEM, EVEN OF THE TRIBE OF SIMEON, WERE FIFTY AND NINE THOUSAND AND THREE HUNDRED.
Manasseh
[Numbers 1:35] THOSE THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THEM, EVEN OF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH, WERE THIRTY AND TWO THOUSAND AND TWO HUNDRED.
Total:
[Numbers 1:46] EVEN ALL THEY THAT WERE NUMBERED WERE SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND AND THREE THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.
Second Census
Simeon
[Numbers 26:14] THESE ARE THE FAMILIES OF THE SIMEONITES, TWENTY AND TWO THOUSAND AND TWO HUNDRED.
Manasseh
[Numbers 26:34] THESE ARE THE FAMILIES OF MANASSEH, AND THOSE THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THEM, FIFTY AND TWO THOUSAND AND SEVEN HUNDRED.
Total:
[Numbers 26:51] THESE WERE THE NUMBERED OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND AND A THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY.
In the First Census the total Population was 603,550 and in the Second Census 601,730.
The total Population had slightly decreased.
The population of Manasseh had increased from 32,200 to 52,700.
The population of Simeon had decreased from 59,300 to 22,200.
Numbers 25:9 says that 24,000 died in a plague that had been incurred as punishment
for coupling with foreign women.
Since Zimri a prince of Simeon [Numbers 25:14] was the chief culprit in this
matter Commentators have assumed that most of the casualties were Simeonites.
Even this explanation however would only account for a portion of the difference.
[Steven Collins has discussed this matter.
"THE MISSING SIMEONITES" by Steven M. Collins
http://www.stevenmcollins.com/html/simeon.html.
Steven suggests that the missing Simeonites left their brother Israelites
and founded the nation of Sparta.
We however tend to identify the Spartan (from whom came part of the
foundation element of Rome) with descendants of Esau.]
The book, "Niflaoth MeTorat HaShem" claims that the differences in Simeon who suffered a decrease and Manasseh who gained a proportional increase are to be explained by the "souls" of the Missing Simeonites being added onto Manasseh.
Fishel Mael quotes Scripture and Rabbinical Literature giving a number of links between Simeon and Joseph (father of Manasseh) in general and Manasseh in particular.
Simeon and Levi traditionally were the instigators of the plot to kill Joseph which was later changed when instead of murdering him they sold him as a slave.
Later the brothers regretted their deed.
[Genesis 42:21] AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER, WE ARE VERILY GUILTY CONCERNING OUR BROTHER, IN THAT WE SAW THE ANGUISH OF HIS SOUL, WHEN HE BESOUGHT US, AND WE WOULD NOT HEAR; THEREFORE IS THIS DISTRESS COME UPON US.
Joseph took Simeon hostage:
[Genesis 42:23] AND THEY KNEW NOT THAT JOSEPH UNDERSTOOD THEM; FOR HE SPAKE UNTO THEM BY AN INTERPRETER.
[Genesis 42:24] AND HE TURNED HIMSELF ABOUT FROM THEM, AND WEPT; AND RETURNED TO THEM AGAIN, AND COMMUNED WITH THEM, AND TOOK FROM THEM SIMEON, AND BOUND HIM BEFORE THEIR EYES.
The symbol of Joseph is a bull:
[Deuteronomy 33:17] HIS GLORY IS LIKE THE FIRSTLING OF HIS BULLOCK [young bull].
One of the 12 Constellations (Taurus) is represented by a bull. These constellations according to one school of thought parallel the Twelve Tribes of Israel and one system (quoted in the Zohar) apportions the Constellation of the Bull (Taurus) to Simeon. According to this both Simeon and Joseph are associated with the Bull.
Jacob equated Ephraim and Manasseh with Reuben and Simeon:
[Genesis 48:5] AND NOW THY TWO SONS, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, WHICH WERE BORN UNTO THEE IN THE LAND OF EGYPT BEFORE I CAME UNTO THEE INTO EGYPT, ARE MINE; AS REUBEN AND SIMEON, THEY SHALL BE MINE.
In this equation there may perhaps be a link between Ephraim and Reuben (the firstborn birthright?) and between Manasseh and Simeon? Half of Manasseh did receive its inheritance east of the Jordan and a portion of Simeon later also moved to the east of that river.
[1-Chronicles 4:39] AND THEY WENT TO THE ENTRANCE OF GEDOR, EVEN UNTO THE EAST SIDE OF THE VALLEY, TO SEEK PASTURE FOR THEIR FLOCKS.
[1-Chronicles 4:40] AND THEY FOUND FAT PASTURE AND GOOD, AND THE LAND WAS WIDE, AND QUIET, AND PEACEABLE; FOR THEY OF HAM HAD DWELT THERE OF OLD.
[1-Chronicles 4:41- AND THESE WRITTEN BY NAME CAME IN THE DAYS OF HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH, AND SMOTE THEIR TENTS, AND THE HABITATIONS THAT WERE FOUND THERE, AND DESTROYED THEM UTTERLY UNTO THIS DAY, AND DWELT IN THEIR ROOMS: BECAUSE THERE WAS PASTURE THERE FOR THEIR FLOCKS.
[1-Chronicles 4:42] AND SOME OF THEM, EVEN OF THE SONS OF SIMEON, FIVE HUNDRED MEN, WENT TO MOUNT SEIR, HAVING FOR THEIR CAPTAINS PELATIAH, AND NEARIAH, AND REPHAIAH, AND UZZIEL, THE SONS OF ISHI.
[1-Chronicles 4:43] AND THEY SMOTE THE REST OF THE AMALEKITES THAT WERE ESCAPED, AND DWELT THERE UNTO THIS DAY.
Acccording to the above quote two incidents are recalled here. Both may be dealing with the movement of Simeon east of the Jordan. The second event actually concerns Simeon AFTER being exiled by the Assyrians and under the leadership of Princes from Manasseh conquering Lands and laying the basis for the future Empire of the Khazars as mentioned above.
Fishel Mael quotes additional sources linking with Simeon with Manasseh. These other sources are a bit too esoteric and abstruse to be quoted by us with our practical-minded approach. We quote what we agree and what is easy to understand and explain. One additional point of Fishel Mael with our own modification however is worth considering:
The Tribes of Israel may be divided into three sections:
Sons of Rachel: Benjamin, Ephraim, Half-Manasseh west of the Jordan, Half-Menasseh west of the Jordan,
Sons of Leah (without Levi and Simeon): Judah, Reuben, Issachar, Zebulon
Sons of the Maidservants: Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher.
Concerning the sons of Leah, Levi did not inherit a Tribal Portion and Simeon was swallowed up at first by Judah.
The two halves of Manasseh being considered as separate entities may be puyshing the point a bit.
If however we assume a linkage between Simeon and Manasseh if Simeon passing over to Manasseh the conception is easier.
It should also be recalled that Jacob prophesied that both Simeon and Levi would be scattered and re-apportioned amongst the other Tribes:
[Genesis 49:5] SIMEON AND LEVI ARE BRETHREN; INSTRUMENTS OF CRUELTY ARE IN THEIR HABITATIONS.
[Genesis 49:6] O MY SOUL, COME NOT THOU INTO THEIR SECRET; UNTO THEIR ASSEMBLY, MINE HONOUR, BE NOT THOU UNITED: FOR IN THEIR ANGER THEY SLEW A MAN, AND IN THEIR SELFWILL THEY DIGGED DOWN A WALL.
[Genesis 49:7] CURSED BE THEIR ANGER, FOR IT WAS FIERCE; AND THEIR WRATH, FOR IT WAS CRUEL: I WILL DIVIDE THEM IN JACOB, AND SCATTER THEM IN ISRAEL.
We know that Levi became the Priestly Tribe and received its inheritance in the form of settlements scattered amongst all the other Tribes. Simeon however initially received its apportionment in one area (Joshua 19:1). In order for the Prophecy of Jacob to be fulfilled in Simeon as it was in Levi some such scenario as the one described above is feasible.
A REPETITION OF THE SIMEON-LINKAGES AND SYMBIOSIS TODAY
Simeon from the very beginning was associated with Judah (Joshua 19:1 19:9 Judges 1:3) as shown above. Some of Simeon remained with Judah all the way through. Simeon gave rise to at least part of the Khazar People who converted to Judaism. Some descendants of the Khazars may today be found amongst the Jewish people and if so we have the Biblical Prototype of Simeon in Judah repeated.
Simeon and the Irish In the USA
In our work "The Tribes" we have traced descendants of Simeon to groups in Ancient Scandinavia, Italy, and elsewhere. The main trunk of Simeon however we found in Wales and Ireland. In all these areas Simeon may be a minority thus fulfilling the prediction of Jacob that he would be scattered amongst the other Tribes. Nevertheless we suggested that in Wales and Ireland Simeon had received some dominance. We also found Manasseh in these areas. More importantly we found Manasseh to be predominant amongst the early settlers of the USA. The USA in effect from a Biblical perspective represents Manasseh as we have written at length. There are more descendants of the Irish in the USA today then there are anywhere else in the world.
We thus find the Simeon-Manasseh Symbiosis to be repeated in our time!
These descendants of Irishmen include many from Manasseh and Ephraim and Asher
(especially amongst the Northern Scots-Irish) and many from Joseph and Dan amongst the "Southern Irish". The so-called "Southern Irish" are the ones we consdier to have an especially strong contingent of Simeon amongst them. They also contain non-Israelite elements like ALL the other Tribes of Israel. Some of them are or have been notoriously anti-Jewish and anti-Israelite. On the other hand even in the USA an attraction between them and Judah may be noticed. They often live in or beside the same areas as Jews and have similar voting and social patterns. They frequently identify withg each other and intermarriage is not unknown. I once met a young soldier in the Israeli Army whose father of Irish descent and mother Jewish. He had decided to identify as Jewish in the religious sense and had spent some time learning at a Yeshiva. He told of an incident in which he and a group of about six fellow Yeshiva students had all been invited for a Shabbat meal at the house of a Rabbi. During the course of the conversation they suddenly became aware that all thad Irish fathers and Jewish mothers and no-one had been aware of that when inviting them! Ed Koch was a former Jewish Mayor of New York who had a good relationship with the Irish Community declaring his belief that they were a Lost Tribe of Israel.
Here too, we may see something of the special relationship between Judah and Simeon known from Biblical times to return on itself.
Source for some of the Rabbinical Citations and inspiration for part of this thread: Fishel Mael, "Sefer Shivtei Yisroel", 5757, USA
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