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Issachar

Issachar was the ninth son of the Hebrew patriarch and the fifth son born to his wife , serving as the eponymous ancestor of one of the . His birth is recounted in the , where , after giving her maidservant to as a concubine, conceived and named him Issachar, deriving the name from the Hebrew root sākar, meaning "reward" or "hire," as she believed had compensated her for her actions. Issachar had four sons—Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron—who became the heads of clans within the tribe and accompanied the Israelites during their migration to amid famine. In Jacob's deathbed blessings, Issachar is poetically depicted as "a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds; he saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant; so he bowed his shoulder to the burden, and became a slave at forced labor," symbolizing the tribe's future as industrious laborers in fertile but demanding territory. The Tribe of Issachar received an allotment in the central region of ancient Israel, primarily the fertile Jezreel Valley west of the Jordan River, bordering tribes such as Manasseh to the south, Zebulun to the north, and Naphtali to the northeast, an area renowned for its agricultural productivity that aligned with the biblical portrayal of the tribe's toil. During the conquest of Canaan, Issachar participated in key events, including the battle against Sisera led by Deborah and Barak, where its warriors are noted for their support (Judges 5:15). The tribe produced notable leaders, including the judge Tola, who governed for 23 years from Shamir in the hill country of (Judges 10:1-2), and kings Baasha, who usurped the throne of the Northern around 909 BCE, and his son Elah (1 Kings 15:27, 16:8-14). Members of the tribe, particularly the "sons of Issachar," gained renown for their wisdom and discernment, described in 1 Chronicles 12:32 as 200 chiefs who "understood the times and knew what should do" during the transition to David's . As part of the Northern of , the tribe's territory was conquered by the Assyrian Empire around 722 BCE, leading to the exile and dispersal of its people. In Jewish tradition, Issachar embodies themes of scholarly diligence and humility, often paired with the in midrashic interpretations where Issachar devotes himself to while supports him commercially, reflecting a model of intellectual labor balanced by practical provision. This symbolic legacy underscores the tribe's association with resilience, understanding, and contributions to religious learning throughout biblical and post-biblical texts.

Biblical Accounts

As a Patriarch

Issachar was the ninth son of the Hebrew and the fifth son born to his first wife, , during the period when family lived in . His birth is recounted in the context of familial tensions between and her sister , second wife. The circumstances leading to Issachar's conception involved an exchange of mandrakes, plants believed to aid , which —Leah's eldest son—found in the fields during the wheat harvest and brought to his mother. Rachel, who was childless at the time and desired the mandrakes, asked for some, but refused, citing the loss of affections. In response, proposed that spend a night with in exchange for the mandrakes, an agreement accepted. That evening, after returned from the fields, met him and claimed the night as "hired" with the mandrakes, leading to her conception. Leah gave birth to Issachar and named him accordingly, declaring, "God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband," a statement that connects the name to the Hebrew root sakar, meaning "hire" or "reward," as recompense for having previously given her servant Zilpah to Jacob. As a member of Jacob's family, Issachar was a full brother to the other sons of Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and the later-born Zebulun. He was also a half-brother to the sons of Rachel—Joseph and Benjamin—and to the sons of the concubines Bilhah and Zilpah: Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. The provides no specific details about Issachar's personal lifespan, activities, or death. However, it lists his four sons—Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—in the of Jacob's descendants who migrated to during the .

The

The , one of the twelve s of ancient , traced its origins to the four sons of the Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, who founded the clannal divisions of the tribe as recorded in the biblical genealogies. During from , the first in the counted 54,400 men from Issachar who were twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army. The subsequent , taken nearly four decades later on the , reported a total of 64,300 such men, demonstrating the tribe's amid the Israelite wanderings. After the Israelite conquest of under , the tribe received its territorial inheritance in the northern region, centered on the agriculturally rich . This allotment comprised sixteen cities with their surrounding villages, including key settlements such as Jezreel, Chesulloth, , and Beth-shean (also known as Scythopolis). The territory bordered Manasseh to the south and east, to the northwest, and to the northeast, positioning Issachar in a strategically fertile and defensible area of the central highlands and valleys. In the of the Israelite camp during the wilderness period, the was assigned to the east side of the , encamped immediately adjacent to the as part of the leading division. During the era of the judges, Issachar actively supported the coalition against the forces, with 's victory song affirming that "Issachar was with and with ." The tribe also provided Tola son of Puah as a who led for twenty-three years from his residence in Shamir in the hill country of . Later, in the transition to , two hundred leaders from Issachar—distinguished for their wisdom in discerning the times and advising on 's course—joined at to pledge allegiance. Under the divided kingdom, the tribe's influence extended into politics when Baasha, an officer from Issachar, assassinated King Nadab and seized the throne of the northern kingdom of , reigning for twenty-four years from Tirzah. Like the other tribes of the northern kingdom, Issachar shared in the ultimate downfall, with its people exiled following the conquest and destruction of in 722 BCE.

Name and Symbolism

Etymology

The name Issachar, rendered in Hebrew as יִשָּׂשכָר (Yissāḵār), originates from the biblical narrative in 30:18, where , upon conceiving her fifth son, exclaims, " has given me my hire (šākār) because I gave my servant to my husband," deriving the name from the phrase yēš lî šākār ("I have my reward" or "there is reward for me"). This etymology combines the Hebrew particle yēš ("there is") with the noun šākār ("hire," "reward," or "wages"), reflecting a common in patriarchal naming traditions to signify divine compensation for Leah's perceived relational efforts. The verb root šākar (שָׂכַר, Strong's H7936), meaning "to hire" or "to reward," appears 21 times across the , while the related noun šākār (שָׂכָר, Strong's H7939) appears 28 times, with multiple occurrences in the Pentateuch emphasizing themes of labor, payment, and recompense, such as in 30:16 where "hires" with mandrakes. An alternative interpretation parses the name as ʾîš šākār ("man of hire" or "hired man"), evoking motifs of servitude or contractual within the patriarchal stories. Comparative philology suggests possible pre-Israelite roots, as the name resembles Amorite personal names attested in ancient texts, such as yašur-Il ("may [a deity] be gracious"), indicating potential adaptation from West Semitic during the patriarchal period. This linguistic analysis underscores the name's ties to economic and divine reciprocity motifs in the ancestral narratives, without direct prophetic implications.

Jacob's Blessing and Tribal Emblem

In 49:14-15, delivers a prophetic to his , foretelling the character and fate of the descended from him: “ is a rawboned lying down among the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.” The imagery of the in this symbolizes strength and , portraying as robust and capable of bearing heavy loads, which scholars interpret as reflecting the 's suitability for demanding physical work in fertile regions. This metaphor highlights a hardworking , with the 's sturdy frame evoking reliability rather than weakness, consistent with ancient Near Eastern views of the animal as a vital beast of burden for labor-intensive tasks. The phrase "lying down between two burdens" (or "saddlebags" in some translations) suggests dual responsibilities, possibly alluding in traditional interpretations to the tribe's commitment to both and physical toil, embodying a balanced that combines intellectual and manual efforts. This duality underscores themes of and submission, as the donkey rests contentedly yet willingly shoulders its loads without resistance. The tribal emblem of Issachar draws directly from this , traditionally depicted as a laden with saddlebags on a dark , symbolizing , burden-bearing, and steadfast ; this is associated with the encampment standards described in Numbers 2, where Issachar's position among the tribes reinforces the prophetic imagery of communal support and labor. The prophecy's reference to a "pleasant" land aligns with the tribe's later allotment in the fertile , a rich agricultural area that promised prosperity but demanded intensive cultivation and vulnerability to external domination, thus fulfilling the vision of restful yet laborious existence.

Jewish Traditions

Rabbinical Interpretations

In classical , Issachar is described as having been born on the fourth day of the month of and having lived for 122 years. According to midrashic tradition, he participated in the sale of his brother into slavery but later repented along with his siblings, as detailed in interpretations of the events surrounding the brothers' actions and their subsequent . This is portrayed as a collective turning point for the family, emphasizing themes of familial reconciliation and moral correction. The is frequently depicted in rabbinic sources as a community of scholars deeply devoted to , embodying a contrast between physical robustness and intellectual dedication. Rabbinic sources, such as , highlight their scholarly prowess, noting that the 200 chiefs of Issachar (I Chron. xii. 32) were leaders of the , whose decisions were implicitly accepted by their brethren. They are credited with developing the , drawing from biblical descriptions of their "understanding of the times" to fix intercalations and festivals, ensuring the alignment of lunar and solar cycles for religious observance. The symbolic imagery of Issachar as a "strong-boned " from Jacob's blessing is interpreted in midrashim as representing in the pursuit of scholarship; just as a donkey bears burdens patiently without ostentation, the tribe's manifested in quiet, enduring rather than worldly . The blessing in 49:14-15 describes Issachar as a 'strong-boned ,' interpreted in midrashim as bearing the of with strength. Post-exilic traditions emphasize that the tribe's survival and influence endured through their commitment to learning, preserving Jewish law and identity amid dispersion.

Partnership with Zebulun

In Jewish , the tribes of Issachar and are depicted as forming a symbiotic , with Issachar dedicating itself to the study of while engages in maritime trade and commerce to provide financial support for Issachar's scholarly pursuits. This partnership is also referenced in the Babylonian (Nedarim 80b), where it is stated that one who supports a Torah scholar shares in his reward as if he studied himself. This arrangement is elaborated in the , where it is explained that 's earnings from seafaring ventures sustain Issachar, allowing the latter to focus on religious learning without economic distraction. The underscores a division of labor that values spiritual endeavor as much as material provision, with both tribes sharing in the merits of . The biblical foundation for this tradition lies in the adjacent territories allotted to the in the , as described in the , where Issachar's inheritance borders Zebulun's coastal region to the north. This geographical proximity is linked to blessings in , where Zebulun is prophesied to "dwell at the shore of the sea" and become "a haven for ships," positioning him for , while Issachar is likened to "a strong lying down between the sheepfolds," finding rest in fertile land suited to and labor—interpreted as scholarly repose enabled by Zebulun's prosperity. These paired blessings highlight a complementary destiny, with Zebulun's mobility facilitating Issachar's stability. Rabbinic texts expand on this dynamic by emphasizing that Zebulun merits a share in the heavenly reward for Issachar's Torah study, as the supporter of sacred learning receives equal spiritual credit. This concept, known as the "Issachar-Zebulun arrangement," serves as a paradigm for communal responsibility, where material success funds intellectual and religious pursuits, ensuring the continuity of Jewish law and tradition. In medieval Jewish communities, this model influenced patron-scholar relationships between wealthy merchants and rabbinic academies in Ashkenazi Europe, where donors supported Torah scholars in exchange for shared merit. Some midrashic interpretations add a reciprocal element, positing that Issachar offered religious guidance and ethical counsel to Zebulun's traders during their ventures, ensuring that commercial activities aligned with halakhic principles.

Other Religious Perspectives

In Islam

In Islamic tradition, Issachar, known in Arabic as Yasākhir (يَسَّاخَرْ) or Isākhār, is identified as one of the twelve sons of the Yaqub (), born to his wife Liya (), and the eponymous ancestor of one of the tribes of (Children of Israel). This genealogy aligns with the broader narrative of Yaqub's family, where his sons collectively form the foundational tribes of the , as detailed in classical Islamic exegeses drawing from prophetic histories. The does not explicitly name Issachar among Yaqub's sons, focusing instead on () and his brother Benjamin in Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12), while collectively referencing the twelve sons and their division into tribes during the time of (). In Surah Al-A'raf (7:160), states: "And We divided them into twelve descendant tribes [as distinct] nations," establishing the tribal structure without specifying individual names. Tafsirs such as that of elaborate on this by listing Issachar alongside his brothers—Reuben, , , , and from Liya; and from ; Gad and Asher from ; and and Benjamin from ()—as part of the family that migrated to under 's governance. These accounts integrate Issachar into the shared monotheistic lineage from prophets () and (), emphasizing themes of divine favor and familial trials without attributing unique narratives or miracles to him. He is included in the broader stories of Bani Isra'il's enslavement in , their led by , and settlement in the , serving as a historical precursor to (community) of Prophet Muhammad through the continuity of (). Hadith collections do not feature specific traditions about Issachar, and classical scholars like treat him primarily as a link in the prophetic chain rather than a figure of independent significance. Contemporary Islamic scholarship places minimal emphasis on Issachar, viewing him within the Quranic framework of past prophets as lessons in faith and obedience, without elaboration on tribal roles or symbolism beyond the collective history of Bani Isra'il. This perspective underscores the Quran's focus on moral guidance over detailed genealogies, positioning Issachar's legacy as part of the unified message from Allah to humanity.

In Christianity

In Christian theology, the tribe of Issachar receives notable mention in the New Testament as part of the apocalyptic vision in Revelation 7:7, where 12,000 members from Issachar are among the 144,000 sealed servants of God. This sealing represents divine protection for a complete remnant of Israel during the end times, symbolizing the fullness and preservation of God's people amid tribulation. The inclusion of Issachar alongside other tribes underscores themes of eschatological redemption and the integrity of Israel's covenant role in Christian prophetic interpretation. Typological readings of Issachar's biblical imagery further integrate the tribe into Christocentric . The depiction in 49:14–15 of Issachar as a "strong " couching between burdens has been interpreted by Christian commentators as prefiguring Christ's humility and willing service, akin to his entry into on a (Matthew 21:1–11), emphasizing strength through rather than . In 1 Chronicles 12:32, the "sons of Issachar" are described as men who "understood the times" and knew what should do, a phrase modern evangelical interpreters apply to the need for prophetic and timely obedience in contemporary life. This portrays Issachar as a model for believers navigating cultural and challenges with . The tribe's legacy in emphasizes faithful labor and intellectual acuity, drawn from Jacob's blessing portraying Issachar's endurance in toil and preference for settled, productive land ( 49:15). Dispensationalist frameworks, which anticipate a literal restoration of , position the within the millennial kingdom's territorial allotments, as outlined in prophetic visions of 48, contributing to a renewed national under Christ's rule. Although Issachar lacks distinct personal narratives in the , the tribe forms part of the broader of the twelve tribes representing "all " in Pauline theology, particularly in Romans 11, where envisions the eventual salvation and ingrafting of ethnic into God's olive tree of .

Historical Perspectives

Theories on Tribal History

The Tribe of Issachar is understood by scholars to have originated as part of the Leah confederacy within the early Israelite tribal framework, comprising clans descended from Jacob's sons through his wife , including , , , , Issachar, and . This confederation likely formed during the Late Bronze to Early transition, around the 12th-11th centuries BCE, as semi-nomadic groups coalesced in the central hill country and valleys of . Historical analyses suggest Issachar's identity solidified through alliances and territorial claims rather than a singular patriarchal figure, with the tribe's name possibly reflecting symbolic or etymological ties to "reward" or "hire" in , denoting its role in inter-tribal pacts. Archaeological investigations in the , traditionally allotted to Issachar in biblical texts, reveal settlements that align with descriptions of a fertile, agriculturally rich region supporting a "strong " bearing burdens, as per ancient portrayals of the tribe's labor-intensive agrarian economy. Sites such as Tel Yokneam and Beth Shean exhibit 10th-9th century BCE remains, including fortified structures, pottery, and agricultural installations indicative of Israelite , such as collar-rim jars and four-room houses, amidst the valley's alluvial soils ideal for grain cultivation. Recent excavations at Ḥorvat Tevet in the have uncovered an Early cemetery (11th-10th centuries BCE) with at least 25 burials, suggesting a modest rural during the transition from to Israelite periods, possibly linked to proto-Israelite groups. These findings suggest a stable population engaged in farming and herding, contradicting later stereotypes of Issachar solely as physical laborers and highlighting its strategic position along trade routes like the , which facilitated commerce and scribal activities. Excavations at Beth Shean, for instance, uncover a multi-phase city with administrative buildings, pointing to Issachar's involvement in regional exchange networks that may have fostered and scholarly traditions among its elites. The tribe's history culminates in the conquest of the northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, when deported populations from and surrounding areas, including Issachar's territory, as recorded in biblical and ; this event dispersed northern tribes, marking Issachar among the so-called "lost tribes." Recent discoveries at Ḥorvat include a pair of rich cremation burials from the late BCE period, containing luxury artifacts that may belong to an official, providing insights into the administrative and cultural changes following the conquest. Mainstream scholarship posits that most deportees assimilated into Mesopotamian and societies, with remnants intermarrying locals and losing distinct ethnic identity over generations, rather than maintaining isolated tribal structures. theories, however, propose migrations linking Issachar to distant groups, such as the in the Eurasian steppes via linguistic and cultural parallels, or the of through purported genetic and customary affinities, though these lack empirical support and are dismissed by historians as speculative. Similarly, unsubstantiated claims connect Issachar's descendants to populations via medieval migration myths or to Japanese communities through alleged Shinto-Israelite ritual similarities, reflecting broader pseudohistorical quests for lost tribes rather than verifiable evidence. Debates on Issachar's divide minimalist and maximalist scholars, with minimalists like arguing that tribal identities, including Issachar's, were retrojective constructs from the 8th-7th centuries BCE, fabricated during the Judahite monarchy to legitimize territorial claims amid Assyrian threats, and unsupported by pre-9th century archaeology. Finkelstein's low chronology dates major fortifications to the 9th rather than BCE, portraying early Israel as decentralized highland villages without defined tribes. In contrast, maximalists affirm Issachar's presence by the late 13th century BCE, citing indirect references to an emerging "Israel" in the of 1208 BCE, which describes a people-group in defeated by , providing epigraphic evidence for proto-Israelite entities that evolved into tribes like Issachar by the . This view integrates archaeological data from sites like Beth Shean to support a gradual tribal formation during the period.

Tomb and Associated Sites

A tradition, documented in the late , identifies the tomb of Issachar as Neby Hazkil (also known as Issachar among ), located near the village of in . This site is described by the Samaritan High Priest as the burial place of Issachar, reflecting a longstanding folkloric association in the region. Some Jewish traditions have speculated on a burial near or within the , though such claims remain unverified and conflict with biblical accounts limiting interments there to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, , and their wives. Medieval accounts from pilgrims occasionally reference sites in or broader Lebanese territories as potential locations, but these lack substantiation and appear tied to regional oral histories rather than established lore. No archaeological evidence confirms any burial site for Issachar, and associated commemorative locations within the tribe's traditional territories—such as Tel Issachar and —hold symbolic value in biblical allotments without direct ties to his tomb. Today, the Neby Hazkil site near functions as a minor holy place in local and Muslim contexts, attracting occasional visits but no significant pilgrimage activity comparable to major patriarchal tombs.

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    The site is thus evidently a sacred shrine, to which pilgrimages are made, and it is called "J ertyet Aly," " the slave of Aly." Probably this modern W ely.
  49. [49]
    Tel Issachar - BibleWalks 500+ sites
    Issachar is the modern Hebrew name. The brook is also known in Arabic as Wady el Esh-Sheh , and its upper sections have other names (Wady Yebla, Wady Dabu).Missing: Islamic | Show results with:Islamic