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As we continue our series on the Twelve Tribes of Israel, we turn our attention to the Tribe of Dan. (You can find the other tribes we have studied here: The tribe of Reuben, The Tribe of Levi, The Tribe of Simeon, the Tribe of Naphtali and the Tribe of Judah)Dan was the fifth of Jacob’s sons, the first by Bilhah, the maid of Rachel.When he was born, Rachel, who had suffered infertility for some time, Rachel exclaimed:You can find everything that you are looking for about the tribe of Israel on my website, but if you would like a study of all12 Tribes of Israel, (plus the two half tribes) you can purchase the ebook for your convenience. No ads, no pop ups and you’ll have it forever to refer to when studying the sons of Jacob. It includes videos and additional downloads. The best part – it’s only $10 for over 230 pages!! Your choice, read it here or have it forever.
“God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.” – Genesis 30:6Dan, in Hebrew is translated as “judge”דן, from the verbדין (din), to judge or govern
In Jacob’s Blessing there is a reference to Rachel’s words,
“Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.” – Genesis 49:16
The Tribe of Dan
The tribe was large in number. When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, about 1483 B.C., they were second in terms of numbers leaving Egypt with 62,700 men old enough for war – at least 20 years’ old (Numbers 1:39). During the second census they had lost just a few members and had 64,400 strong (Numbers 26:43). Dan outnumbered the Tribe of Manasseh, by almost 2 to 1, and outnumbered the Tribe of of Ephraim about 3 to 2. When Moses gave his last blessings to the children of Israel, he said of Dan” “About Dan he said:
‘Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan.’” – Deuteronomy 33:22
He proclaimed that Dan and his tribe would be a spirited, robust and a tribe of warriors. He wouldn’t sit quietly on the sidelines, but, instead would “spring” forth by leaps. If we turn to the book of Judges, we learn of another attribute of Dan and the Tribe of Dan. In the song of Deborah and Barak, the song asks:
“Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.” – Judges 5:17
(Video) Why is the Tribe of Dan Missing from Revelation?
The Tribe of Dan was a seafaring tribe. They loved to sail the seas. In this song, she is “calling out” the tribe of Dan for staying on their ships and refusing to fight. I find this interesting as in Moses blessing, he refers to them as lions, referring to their warlike tendencies. This seems to contradict that statement.
“At the same time Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, with the kingdom of Egypt left in shambles, some chose not to follow Moses into the land of Canaan. About 1500 B.C., a last flowering of megalithic culture occurred. On the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea, a tower-building people sometimes called the Shardana emerged, and soon dominated Sardinia and then invaded Corsica and the Balearics, and ruled them for about a thousand years. These were ancient Danites! Their very name identifies them! They gave their name to their island, SarDINia, and their very name SharDANa, proves who they really were. In Hebrew, the term “sharon” means a level “plain.” It comes from the root word yashar, meaning “to make straight or even, right, pleasant, prosperous.” The “Shardana” were nothing more than the “prosperous DANites,” the tribe of Dan! The term “sar” or “shar” in Hebrew means “chief,” “prince,” “ruler,” from which such words as “Tsar,” “Caesar,” “Kaiser,” etc., derive. The “Shar-Dana,” then, were the chiefs or princes of DAN!” (from https://www.hope-of-israel.org)]
Territory of The Tribe of Dan
The portion of land assigned to Dan was a central coastal area of Canaan adjoined to the territories of Ephraim, Benjamin and Judah, and lay on the western side of the of the mountains. In Judges 18:27-29, we find scripture declaring the initial territory assigned to the Tribe of Dan:
“Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob.
See AlsoGB WhatsApp 2022 - Download for Android APK FreeWhat is beacon and how does it work? BLE Bluetooth Beacons Technology Guide | Kontakt.ioProphecy calendar for 2022, 2023 to 2030 -- recent past and future dates -- New Age, Bible prophecy, Nostradamus, King James version Bible Code, and astrology predictions of world eventsLearn to Truly Pray Through the Lord's PrayerThe Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish.” – Judges 18:27-29
We see a reference to their new city again in Joshua 19:47:“(When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.)” – Joshua 19:47We are told that the Amorites forced the Tribe of Dan into the mountain so they couldn’t access what was considered the richest part of their portion of land. This land was the most fertile of the territory between the mountain and the sea.
“The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.” – Judges 1:34
Later we find the Danites oppressed by the Philistines. You may recall the story and exploits of Samson against the Philistines in Judges 14. Samson was one of the most famous members of the Danites.
The Blessing of Dan by Jacob
Before Jacob, Dan’s father died, he gave a blessing to each of his sons. This is the blessing given to Dan:
“Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.
“I look for your deliverance, Lord.” – Genesis 49:16-18
(Video) Why is the Tribe of Dan Missing in the 144,000 in Revelation?
Notice several things about this blessing. First, Jacob prophesied that Dan would judge Israel. This part of the blessing was fulfilled by Samson who judged Israel for twenty years. We find this judgement and confirmation that he led Israel in Judges 15:16, 20 as well as Judges 16:31. Second, he claimed that Dan would become idolatrous and would become like the serpent in the Garden of Eden in that he would not be faithful to God.When the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land, the tribe of Dan was seventh in line to select their territory (Joshua 19:40-51). However, they were not able to occupy their selected territory due to a lack of faith and later moved north (Judges 18:1-31), as we read above. As they moved north, the Danites stole Micah’s idols and Micah’s priest agreed to be the priest for the the tribe.
“Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, some household gods and an image overlaid with silver? Now you know what to do.” So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him. The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance of the gate.
When the five men went into Micah’s house and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
They answered him, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” – Judges 18:14-19
Jacob’s prophesy, again, proves true as we see in Judges 18:30:
“There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land.” – Judges 18:30
The Danites continued this idolatry until the Assyrian Empire took them captive in 722 B.C.
“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.” – 1 Kings 12:28-30
And
“However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.” – 2 Kings 10:29
(Video) Why the Tribe of Dan is Not Listed in Revelation, Part 1
Why is The Tribe of Dan Absent From Revelations?
In the book of Revelation, when the Messiah tells the apostle John that he will choose 144,000 special servants from the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:1-8), and chooses 12,000 out of each tribe, it is interesting to note that he chooses double from the Tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manesseh’s portion). We may find at least some of the answer in the book of Judges. We know that they attacked Laish and turned to idolatry. Throughout the centuries, they continued to engage in idolatry and were slow to repent of their sins. So, the tribe is missing from the list of tribes in Revelation 7:4-8 and will not be part of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses in the tribulation period. An interesting note, however, is that they appear again in Ezekiel 48:1-2, 32.
“These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo Hamath; Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of its border from the east side to the west side.
Asher will have one portion; it will border the territory of Dan from east to west.” – Ezekiel 48:1-2
And again:
“On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.” – Ezekiel 48:32
These scriptures do show that the tribe of Dan will have land designated for them during the millennial kingdom. They will continue to reject God in the tribulation but they will turn to God at the end of the millennial kingdom because our God will draw them to Christ.
Interesting Facts about the Tribe of Dan:
- Their tribe symbols are the scales and serpent/snake (from Jacob’s blessing)
- Descendants of the tribe of Dan are said to be found in modern day Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Northern England and Denmark as well as the United States.
- Their gemstone is said to be the sapphire
You may enjoy this short video on how the tribe of Dan missed God:
For additional reading and study, you may wish to consider one of these recommended resources: 
What do you find most interesting about who the Danites were and their patriarch Dan? Because of Him, Sue
1 The Tribe of Dan
1.1 Territory of The Tribe of Dan
1.2 The Blessing of Dan by Jacob
1.3 Why is The Tribe of Dan Absent From Revelations?
1.4 Interesting Facts about the Tribe of Dan:
FAQs
Why is the Tribe of Dan not included? ›
The selection of the twelve tribes does not include the names of Ephraim and Dan, although their names were used for the twelve tribes that settled in the Promised Land. It has been suggested that this could be because of their pagan practices.
What happened to the Israelite Tribe of Dan? ›Dan was one of the 10 northern tribes that disappeared from history after the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel in 721 bc. They are known in Jewish legends as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Who did the Tribe of Dan descend from? ›From that time, the Tribe of Dan has been counted as one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. According to the Torah, the tribe consisted of descendants of Dan a son of Jacob and Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant (Genesis 30:4).
What is the prophecy about the Tribe of Dan? ›Gen. 49: 16-18 reads, 'Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for thy salvation, O Lord.
Who is the lost tribe of Israel? ›Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, 10 of the original 12 Hebrew tribes, which, under the leadership of Joshua, took possession of Canaan, the Promised Land, after the death of Moses. They were named Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun—all sons or grandsons of Jacob.
What happened in Dan in the Old Testament? ›The Bible describes the Tribe of Dan with 600 men brutally defeating the people of Laish and burning the town to the ground, and then building their own town in the same spot. The narrative states that Laish subsequently became known as Dan, after the name of the tribe.
What is the spiritual meaning of Dan? ›Name. The text of the Torah explains that the name of Dan derives from dananni, meaning "he has judged me", in reference to Rachel's belief that she had gained a child as the result of a judgment from God.
Where is the Dan tribe located in Africa? ›Dan, also called Gio or Yakuba, an ethnolinguistic grouping of people inhabiting the mountainous west-central Côte d'Ivoire and adjacent areas of Liberia. The Dan belong to the Southern branch of the Mande linguistic subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family.
What does Dan mean in Hebrew? ›Dan is one such example, and this Hebrew name means "God is my judge." The name has biblical roots, as Dan was the fifth son of Jacob, the founder of one of 12 tribes of Israel.
Where is the lost tribe of Israel? ›Conquered by the Assyrian King Shalmaneser V, they were exiled to upper Mesopotamia and Medes, today modern Syria and Iraq. The Ten Tribes of Israel have never been seen since.
What tribe was Judas Iscariot from? ›
The inhabitants of Judah were the Judahites (later abbreviated as “Jews”), and thus Judas' name is equated with the Jews.
What tribe is Jesus from? ›Tribe of Judah - Wikipedia.
Which tribe is Daniel from? ›According to the Hebrew Bible, Daniel was a noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, serving the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel.
Who were the mothers of the 12 tribes? ›The younger daughter of Laban and wife of Jacob, Rachel is the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who become two of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen 35:24; Gen 46:15–18). Her maid Bilhah is ancestor of two more (Gen 35:25; Gen 46:23–24).
How many tribes are in Israel? ›Twelve Tribes of Israel, in the Bible, the Hebrew people who, after the death of Moses, took possession of the Promised Land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua.
What are the two remaining tribes of Israel? ›They were Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Judah and Benjamin. Of these 12, only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin survived.
Who is the 13th tribe of Israel? ›Koestlees Thirteenth Tribe, the Khazars. They appear, in succession to the Huns, as overlords of the East Slays in about the fifth century of our era. But, as we learn from Mr. Koestler's excellent book, there is much more to the Khazars than that.
What does the Bible say about the lost tribe of Israel? ›The scriptural basis for the idea of lost tribes is 2 Kings 17:6: "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes."
Why is the Tel Dan important? ›Tel Dan is one of the most important sites in the ancient Near East, in general, and for biblical archaeology, in particular. Situated at the base of snow-capped Mount Hermon on the headwaters of the Jordan, Dan has been an important settlement from the Neolithic period (ca. 5,000 BCE) through the early modern period.
What is the meaning of Kurios? ›Kyrios or kurios (Ancient Greek: κύριος, romanized: kū́rios) is a Greek word which is usually translated as "lord" or "master".
When were the tribes of Israel scattered? ›
In A.D. 70 and again in A.D. 135, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the Jews among all nations. Remarkably, many of the Jews maintained their identity as a people. The lost tribes, however, remained scattered throughout the world; most of them do not know that they are descendants of Israel.
What does Gad mean in Hebrew? ›The text of the Book of Genesis implies that the name of Gad means luck/fortunate, in Hebrew.
What does belteshazzar mean? ›In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Belteshazzar is: Who lays up treasures in secret.
What does name Gabriel mean? ›Hebrew in origin, the name Gabriel is translated as “God is my strength,” “God is my strong man” or “hero of God.” In Christian belief, Gabriel is revered not only as one of only two archangels mentioned in the Bible (along with Michael), but as the bearer of very good news.
What tribe does the Dan mask come from? ›Masks are the most important art form of the Dan people of Liberia. The Dan people refer to these masks as gle or ge, terms that refers both to the physical mask and the individual spirits the mask is believed to embody during masquerade performances.
What does the Dan mask represent? ›Dan masks are sacred objects. Dan masks are used for protection and as a channel for communication with the spirit world. The Dan also carry small 'passport masks' for personal protection when they are living away from home.
What material is the Dan mask made of? ›Carved from a single piece of soft wood, this oval face mask by a Dan carver of Côte d'Ivoire or Liberia features a wide forehead, large circular eye holes, and nose and mouth in high relief. The wood has been darkened and appears black with a shiny surface.
What is the full name of Dan? ›Most often used as a short form of the name Daniel.
What is the personality of the name Dan? ›When people hear the name Daniel, they perceive you as someone who is full of life, uplifting, inspiring, and even charming. You are the life of the party with your lively, intelligent, and witty personality. Others will find you as strikingly attractive and like being the center of attention.
What nationality is the name Dan? ›Romanian; Hungarian (mainly Dán): from a short form of the Biblical personal name Daniel (Hungarian Dániel). Romanian: from a short form of the Slavic personal names Bogdan and Prodan . English (Devon and Cornwall): variant of Dann .
Is Ethiopia one of the lost tribes of Israel? ›
Beta Israel-Ethiopia
According to many traditions, Ethiopia was the land of the powerful Prester John's kingdom, as well as the home of the ten lost tribes.
The tribe of Judah settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah would come from among its members.
Why did God scatter the Israelites? ›Ancient Israel was scattered throughout the earth because the people rejected God's covenant. It was prophesied that Israel would be scattered among the nations of the earth because of the people's wickedness (see Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:23–27; 28:25, 37, 64; 1 Nephi 10:12–13; 21:1; 22:3–4).
What tribe did the 12 apostles come from? ›Based on Judas' last name, he was from the town of Kerioth in Judah, which means that he was also of the tribe of Judah. This makes him unique among the apostles, as all of the others were Galileans and from other Israelite tribes. He was the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples.
Who made Judas betray? ›Like the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Luke also cited Satan's influence, rather than mere greed, as a reason for Judas's betrayal.
What tribe was Simon the Zealot from? ›Simon born in Cana of Galilee who for his fervent affection for his Master and great zeal that he showed by all means to the Gospel, was surnamed Zelotes, having received the Holy Ghost from above, travelled through Egypt, and Africa, then through Mauretania and all Libya, preaching the Gospel.
Are there Levites today? ›In modern times, Levites are integrated in Jewish communities, but keep a distinct status. There are estimated 300,000 Levites among Ashkenazi Jewish communities, and a similar number among Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews combined. The total percentage of Levites among the wider Jewish population is about 4%.
What tribe was Mary the mother of Jesus from? ›16. Mary is said to descend on her father's side from the tribe of Judah, and on her mother's from the tribe of Levi.
Why is Jesus called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? ›Jesus is called the Lamb of God (John 1:36) to illustrate His gentleness and willingness to be the sacrifice for our sins. But He is also called the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) to display His absolute authority and power over all creation.
Is Dan a tribe of Israel? ›The Tribe of Dan, one of the 12 "Israelite tribes," may have started as no such thing. New archaeological evidence suggests that the Danites originated with mercenaries hired from the Aegean and Syria by the Egyptian overlords of Canaan to keep order.
Was the tribe of Benjamin almost wiped out? ›
Battle of Gibeah
Almost the entire tribe of Benjamin was wiped out by the other Israelite tribes. Six hundred of the men from the tribe of Benjamin survived by hiding in a cave for four months.
Dan, also called Gio or Yakuba, an ethnolinguistic grouping of people inhabiting the mountainous west-central Côte d'Ivoire and adjacent areas of Liberia. The Dan belong to the Southern branch of the Mande linguistic subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family.
What tribe was Judas Iscariot from? ›The inhabitants of Judah were the Judahites (later abbreviated as “Jews”), and thus Judas' name is equated with the Jews.
What is the spiritual meaning of Dan? ›Name. The text of the Torah explains that the name of Dan derives from dananni, meaning "he has judged me", in reference to Rachel's belief that she had gained a child as the result of a judgment from God.
Which tribe is Daniel from? ›According to the Hebrew Bible, Daniel was a noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, serving the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel.
What does Dan mean in Hebrew? ›Dan is one such example, and this Hebrew name means "God is my judge." The name has biblical roots, as Dan was the fifth son of Jacob, the founder of one of 12 tribes of Israel.
Why is the tribe of Benjamin so important? ›They were known for their courage, which is reflected in the blessing of Jacob (Genesis 49,27); despite being the smallest of all tribes, they played a vital role in the history of Israel, especially during the reign of Saul, who descended from the Tribe of Benjamin.
What happened to the original 12 tribes of Israel? ›Conquered by the Assyrian King Shalmaneser V, they were exiled to upper Mesopotamia and Medes, today modern Syria and Iraq. The Ten Tribes of Israel have never been seen since.
Why was Benjamin called a ravenous wolf? ›11, Benjamin through his descendants had been 'called a ravenous wolf because of (their) ravages' in the events recorded in Judg 19–20, but now, in the last days (cf. 11.2–3), through the ministry and teaching of the apostle Paul he has become 'the Lord's worker distributing food' to the Gentiles (T. Benj.
What tribe does the Dan mask come from? ›Masks are the most important art form of the Dan people of Liberia. The Dan people refer to these masks as gle or ge, terms that refers both to the physical mask and the individual spirits the mask is believed to embody during masquerade performances.
What does the Dan mask represent? ›
Dan masks are sacred objects. Dan masks are used for protection and as a channel for communication with the spirit world. The Dan also carry small 'passport masks' for personal protection when they are living away from home.
What material is the Dan mask made of? ›Carved from a single piece of soft wood, this oval face mask by a Dan carver of Côte d'Ivoire or Liberia features a wide forehead, large circular eye holes, and nose and mouth in high relief. The wood has been darkened and appears black with a shiny surface.
What does the word Iscariot mean? ›a person who betrays another; traitor.
What tribe did the 12 apostles come from? ›Based on Judas' last name, he was from the town of Kerioth in Judah, which means that he was also of the tribe of Judah. This makes him unique among the apostles, as all of the others were Galileans and from other Israelite tribes. He was the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples.
Who made Judas betray? ›Like the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Luke also cited Satan's influence, rather than mere greed, as a reason for Judas's betrayal.