The Riddle of the Half-Tribe of Manasseh.
Contents:
1. Introduction. Sons of Gad and Reuben.
2. The Maps.
3. "Ha-Emek Davar". Judah in Manasseh to Strengthen the Other Tribes!
4. Half-Manasseh helped link Gad and Reuben to the Other Tribes.
5. Ancestral Inheritance. Previous Possession east of the Jordan.
6. The Numbers increased disproportionately.
7. Grazing Animals and the Need for Pasture.
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1. Introduction. Sons of Gad and Reuben.
Re
Rabbi Alter: Complete Conquest.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/rabbi/rabbialter.html
# The Israelites were supposed to enter the Land west of the Jordan, conquer and divide it and then spread outwards. The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-Tribe of Manasseh had numerous flocks of sheep and cattle. The areas east of the Jordan had already been conquered on the way westward. This land was suitable for cattle and sheep. The two and a half-Tribes accordingly requested that the Land east of the Jordan be given unto them, and that they leave their flocks there. In return the portion further west that would otherwise have gone to them should be given to their brother-tribes.
# The Commentary "Ha-Emek Davar" by the NETZIV (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, 1816-1893) explains that in the beginning all the 12 Tribes were meant to conquer together the area west of the Jordan. This region would then firstly be divided among all 12 of them. The land east of the Jordan would then in turn be divided up among the 12 Tribes who would use if for grazing. Since Reuben and Gad had much sheep and cattle (apparently far in excess of the others) they asked that first of all they receive the area east of the Jordan and not divide it among the other Tribes:
# In return the portions that Gad and Reuben would otherwise have gotten west of the Jordan should be given to the remaining Ten Tribes in the western area. This was agreed to BUT the half-Tribe of Manasseh also received a portion east of the Jordan alongside Reuben and Gad.
Manasseh therefore had portions on each side of the Jordan.
Why was that?
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2. The Maps.
If you look at the Maps on:
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/archaeology/mana3maps.html articles/archaeology/mana3maps.html
You will see different depictions of the Territory of Manasseh both east and west of the Jordan.
The region to the east is referred to in the Bible as "The Half-Tribe of Manasseh."
In some of the maps the 2 halves are separated by intervening Territories belonging to other Tribes. In the rest of the Maps the two halves adjoin each other from both sides of the Jordan.
The area to the west of the Jordan was more populous and more given over to agriculture. To the east the pasturing of cattle and sheep were more important.
Nevertheless, the half-Tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan compared to its neighboring Tribes of Gad and Reuben was also productive.
The Bible speaks at some length concerning the settlement of Gad and Reuben east of the Jordan.
Their settlement in that area before the rest of the Tribes had conquered the areas east of the Jordan is explained by their desire for grazing pasture.
The half-tribe of Manasseh being found in the end alongside them is listed as a given fact with no explanation.
Different Commentaries have suggested reasons of their own. These are to be considered more as supplementary explanations rather than contradictory solutions.
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3. The Commentary "Ha-Emek Davar". Judah in Manasseh to Strengthen the Other Tribes!
"Ha-Emek Davar" in several places discusses the Half-Tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan, Machir son of Manasseh, and Yair.
Before we continue the author of "Ha-Emek Davar" is worth noting ih his own right.
See:
Rabbis Quoted:
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/sources/rabbisquoted.html
Entry: HA-NATZIV.
"Ha-Emek Davar" of "Ha-Natziv" says that some of the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh who settled east of the Jordan were actually descended from Hezron of Judah.
The Bible lists the 5 sons of Judah, Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and then Perez and Shelah. From Perez came Hezron and Hamul.
Hezron (Hetsron) had several sons, then he took the daughter of Machir, father of Gilead,
1-Chronicles TCT (The Complete Tanak) 2:
3 THE SONS OF JUDAH: ER, AND ONAN, AND SHELAH. THREE WERE BORN TO HIM FROM THE DAUGHTER OF SHUA, THE CANAANITE, AND ER, THE FIRSTBORN OF JUDAH, WAS EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD, AND HE PUT HIM TO DEATH.
4 AND TAMAR, HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, BORE HIM PEREZ AND ZERAH; ALL THE SONS OF JUDAH WERE FIVE.
5 THE SONS OF PEREZ: HEZRON AND HAMUL...
21 AND AFTERWARDS, HEZRON CAME TO THE DAUGHTER OF MACHIR, THE FATHER OF GILEAD, AND HE TOOK HER, AND HE WAS SIXTY YEARS OLD, AND SHE BORE HIM SEGUB. :
22 AND SEGUB BEGOT JAIR, AND HE HAD TWENTY-THREE CITIES IN THE LAND OF GILEAD.
To these descendants of Jair (Yair) son of Segub son of Hezron son of Judah may have been added others from Judah. There was therefore an enclave from Judah among the offspring of Machir son of Manasseh east of the Jordan.
Numbers (TCT) 32:
33 MOSES GAVE THE DESCENDANTS OF GAD AND THE DESCENDANTS OF REUBEN AND HALF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH THE SON OF JOSEPH, THE KINGDOM OF SIHON, KING OF THE AMORITES, AND THE KINGDOM OF OG, KING OF BASHAN THE LAND TOGETHER WITH ITS CITIES WITHIN BORDERS, THE CITIES OF THE SURROUNDING TERRITORY.
Ha-Emek Davar.
HALF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH.
Here (unlike elsewhere) it does not say "TO THE SONS OF (MANASSEH)" because there were many among them from Judah.
Ha-Emek Davar quotes the Talmud as saying these descendants of Judah within Manasseh were planted among the Tribes of Reuben and Gad to strengthen them.
# It would seem that Moses perceived that east of the Jordan the strength of the Torah might be weakened.... He therefore endeavored to plant among them Great Torah Sages ... [these were] the sons of Machir son of Manasseh (who were also descended) from Judah.
In Summation:
The name Yair is associated with Judah. The First Book of Chronicles chapter 2 speaks of the sons of Judah. There were five of them. He had two of his sons (Zerah and Pharez) by Tamar. Pharez begat Hezron. The Bible tells us that Hezron had sons named: JERAHMEEL, AND RAM, AND CHELUBAI [1-Chronicles 2:9]. Scripture continues to relate that from Ram son of Hezron emerged the family of King David. Then the Bible tells us about the genealogy of CALEB [i.e. CHELUBAI] THE SON OF HEZRON [1-Chronicles 2:18]. After that Scripture, goes back to deal with Hezron again. We are told that in his old age after having children with other wives, Hezron married a daughter of Machir son of Manasseh. From this union emerged Segub (pronounced as "Seguv") who begat Yair who was to possess cities in Gilead. Yair was thus through his grandfather Hezron a descendant of Judah but on the side of his mother he was related to Machir and had his inheritance among descendants of Machir in Gilead.
Judges (TCT) 5:
14 OUT OF EPHRAIM, WHOSE ROOT WAS AGAINST AMALEK; AFTER YOU (WILL BE) BENJAMIN WITH YOUR ABATERS; OUT OF MACHIR CAME DOWN OFFICERS (LAW-MAKERS), AND OUT OF ZEBULUN THEY THAT HANDLE THE PEN OF THE SCRIBE.
The Law-Makers of Machir according to one opinion actually meant descendants of Yair son of Hezron of Judah. Lawmakers is a term associated with Judah (Psalms 60:7, KJB).
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4. Half-Manasseh helped link Gad and Reuben to the Other Tribes.
Joshua ch.22 show how Gad and Reuben and half-Manasseh were worried about being distanced from the other Tribes.
They built a very large altar besides the Jordan. This was intended to remind them of their connection with the other Tribes to the west. Their brother Tribes from the west however suspected them of having idolatrous intentions. They sent a delegation to them and expressed their suspicions. They also said that if the Land the Eastern Tribes were presently in was considered "unclean" (22:19) by them they could more to the west side.
Gad, Reuben, and the half-Tribe of Manasseh explained that they simply wanted a Monumental Land-Mark that would remind everybody that the Tribes on both sides of the Jordan were all one people.
Joshua (TCT) 22:
9 AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH RETURNED, AND DEPARTED FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF SHILOH, WHICH IS IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, TO GO TO THE COUNTRY OF GILEAD, TO THE LAND OF THEIR POSSESSION, OF WHICH THEY WERE POSSESSED, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD THROUGH MOSES.
10 AND THEY CAME TO THE REGIONS OF THE JORDAN, THAT ARE IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH BUILT AN ALTAR THERE BY THE JORDAN, A GREAT ALTAR TO LOOK UPON.
11 AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HEARD SAY, "BEHOLD, THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND THE HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH HAVE BUILT AN ALTAR OVER AGAINST THE LAND OF CANAAN, IN THE REGIONS OF THE JORDAN, AT THE SIDE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."
12 AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HEARD OF IT, THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ASSEMBLED AT SHILOH, TO GO UP TO WAR AGAINST THEM.....
15 AND THEY CAME TO THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND TO THE HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH, TO THE LAND OF GILEAD, AND THEY SPOKE WITH THEM, SAYING.
16 "THUS SAID THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD, 'WHAT TREACHERY IS THIS THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST THE GOD OF ISRAEL, TO TURN AWAY THIS DAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD, IN THAT YOU HAVE BUILT AN ALTAR THAT YOU MIGHT REBEL THIS DAY AGAINST THE LORD.
17 IS THE INIQUITY OF PEOR TOO LITTLE FOR US, FROM WHICH WE HAVE NOT BEEN CLEANSED UNTIL THIS DAY, AND THERE WAS A PLAGUE IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD.
18 AND YOU WILL TURN AWAY THIS DAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD? AND IT WILL BE, SINCE YOU REBEL TODAY AGAINST THE LORD, THAT TOMORROW HE WILL BE ANGRY WITH THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL.
19 HOWEVER, IF THE LAND OF YOUR POSSESION IS UNCLEAN, THEN PASS YOU OVER TO THE LAND OF THE POSSESSION OF THE LORD, IN WHICH THE LORD'S TABERNACLE DWELLS, AND TAKE POSSESSION AMONG US; BUT DO NOT REBEL AGAINST THE LORD, NOR REBEL AGAINST US, IN YOUR BUILDING AN ALTAR BESIDES THE ALTAR OF THE LORD OUR GOD.
The Tribes east of the Jordan appeased the delegation and assured them that their intentions had been honest ones.
The assurance was accepted.
34 AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD CALLED THE ALTAR: 'FOR IT IS A WITNESS BETWEEN US THAT THE LORD IS GOD.'
We see from above that there was a certain feeling of spiritual and emotional distancing between the two halves of the Hebrew Tribes.
Having one half of Manasseh on one side and another half of Manasseh on the other side would have helped link the two halves.
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5. Ancestral Inheritance. Previous Possession east of the Jordan.
The Israelites were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who was re-named Israel.
Israel had 12 sons. One of his sons, Joseph, was sold into Egypt but ended becoming the effective ruler of the country.
Joseph helped make his bothers officials and administrators in the Egyptian administration. At that time Egypt ruled over much of the Middle East including the area of Canaan.
Machir, son of Manasseh, had a high status in Egypt. He maintained settlements and enterprises of his own in Canaan as did others of his family.
This probably continued for a few generations. Machir had had a special interest in the region of Gilead east of the Jordan.
When a New Pharoah arose over Egypt and began to oppress the Hebrews the link with Canaan was probably broken. Nevertheless it had existed. It set a precedent.
The Tribe of Manassah had sentimental and ancestral associations with the region east of the Jordan and may therefore have wanted to settle there.
Yehudah Kiel quotes from different sources (including a "Student of Rabbi Saadia Gaon," 892-942 CE) that Machir son of Manasseh, while the Tribes were in Egypt, had maintained possessions east of the Jordan.
See:
Yair in Irin
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/ireland-and-ulster/yair.html
Who Was Machir?
Were there Israelites in Canaan Before Moses?
Do New Archaeological Findings Help Strengthen Brit-Am Research Suggestions!
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/sphinx.html
Sheerah and Her Brothers
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/sheerah.html
Numbers: Future Expansion
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/moses/moses-7.html
Biblical Passages
Numbers 32:40 AND MOSES GAVE GILEAD UNTO MACHIR THE SON OF MANASSEH; AND HE DWELT THEREIN.
Numbers 32:41 AND JAIR THE SON OF MANASSEH WENT AND TOOK THE SMALL TOWNS THEREOF AND CALLED THEM HAVOTH-JAIR.
"HAVOTH-JAIR" i.e. "The Townships or Homesteads (Havoth) of Yair"
Numbers 32:42 AND NOBAH WENT AND TOOK KENATH, AND THE VILLAGES THEREOF, AND CALLED IT NOBAH, AFTER HIS OWN NAME.
Yehudah Kiel explains according to the The Commentaries that Machir, Nobah, and Yair, mentioned above (Numbers 32:41-42), had died long before the time of Moses and Joshua . They had previously dwelt in Egypt, where at the beginning they received positions of authority. In their own lifetime they had been responsible for, or taken an active interest in, areas of Canaan that were later re-possessed by their descendants. The lands spoken of here, are those that later belonged to the Machir-dominated half-tribe of Manasseh, east of the Jordan River.
Yair in Mesopotamia and in the Celtic Britain was referred to as IAR.
Keating a major historian of Ancient Ireland had contradictory sources, one linked Iar to Judah and another to Nemhah. The Bible does the same! The name Nemhah in Gaelic Irish means "sanctified" or "separated" and has the same meaning as the Hebrew name of "Peresh" (1-Chronicles 7:16). In the Bible, Peresh was linked with Machir the son of Manasseh, and with Gilead, and therefore with Yair. As we find:
1-Chronicles 7:16 AND MAACHAH THE WIFE OF MACHIR BARE A SON, AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME PERESH; AND THE NAME OF HIS BROTHER WAS SHERESH; AND HIS SONS WERE ULAM AND RAKEM.
1-Chronicles 7:17 AND THE SONS OF ULAM; BEDAN. THESE WERE THE SONS OF GILEAD, THE SON OF MACHIR, THE SON OF MANASSEH.
From the above, we see that Peresh was the son of Machir, son of Manasseh. He was a brother of Gilead, and evidently counted amongst Gilead.
Peresh was linked with Gilead and Manasseh in the same way that Yair was linked with Gilead and Manasseh.
Source of Interest:
The Half-Tribe of Manasseh (Hebrew)
https://www.yholon.co.il/%D7%97%D7%A6%D7%99-%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%98-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%94/
by Rabbi Elazar Aharonson.
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6. The Numbers had increased disproportionately.
Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph with great increase:
Gesesis (TCT) 49:
16 MAY THE ANGEL WHO REDEEMED ME FROM ALL HARM BLESS THE YOUTHS, AND MAY THEY BE CALLED BY MY NAME AND THE NAME OF MY FATHERS, ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, AND MAY THEY MULTIPLY ABUNDANTLY LIKE FISH, IN THE MIDST OF THE LAND.
The Tribe of Manasseh especially was to experience an almost supernatural population explosion and needed extra lands beyond the region west of the Jordan that had originally been designated for them.
Census Numbers of Males from Manasseh ages 20 - 60:
Numbers 1:35 32,200 -when they were coming out of Egypt.
Numbers 26:34 52,700 - when they were about to enter the Land.
Percentage Increase 63% over ca. 40 years.
Census Numbers of Males from Ephraim ages 20 - 60:
Numbers 1:35 40,500 -when they were coming out of Egypt.
Numbers 26:35 32,500 - when they were about to enter the Land.
Percentage Decrease 19.75% over ca. 40 years.
Manasseh therefore had increased greatly in number whereas Ephraim had not.
Ephraim and Manasseh were both from Joseph. We later find the Children of Joseph in general complaining that due to their rate of multiplications the Lands given them west of the Jordan were insufficient.
Joshua (TCT) 17:
14 AND THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH SPOKE TO JOSHUA, SAYING, "WHY HAVE YOU GIVEN ME ONE LOT AND ONE PORTION FOR AN INHERITANCE, SEEING I AM A NUMEROUS PEOPLE, FORASMUCH AS THE LORD HAS BLESSED ME THUS?"
15 AND JOSHUA SAID TO THEM, "IF YOU ARE A NUMEROUS PEOPLE, THEN GO UP TO THE FOREST, AND CUT DOWN FOR YOURSELF THERE IN THE LAND OF THE PERIZZITES AND OF THE GIANTS, IF MOUNT EPHRAIM IS TOO CONFINED FOR YOU."
16 AND THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH SAID, "THE HILL IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US; AND ALL THE CANAANITES THAT DWELL IN THE LAND OF THE VALLEY HAVE CHARIOTS OF IRON, THEY WHO ARE OF BETH-SHEAN AND HER TOWNS, AND THEY WHO ARE OF THE VALLEY OF JEZREEL."
17 AND JOSHUA SPOKE TO THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH, TO EPHRAIM AND TO MANASSEH, SAYING, "YOU ARE A NUMEROUS PEOPLE, AND HAVE GREAT POWER; YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ONE LOT;
18 BUT THE MOUNTAIN SHALL BE YOURS, FOR IT IS A FOREST, AND YOU SHALL CUT IT DOWN; AND ITS OUTGOINGS SHALL BE YOURS, FOR YOU SHALL DRIVE OUT THE CANAANITE, THOUGH HE HAS IRON CHARIOTS, AND THOUGH HE IS STRONG.
All the Israelites when they came out of Egypt between the ages of 20 to 60 had been promised a portion in the Land. Nearly all that generation however died out so the Land was to go to their children.
Nevertheless, one explanation suggests that the Land was to be divided up to the families of those who had first come out of Egypt as if they were still alive and were bequeathing it to their offspring.
Another opinion says that when they entered the Land it was divided up according to those entering it.
A third option says that the two options above were combined.
For example,
Levi came out of Egypt. He had 2 sons Simeon and Yehudah.
Simeon had 9 sons, Yehudah had 1, i.e. 10 altogether.
The sons of Simeon and Yehudah entered the land and received 10 portions, 9 to the sons of Simeon, 1 to the son of Yehudah.
They then took the 10 portions and gave them to grandfather Levi (who had come out of Egypt) as if he was still alive.
Levi gave 5 portions to Simeon (who had 9 sons) and 5 to Yehudah who had 1 son.
These 3 options are discussed in the Talmud (Baba Batra 117-118). Each one of the options has verses and argument in its support but objections to it.
No final resolution of the problem is agreed to.
We do however see from all the above that in the 40 years between the coming out of Egypt and entering the Land the population of Manasseh had greatly increased. If the initial division had been based, wholly or in part, on the numbers coming out of Egypt then the portions going to individuals from Manasseh when they entered the Land
were smaller than those promised to indivuals when they came out of Egypt.
This may explain why the extra area east of the Jordan was given to Manasseh.
Source:
Shottenstein Commentary to the Talmud, Baba Batra, pp. 117-118.
How was the Land Divided?
1. According to the numbers that Came out of Egypt.
1. According to the numbers that Entered the Land.
3. A Combination of 1 and 2.
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7. Grazing Animals and the Need for Pasture.
Nachmanides opined that when Gad and Reuben began to divide their land east of the Jordan they found it to be much larger than expected. They therefore offered part of it to Manasseh who probably also had many grazing animals.
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