Tribal Symbols

 

The Symbols of the Tribes are often depicted in Synagogues. In fact that is about the only depictions (apart from geometric designs and maybe a menora) one will find.

 The Book of Numbers (2:7) tells us that each Tribe had its characteristic symbol used in its encampment.

Numbers 2:
 2 The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.

According to the Midrash each of the Tribes appears to have had an animal symbol as well as another one. Not all the symbols are known to us.

The picture above depicts symbols of the Tribes (arranged from right to left) according to their births (Genesis chs. 29, 30, 35).
 The first symbol given for each tribe in the list below is derived from the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabah 2:7).
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Ist Row from left to right.

Judah is depicted by a lion.

Genesis 49:
 9 Judah is a lion's whelp;
 From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
 He couches, he lies down as a lion ["Aryeh"],
 And as a lion ["Lavi"], who dares rouse him up?

Levi: the Priestly Breastplate i.e. the Urim and Tumim.

Deuteronomy (NASB) 33:
 8 Of Levi he said,
 Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man,
 Whom You proved at Massah,
 With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;

The Levites and priests served in the Holy Temple. The Breastplate of the High Priest served as a kind of oracle.

Simeon: the picture of the entrance to a walled city representing the city of Schechem that Simeon with his brother Levi captured by subterfuge (Genesis 34:25).

Reuben by Mandrakes (Genesis 30:14).
 In synagogue art Reuben is often depicted by a Rising Sun. I am not sure why. It could be due to the similarity of the Aramaic word for for seeing (Hama) and a Hebrew word (Hamah) meaning sun. The name Reuben in Hebrew means "See a Son" (Genesis 29:32).'''

 

2nd Row.
 Asher an olive tree.

Genesis 49:
 20 As for Asher, his food shall be rich,
 ["Shmeneh lachmi" i.e. Literally: "His food shall be oily," i.e. prepared with olive oil] And he will yield royal dainties.

Gad a row of tents representing a camp of soldiers (Genesis 49:19). The name €œGad€ is cognate with €œGedud€ i.e. a band of warriors.
 Gad can also be shown by a "Gedi" i.e. a kid goat or sheep, or by a dog.

Naphtali - a doe i.e. a female deer.

Genesis 49:
 21 Naphtali is a doe let loose,
 He gives beautiful words.

Dan - a pair of scales representing judgement which is a connotation of the name "Dan" (Genesis 49:16).

Genesis (NASB) 49:
 16 Dan shall judge his people,
 As one of the tribes of Israel.
 17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
 A horned snake in the path,
 That bites the horses heels,
 So that his rider falls backward.
 18 For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.

Dan is also sometimes shown by a serpent (Genesis 49:17), or even a dragon, or as a ship, "And why did Dan stay in ships?" (Judges 5:17)

 

 

 

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3rd Row
 Benjamin - a wolf (Genesis 49:27).

Genesis (NASB) 49:
Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
 In the morning he devours the prey,
 And in the evening he divides the spoil.

Benjamin may also be represented by a picture of the Temple. The area of the Temple belonged to all the Tribes BUT in a geographic sense it was divided between territory in the portion of Judah and that in the area of Benjamin.

Deuteronomy (NASB) 33:
 12 Of Benjamin he said,
 May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him,
 Who shields him all the day,
 And he dwells between His shoulders.

The above verse in the Hebrew original may alternately be read to say:

Deuteronomy (YD) 33:
 12 Regarding Binyamin he said,
 He is the friend of the LORD
 he dwells in surety
 [God] hovers over him all day long
 And between his shouders dwells.

This may be understood to read that the presence of the Almighty dwells between the shoulders (i.e. mountain slopes) of Benjamin.

 

Joseph - a sheaf of wheat (Genesis 37:7). This is based on the dream of Joseph when he saw the sheafs of his brothers and family bow down to his sheaf.
 Joseph is also sometimes depicted by a sheep, or by a palm tree, or by a vine climbing up a wall.

Genesis (NASB) 49:
 22 Joseph is a fruitful bough,
 [The word translated as "bough" is "purat" which can connote a grape vine.]
 A fruitful bough by a spring;
 Its branches run over a wall.
 23 The archers bitterly attacked him,
 And shot at him and harassed him;
 24 But his bow remained firm,
 And his arms were agile,
 From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
 (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
 25 From the God of your father who helps you,
 And by the Almighty who blesses you
 With blessings of heaven above,
 Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
 Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
 26 The blessings of your father
 Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
 Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
 May they be on the head of Joseph,
 And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

Joseph was divided into Ephraim and Manasseh who were both major tribes in their own right.

Deuteronomy (NASB) 33:
 13 Of Joseph he said,
Blessed of the LORD be his land,
 With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
 And from the deep lying beneath,
 14 And with the choice yield of the sun,
 And with the choice produce of the months.
 15 And with the best things of the ancient mountains,
 And with the choice things of the everlasting hills,
 16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
 And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
 Let it come to the head of Joseph,
 And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.
 17 As the firstborn of his ox [Hebrew: "shor" i.e. bull], majesty is his,
 And his horns are the horns of the wild ox [Hebrew: "raem" i.e. unicorn];
 With them he will push the peoples,
 All at once, to the ends of the earth.
 And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
 And those are the thousands of Manasseh.

Ephraim is represented by a bull (Deuteronomy 37:17, Jeremiah 31:18).

Jeremiah 31:
 18 I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
 You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
 Like an untrained calf [Hebrew: "aegel" i.e. bull-calf];
 Bring me back that I may be restored,
 For You are the LORD my God.

Manasseh is an animal called a Ream (Deuteronomy 37:17). The identity of this beast is disputed but the most accepted identification is a unicorn.

 

Zebulon is a ship.
 Zebulon was destined to be a merchant dwelling by the seacoast and earn his living by international trade.

Genesis (NASB) 49:
 13 Zebulun will dwell at the seashore;
 And he shall be a haven for ships,
 And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

Issachar is an astronomical configuration here shown by the sun surrounded by stars. Issachar was to give Israel knowledge of times (1-Chronicles 12:32). This is understood to mean astronomical reckonings.
 Issachar is also sometimes represented by a donkey.

Genesis (NASB) 49:
 14 Issachar is a strong donkey,
 Lying down between the sheepfolds.
 15 When he saw that a resting place was good
 And that the land was pleasant,
 He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,
 And became a slave at forced labor.
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See Also:
 Symbolism
 http://www.britam.org/Questions/...

Tribal Characteristics in A Nutshell. The Tribes According to their Order of Birth 
 http://www.britam.org/tribes/Tri...
 Discusses the symbols, representative gem stones, male and female characteristics of the Tribes.

Israeli Stamps
 http://britam.org/stamps.html

Tribal Symbols on the Sephardic Synagogue Doors in Nachlaot, Jerusalem, Israel 
 http://britam.org/synagogue.html