The Names of Israel no.4. 25th October 2026, 15 Cheshvan 5787.
Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon were the first three (going from east clockwise) listed in Numbers 2 of the 12 tribes encamped around the Tabernacle.
The tribes according to their mothers (Genesis chs. 29, 30).
Leah:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Yehudah, Issachar, Zebulon, (Dinah).
Rachel:
Joseph, Benjamin.
Bilhah (handmaiden of Rachel).
Dan, Naphtali.
Zilpah (handmaiden of Leah):
Gad, Asher.
The first 3 tribes around the Tabernacle were
Judah, Issachar and Zebulon. They were the sons of Jacob and Leah.
Judah became the Jews of Judah and the Jutes of England.
Issachar settled in Finland and Switzerland.
Zebulon settled mainly in the Netherlands.
See:
Issachar and the Rabbis
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/issacharrabbis.html
We have identified elements that settled in Finland and Switzerland as descended from Issachar. Issachar had received its territory to the north of the Land of Israel. The Ten Tribes, and Issachar among them, were taken away by the Assyrians. They lost awareness of their Hebrew Origin and eventually reached areas of Europe.
The Rabbis noted the Neutrality Preference of Issachar who nevertheless also possessed martial qualities though with a reticence to use and/or display them.
A Possible connection between the Swiss and the Finns.
Both Finland and Switzerland indicate ancestry from the Israelite Tribe of Issachar. The DNA is different, the people are different - or are they? Forget the problem of DNA for the time beung and consider the following:
The ancient Kingdom of Burgundy in East France once extended from Switzerland to the Netherlands. Descendants of both Zebulon and Issachar may have settled in this area. Switzerland was populated in part by the Alamans. The Alamands were also one of the main groups populating Alsace in France and parts of Switzerland. This was probably part of Burgundy. Eero Ojanen (ca. 1998) wrote an article claiming that a group of Alemans in the 500s CE had made their way to Finland, conquered the land, and intermixed with the inhabitants.
There are traditional European legendary accounts stating that immigrants from Sweden or Goths settled in Switzerland. The people in question may actually have been the Skires of Issachar who historically had attached themselves to the Gothic forces. The Goths through Sweden are also linked to Finland. The term "Goth" has been ascribed to different peoples but probably the original group to bear that name were from the Israelite Tribe of Gad. In Ancient Hebrew the name "Gad" was pronounced as "Goth." They too populated Sweden and parts of Finland.
A son of Issachar was PHUVAH (Genesis 46:13) whose children were known as Phuni or PUNI (Numbers 26:23-24). This word-root "Funi" (Puni) is found frequently. In Ireland, one has the Fenni, in Jutland (Denmark) the Phundusi, in Scandinavia the Phanones, and the Finni who neighbored the Gotones on the Baltic coast and gave their name to Finland. In the area of Austria, Hungary, and its neighborhood once dwelt a Celtic people who gave the name Pannonia to the region before moving onward apparently to Switzerland. In Switzerland according to Ptolemy prior to the Alemannic occupation were the Vennontes people, the Peone Alps and Phaniana city. In Raetia (East Switzerland) were a people named Isarci which is a permutation of the name Issachar. The southern group of Suebi [who settled in Switzerland] may be said to descend from Yashub son of Issachar.
Issachar was not a warrior tribe but fought well when it had to. Finland fought against Russia several times and despite being outnumbered and out-powered either beat Russia off or fought well for an honourable settlement.
Switzerland is traditionally neutral but Swiss mercenaries had a good reputation. The Pope of Rome had his own private unit of Swiss mercenaries. This still exists and with their quaint outdated uniforms is a tourist attraction in Rome.
Genesis 49:15 Issachar bowed his shoulder to bear a burden,
The is translated by Onkelos (ca. 30 to 120 CE) to mean, "He conquered the lands of other peoples and cut off their inhabitants."
The Natziv (1816-1893) quotes from the case of David when he called for warriors to gather unto him in Hebron: 200 came from the Tribe of Issachar.
1-Chronicles (NKJV) 12:
32 OF THE SONS OF ISSACHAR WHO HAD UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO, THEIR CHIEFS WERE TWO HUNDRED; AND ALL THEIR BRETHREN WERE AT THEIR COMMAND;
In Finland were also elements from Issachar and the name of the southern Finnish province of Mikeli is reminiscent of MICHAEL (1-Chronicles 7:3) one of the heads of the Clans of Issachar. Two other minor sub-clans of Issachar, Yahmay (Jachmai) and Yivsam (Jibsom), brothers of Michael, may be recalled in the Finnish Provinces of Kym and Uusima, both south of Mikeli in Finland. The Finns had a tradition that they were descended from the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. Their national hero, Marshall Mannerheim, in a speech is said to have once expressly referred to them as "Sons of Issachar". This may be an urban legend and not correct but it seems to be widely believed.
The Natziv says:
Issachar had the task of determining the Calendar.
They were not warriors and unsuited for fighting.
They preferred to live in peace and not leave their domiciles to fight but rather to sit and learn Torah.
David however wanted them to fight alongside him and he did NOT absolve them from their fighting duties.
Both Rashi (1040-1105) and "Klei Yakar" (1550-1619) held that all success emanates from Torah learning. Issachar learned Torah and therefore they were successful in warfare as well as in other matters.
Pri Tsadik (1823-1900), Balak D:
# The number 12 is parallel to the 12 Tribes. Each Tribe has its own particular transgression that if it transgresses will result in it being sent out of the Camp of Israel on a temporary basis.... in the future when a Great Shofar will be blown those who were exiled to the Land of Assyria even if they were totally assimilated among the Non-Israelite Peoples and transgressed all major transgressions ... Despite this the Great Shofar will cause their hearts to be aroused to return and repent...
Isaiah 27:13 It will come about also on that day that a great SHOFAR will be blown, and those who were LOST in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem.
A great shofar type intrument is one of the Traditional emblems of Switzerland.
Issachar according to Rabbinical Sources was expert in mathematics and astronomy. He was industrious and of a peasant-type disposition. Many Talmudic Sages emerged from Issachar.
Outstanding Talmudic Sages on the whole belonged to the Tribes of Judah, Levi, and Issachar. Judah and Levi were mostly among the Jews. Only a small minority from Issachar remained with Judah. Despite their small numbers they made their mark as Torah scholars. Most of issachar had gone into exile along with the rest of the 10 Tribes, A minority from Issachar and from some of the other tribes remained attached to Judah, From this small minoirty emerged great Sages.
Many among the Finns believe they are descended from the Lost Ten Tribes, usually the Tribe of Issachar. There are numerous traditions such as the canopy at weddings called in Finnish a :"huppu". This is similar to Jewish weddings where the couple also stand under a canopy called in Hebrew a "huppah" (chuppah) etc, that are similar to Jewish ones.
I was told by doctor from Finland visiing Israel, that in history Finland had been dominated by the Swedes (who at that time were strictly Lutheran) and later by the Russians. The Finns learnt to keep their Israelite ancestry a secret to themselves. Both Finland and Switzerland may be traced to Issachar.
The Finns and Swiss seem different in their attitudes to the Jews and Israel.
The Finns on the whole are pro-Jewish though anti-Semites exist amongst them.
They also have a group consciousness that holds them back from openly identifying with Israel as long as their fellow citizens are not in agreement with them on this matter.
The Swiss are often anti-Semitic and officious. Nevertheless, many pro-Israel types are to be found among them and historically have often helped the State of Israel.
Bear of Berne in Swotzerland.
A comparision of the Naional Caharacteristics of the Finns and the Swiss show some similarities and also differences:
Both value an egalitarian, honest, hard-working, attidue and respect for privacy. The Finns are probably more reticent and communal in their attitude. The Swiss are stricter and possibly more interfering in their approach. The differences between the two peoples (at least on paper) do not seem so great.
. A work by Ivan MAGISTRINI (2011, Switzerland) shows that from pre-Roman times up until the present the Alpine regions of Switzerland and other areas of Europe used symbols and designs carved in stone and wood that were also known in Ancient Israel and the Middle East in general.