Everything about The Tribe Of Ephraim totally explained
The
Tribe of Ephraim (
Hebrew:
אֶפְרַיִם /
אֶפְרָיִם,
Standard Efráyim Tiberian ʾEp̄ráyim /
ʾEp̄rāyim - meaning
double fruitfulness) was one of the
Tribes of Israel; together with the
Tribe of Manasseh,
Ephraim also formed the
House of Joseph. At its height, the territory it occupied was at the center of
Canaan, west of the
Jordan, south of the territory of Manasseh, and north of the
Tribe of Benjamin; the region which was later named
Samaria (as distinguished from
Judea or
Galilee) mostly consisted of Ephraim's territory. The area was mountainous, giving it protection, but also highly fertile, giving prosperity, and contained the early centers of Israelite religion -
Shechem and
Shiloh. These factors contributed to making Ephraim the most dominant of the tribes in the
Kingdom of Israel, and led to
Ephraim becoming a synonym for the entire kingdom. however
Biblical scholars view this also as postdiction, an
eponymous
metaphor providing an
aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite confederation. In the Biblical account, Joseph is one of the two children of
Rachel and
Jacob, a brother to
Benjamin, and father to both Ephraim, and his first son,
Manasseh; Ephraim received the blessing of the firstborn
, although Manasseh was the eldest, because Jacob foresaw that Ephraim's descendants would be greater than his brother's.
Though the biblical descriptions of the geographic boundary of the House of Joseph are fairly consistent, the descriptions of the boundaries between Manasseh and Ephraim are not, and each is portrayed as having
exclaves within the territory of the other. Ephraim and Manasseh are treated as a single tribe, with
Joseph appearing in their place. From this it's regarded as obvious that originally Ephraim and Manasseh were considered one tribe - that of
Joseph.
Character
In the account of the
deuteronomic history, Ephraim is portrayed as domineering, haughty, discontented, and jealous, but in
classical rabbinical literature, the biblical founder of the tribe is described as being modest and not selfish. in the Biblical account the Israelite tribes were initially united in a single kingdom, but only later fractured into the northern and southern kingdoms; this fracture is blamed by the Bible on the jealousy of Ephraim over the growing power of Judah. In the
Book of Chronicles, Ephraim's act of splintering from Judah is denounced as forsaking God, and Ephraim is portrayed as becoming highly irreligious, particularly in their resistance to the reforms enacted by
Hezekiah and
Josiah.
Fate
As part of the
Kingdom of Israel, the territory of Ephraim was conquered by the
Assyrians, and the tribe exiled; the manner of their exile led to
their further history being lost. However, several modern day groups claim descent, with varying levels of academic and rabbinical support. The
Samaritans claims that some of their adherents are descended from this tribe, and many
Persian Jews claim to be descendants of Ephraim. Further afield, in
South India the
Telugu Jews claim descent from Ephraim, and call themselves
Bene Ephraim, relating similar traditions to those of the
Mizo Jews, who the modern state of
Israel regards as descendants of Manasseh.
Several western Christian groups, in particular those of the
Church of God in Christ, claim that the whole
UK is the direct descendant of Ephraim, and that the whole
USA is the direct descendant of Manasseh, based on the interpretation that Jacob had said these two tribes would become the most supreme nations in the world.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the
Mormons) believes a significant portion of its members to be descended from Ephraim, arguing that they're charged with restoring the lost tribes in the
latter days as prophesied by
Isaiah, and that the tribes of both Ephraim and Judah will play important leadership roles for covenant Israel in the last days; some believe that this would be the fulfillment of part of the
Blessing of Jacob, where it states that
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.
Will of Grandfather
The descendants of Joseph (Hebrew Bible) formed two of the tribes of Israel, whereas each of the other sons of Jacob was the founder of only one tribe. Thus there were in reality thirteen tribes; but the number twelve was preserved by excluding that of Levi when Ephraim and Manasseh are mentioned separately (Num. 1:32-34; Josh. 17:14, 17; 1 Chr. 7:20).
It wasn't until the close of the first period of Jewish history that God 'refused the tabernacle of Joseph (Hebrew Bible), and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved' (Ps. 78:67, 68). When the Ark was removed from Shiloh to Zion the power of Ephraim was sequestered."
Many Persian Jews claim to be descendants of the tribe of Ephraim. In addition, the Telugu Jews, relating similar traditions to those of the Bnei Menashe (recognized as descendants of the Tribe of Menasseh), claim descent from the Tribe of Ephraim, and call themselves Bene Ephraim.
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