Israel-©-MEA-20170726-Natan-(N83)-12 Tribes-4-Judah
The Tribe of Judah
The Tribe of Judah, which is Y’hudah in Hebrew, is the fourth of Israel (or Jacob) from his first wife Leah. Judah’s lands as described in Joshua 15, encompassed most of the southern portion of the Promised Land, including the Negev Desert, the Wilderness of Zin and Jerusalem. The lion image is the traditional symbol for the Tribe of Judah, and very often represented in Jewish custom, religion, art and sculpture and can be seen everywhere in Jerusalem. Many lions, from small to large stand in silence like soldiers to ‘guard’ the tops of city buildings, around parks, ponds and shop fronts, including the walls of the Old City.
The lion symbol has also appeared on Jerusalem’s municipal flag since 1950. The Lion of Judah is synonymous with the Biblical Tribe of Judah as well the Kingdom of Judah whose capital was Jerusalem. In Genesis 49:8, the prophecy over this fourth son declares: “Judah, your brothers will acknowledge you, your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons will bow down before you”. Judah was described as having the strength of a young lion with courage and vitality, and as a mature lion, have national prominence of a kingship dynasty beginning with David and Solomon. Next week is Zebulun and his historical significance.
Copyright exists in all the material on this website and is owned by Messianic Education Australia Ltd. unless otherwise explicitly stated. This copyright extends to the images, logos, layout and presentation styles as well as the text material.