Tales of the Tribes: Result? Goose Egg! Quiz

Answer: Confederation

According to the book of Joshua in the Bible, when the Hebrews returned to Canaan after their stay in Egypt, they first had to reassert their control over the area, as many other groups had come to occupy the land. Joshua then divided portions of land, according to the size of the tribe and by drawing lots, between the descendants of eleven of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was also called Israel. The confederation that they formed was based on the fact that the member tribes shared the same religion, language, and laws.

Answer: The leader must have charisma.

These leaders were chosen based on the outward sign of their charisma, or a special blessing or calling from God. What this meant might be different for each judge who was chosen. For example, the first such leader, Othniel, took the challenge of conquering the city of Debir, and successfully drove out the Canaanites who lived there after they had oppressed the Hebrews for eight years.

The only female leader of this type, Deborah, was called upon by God because none of the men would step forward to assume the leadership.

The book of Judges in the Bible recorded twelve of these leaders, who were military leaders, as well as political and judicial leaders.

Answer: Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant, according to the book of Exodus, was built under the supervision of Moses from God's instructions when the ancient Hebrews were camped near Mt. Sinai after their escape from Egypt. The Ark provided storage for the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna. Carried during the forty years of wandering described in the book of Numbers, the Ark was placed in a sacred tent, or Tabernacle, when the group made camp.

The Ark was instrumental in bringing forth Joshua's victory at Jericho, and when it was captured by the Philistine, such terrible fortune befell them, they decided to give it back. Eventually King David made Jerusalem the home of the Ark, and his son, King Solomon, constructed the First Temple to house it.

Answer: Solomon

It was under the leadership of Solomon that the ancient Hebrew nation reached the zenith of its power. Jerusalem became a monumental capital city. Trade alliances were forged, fortresses were built at strategic places, and a fleet of ships traveled all the way to modern-day Yemen to exchange goods. Canaan was divided into twelve administrative districts; each district was headed by a governor who was responsible for one month of each year to provide Solomon's court at Jerusalem with food - which must have cost a fortune.

After Solomon died, his successor, Rheoboam, was asked to reduce the final burden of each district. When he refused to do so, the confederation ended.

Answer: Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah

Chronicled in the book of I Kings in the Bible, the ten tribes in the northern part of Canaan split from the other two tribes and formed the Kingdom of Israel. They were under the leadership of one of Solomon's sons, Jeroboam. The remaining two tribes in the south remained loyal to Rheoboam, and were called the Kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom of Israel is said to have occupied the most fertile land in Canaan with the most resources, while the Kingdom of Judah was located in the poorest region with fewer resources and people.

Answer: Levi

When Joshua divided Canaan among the tribes, the Tribe of Levi was the only one that received cities, a total of forty-eight altogether, rather than an area of land. They were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel Himself is their inheritance" (Deuteronomy 18:2), but they were given a small portion of land around each city so they could graze their livestock.

Many of the Levites did live in the area around Jerusalem, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, because the city was a religious capital in addition to being the political capital.

It was important, however, for them to minister to all the tribes, and help keep them faithful to God, so their cities were situated in various locations in Canaan.

Answer: Assyrians

Even though the Kingdom of Israel had more people, more wealth, and the best farmland, they did not always remain faithful to God. From time to time they would worship the Canaanite god, Baal. A series of invasions by the Assyrians were devastating enough, but eventually the Assyrians instituted one of their most feared policies in dealing with conquered people: deportation.

The Assyrians believed that if people were removed from their homeland, they would also be removed from their god(s). Once the conquered people lost their religious identity, they would be easier to subjugate.

In reality, this is probably why the people in the Kingdom of Israel remain "lost" today; the Assyrians deported them to other places in their empire, and they simply lost their identity. Don't forget - God is patient and merciful. Before sending the Assyrians, he sent prophets.

The people just didn't listen.

Answer: Samaritans

The city of Samaria, chosen as the capital of the northern kingdom in Canaan by King Omri in the 9th century BC, was a trade city surrounded by rich farmland. The most famous king of the city was probably Ahab, who was married to the wicked Jezebel. Under siege several times before its people were eventually deported, the Bible paints of picture of moral corruption and idolatry in the city.

After the Hebrews were deported from Samaria, colonists from other areas of the Assyrian empire were sent to live there.

They intermarried with Jews who had escaped deportation, became Samaritans, and even practised the Samaritan religion, which was derived from Judaism. Despised by Judean Jews because of their mixed blood, the "Good Samaritan", of course, is remembered from a parable used by Christ to answer the question, "Who Is My Neighbor"?

Answer: The people remained loyal to him.

The Kingdom of Judah, which was formed by the Tribe of Judah and Tribe of Benjamin and some priests, had few natural resources and only one large city. Even though the people were poor, they stayed faithful to God - at least longer than the northern kingdom did. Both kingdoms were influenced by Canaanite religions, especially the worship of Baal. What appears to have saved the Kingdom of Judah for a time, was the reign of a righteous king every now and then, who tried to bring his kingdom back to God. Again, God is patient.

He sent prophets to warn the people - but they did not listen. Eventually the Kingdom of Judah also fell.

Answer: Babylonian Captivity

The Assyrian Empire was eventually overthrown, and replaced by the Chaldeans. For a time, the Kingdom of Judah was part of the New Babylonian Empire, and paid tribute, but when King Jehoiakim decided to quit making payments, the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem, with the result being the deportation of many Jewish craftsmen and prominent citizens to other parts of the empire. The city, as well as the Great Temple, was pillaged and looted. After a brief period of peace, there was another rebellion. The Chaldeans returned to Jerusalem, and destroyed the city, deporting the remainder of the people. These deportations are known in Jewish history as the Babylonian Captivity.

According to some sources, Jews today do not know what tribe they are from, with the possible exception of some Levites and priests. There may also be a small number of people whose family preserved the information throughout the millennia, but they are few and far between.