The Twelve Tribes of Israel Quiz

1. How many sons did Jacob have, and from how many different mothers?

1. 12 sons from four mothers
2. 12 sons from one mother
3. 12 sons from three mothers
4. 12 sons from two mothers

2. Which tribe was given no territorial inheritance in the Promised Land and why?

1. The tribe of Dan, because of their idolatry
2. The tribe of Levi, because God Himself was their inheritance as the priestly tribe
3. The tribe of Reuben, because Reuben lost his birthright
4. The tribe of Simeon, because of Simeon's sin at Shechem

3. Which tribe did Jesus come from, fulfilling prophecy that the Messiah would come from the 'lion's sceptre'?

1. The tribe of Benjamin
2. The tribe of Joseph
3. The tribe of Judah
4. The tribe of Levi

4. Why did the 12 tribes of Israel become 13 tribal allotments but remain called 'twelve tribes'?

1. Benjamin was absorbed into Judah after the civil war
2. Joseph's son Ephraim died childless so his inheritance was divided
3. Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh each received a tribal portion, replacing Levi and Joseph
4. The tribe of Judah was divided into north and south

5. Which of Jacob's sons did Jacob rebuke most severely in his final blessing, saying 'you went up onto your father's bed'?

1. Judah
2. Levi
3. Reuben
4. Simeon

6. After the death of Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms. Which tribes formed the northern Kingdom of Israel?

1. All tribes except Judah
2. All tribes except Judah and Benjamin
3. Only Ephraim and Manasseh
4. Ten northern tribes, led by Jeroboam

7. Which tribe's territory included the city of Jerusalem?

1. Benjamin — though Jerusalem's expansion placed it within both Benjamin and Judah
2. Dan
3. Ephraim
4. Judah exclusively

8. Which tribe was in Jacob's dying blessing compared to a serpent by the roadside and a viper along the path?

1. Asher
2. Dan
3. Gad
4. Naphtali

9. Which tribe occupied the territory furthest north in the Promised Land and is associated with the region of Galilee?

1. Asher
2. Issachar
3. Naphtali
4. Zebulun

10. The tribe of Benjamin produced Israel's first king and later one of the New Testament's most famous apostles. Who were they?

1. Gideon and Peter
2. Jonathan and Timothy
3. Saul and Barnabas
4. Saul and Paul

11. What does Jacob say in his blessing about the tribe of Judah that indicates a coming ruler or king?

1. 'Judah is a young lion... who will rouse him?'
2. 'Judah will attack his enemies; his brothers will praise him'
3. 'The sceptre will not depart from Judah...until he to whom it belongs shall come'
4. Both B and C (all of these are in the Judah blessing)

12. Which tribe settled on the east side of the Jordan River rather than in Canaan itself?

1. Dan and Asher
2. Ephraim and the other half of Manasseh
3. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
4. Zebulun and Issachar

13. In Jacob's blessing, which son is compared to a 'fruitful vine near a spring' — a blessing of abundance?

1. Asher
2. Issachar
3. Joseph
4. Zebulun

14. The tribe of Simeon ended up with no distinct territory of its own but was scattered within Judah's land. Why was Simeon's tribe diminished in Jacob's blessing?

1. Because Simeon abandoned Jacob during the famine to go to Egypt
2. Because Simeon and Levi angrily killed all the men of Shechem after their sister Dinah was violated
3. Because Simeon had fewer descendants than the other tribes
4. Because Simeon was the second born and birthright went to Judah

15. What was the Urim and Thummim, associated with the tribe of Levi?

1. A pair of silver trumpets used in worship
2. Special offerings only the tribe of Levi could make
3. Two bronze pillars at the entrance to the tabernacle
4. Two special stones kept in the high priest's breastplate used to seek God's guidance

16. Which tribe's name literally means 'praise' in Hebrew, and why was this name given?

1. Asher — because Leah said 'How happy I am'
2. Benjamin — meaning 'son of my right hand'
3. Judah — because Leah said 'This time I will praise the LORD' when he was born
4. Levi — because the Levites praise God in worship

17. In Revelation 7, the 144,000 sealed servants are drawn from the twelve tribes. Which tribe is missing from this list compared to the Genesis list?

1. Dan
2. Ephraim
3. Naphtali
4. Reuben

18. In the New Testament, what tribe was the prophetess Anna from — the woman who recognised the infant Jesus at the temple?

1. The tribe of Asher
2. The tribe of Benjamin
3. The tribe of Judah
4. The tribe of Naphtali

19. Jacob's blessing of Benjamin in Genesis 49 uses a striking image. How does it describe Benjamin?

1. 'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder'
2. 'Benjamin is a swift runner, swifter than the eagle'
3. 'Benjamin is the smallest but the most beloved among the tribes'
4. 'Benjamin shall strike his enemies from behind like a serpent'

20. According to Deuteronomy 33, Moses' final blessing describes which tribe as the one who will 'dwell by the sea' and 'be a haven for ships'?

1. Asher
2. Dan
3. Naphtali
4. Zebulun