Study Desk

As for the Y'vusi, who lived in Yerushalayim, the descendants of Y'hudah could not drive them out; so the Y'vusi live with the descendants of Y'hudah in Yerushalayim to this day.

The border of the territory chosen by lot for the descendants of Yosef began from the Yarden at Yericho, at the spring of Yericho on the east, went up from Yericho through the hills and desert to Beit-El,

together with the cities set aside for the descendants of Efrayim inside the territory to be inherited by the descendants of M'nasheh, all the cities with their villages.

This was the territory chosen by lot for the tribe of M'nasheh, for he was the firstborn of Yosef. As for Makhir the firstborn of M'nasheh, the father of Gil‘ad, because he was a warrior he got Gil‘ad and Bashan.

So the lot was drawn for the other descendants of M'nasheh according to their families — for the descendants of Avi‘ezer, Helek, Asri'el, Sh'khem, Hefer and Sh'mida; these were the male descendants of M'nasheh according to their families.

Y'hoshua answered them, "If you are a great people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the territory of the P'rizi and the Refa'im — since the hills of Efrayim don't give you enough space."

The descendants of Yosef replied, "The hills won't be enough for us; and all the Kena‘ani living in the valleys have iron chariots — both those in Beit-Sh'an and its villages and those in the Yizre‘el Valley."

Appoint three men for each tribe; I will commission them; and they are to set out, go through the land and describe it according to their inheritance; then they are to come back to me.

You will describe seven portions of land and bring the descriptions here to me; then I will cast lots for you here before Adonai our God.

So the men got up and went. Y'hoshua gave them this commission as they left to describe the land: "Go; walk through the land; and describe it; then come back to me, and I will cast lots for you here before Adonai in Shiloh."

Y'hoshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Adonai , and there Y'hoshua divided the land among the people of Isra'el according to their regions.

The lot for the tribe of the descendants of Binyamin came up according to their families. The border of their territory chosen by lot was between the descendants of Y'hudah and the descendants of Yosef.

The second lot came out for Shim‘on, for the tribe of the descendants of Shim‘on according to their families. Their inheritance was inside the inheritance of the descendants of Y'hudah.

For their inheritance they had Be'er-Sheva, Sheva, Moladah,

The inheritance of the descendants of Shim‘on was taken out of the allotment for the descendants of Y'hudah, because the portion given to the descendants of Y'hudah was too much for them, so the descendants of Shim‘on had an inheritance inside the descendants of Y'hudah.

The third lot came up for the descendants of Z'vulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance began at Sarid.

The fourth lot came out for Yissakhar, for the descendants of Yissakhar according to their families.

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the descendants of Asher according to their families.

The sixth lot came out for the descendants of Naftali, for the descendants of Naftali according to their families.

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the descendants of Dan according to their families.