Land Allotment to the Remaining Six Tribes

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Chapter 19 describes the land allotted to the remaining 6 tribes. Simeon was given the southern portion of the land previously allotted to Judah. The actual dividing line is difficult to locate as the cities mentioned are no longer in existence and their location is not known. We know that the southern boundary began at Zoar on the southern tip of the Dead Sea and went S-W through the Wilderness of Zin to Kadesh-Barnea and then west following the River of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. The west boundary was the Mediterranean Sea. The east boundary was the Dead Sea but the exact location of the northern boundary is not known.

Zebulun was given land between Asher and Issachar. Again the boundary is vague because of the loss cities mentioned. The only known place mentioned is Mt. Tabor which was on the boundary between Zebulun and Issachar.

Issachar was given land bounded on the east by the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. The only other known landmark given is Mt. Gilboa which is mentioned as being on the boundary between Issachar and Manasseh.

Asher was given land to conquer. Most of their inheritance belonged to the Phoenicians who were very difficult to overcome. It was a long stretch of land along the Mediterranean Sea from the Shihor-aibnath River on the south, up through Phoenicia on the north, about 15 miles wide by 50 miles long.

Naphtali received a similar strip of land directly east of Asher to the north of the Jordan River, north to Phoenicia and south to Issachar.

Dan received a small piece of land on the Mediterranean Sea, north of Judah and south of Manasseh with Ephraim and Benjamin on the east.

Finally, an inheritance was given to Joshua. He received the city of Timnathserah located in the "hill country" in the land given to the tribe of Ephraim.

These were the inheritances of the Tribes of Israel, determined by "lot" before God, by Eleazar, the Priest, Joshua, son of Nun and the heads of the tribes. It was done at Shiloh at the door of the "tent of meeting".

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