Overview of the 12 Tribes of Israel Series

12 Tribes of Israel Art Collection Explained

The 12 Tribes of Israel Collection is composed of twelve luminous landscape acrylic paintings, each depicting the portion of the Land of Israel that was allotted to each of the twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. Many artists have drawn inspiration from the blessings given to the 12 sons by their father, Jacob. This series is inspired by the biblical verses that describe the origin of the tribes’ names as given by their mothers, Rachel and Leah. Each verse expresses an essential quality that is embodied within the 12 tribes of Israel's respective names, translated in these paintings into a metaphoric landscape of the Land of Israel. The colours of the paintings reflect the gemstones of the tribes as they were in the Choshen, the High Priest’s breastplate. The paintings are viewed from right to left, like the Hebrew language, where the unique qualities of each tribe brought into harmony as a unified whole through the merging landscapes, the fruit of the seven species in the foreground, and the fullness of a day: the sun rises over the land of Reuben and sets over the tribe of Benjamin.

The 12 Tribes of Israel Series acrylic fine art paintings by Lesley Friedmann depict a portion of the land that was allotted to each of the twelve tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin. After learning about the 12 tribes of Israel, Lesley prepared preliminary sketches to serve as a guide in the creation of the final product. During the three months it took Lesley to draw these images, she combined what she had learned about the 12 tribes of Israel from her studies with Rabbi Meir Kaplan and her extensive research into the topic.

First, Lesley drew twelve 2 inch by 3 inch rectangles side-by-side on a piece of art paper. She left space at the top to insert the pertinent information about each tribe, which included the biblical text that relates to the naming of each son of Jacob by their mothers, Leah or Rachel, the geographic area in the Land of Israel that was allotted to each tribe, the essential quality derived from the name of each son, the symbol extracted from Jacob's blessing of each son, and the colour of the gemstone that is associated with each tribe.

Lesley was faced with several challenges. The biggest one was to select an appropriate physical landscape within each tribe's land allotment that could adequately serve as a metaphor for the respective tribe's essential quality. Lesley had difficulty with the placement of the biblical verse within the painting, because she feared that inserting written text would appear detached from the painting. Another obstacle was the fact that Lesley had to rely very heavily on her visual memory and internet images of the land of Israel, since the project was painted in her hometown, Victoria. A final hurdle Lesley overcame was how best to gel all 12 images into one cohesive series. She overcame this by restricting her palette to the colours of the choshen or priestly breastplate, and by linking the 12 paintings with the 7 biblical species and other native plants and birds of Israel.

Below is an image of the complete sketch, followed by a detail description of each tribe's individual drawing along with a detailed description of the tribe's essential quality, birth mother, birth order, mother's naming, landscape, gemstone, Jacob's blessing, and Kabbalistic interpretation.

Priestly Breastplate

Map of biblical Israel

The 12 Tribes of Israel Preliminary Drawings by Lesley Friedmann

Reuben

Reuben - The First

Essential Quality - Vision
Birth Mother - Leah
Birth Order - Firstborn
Mother's Naming - Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, as she had declared, "Because Hashem has discerned my humiliation for now my husband will love me." (Genesis, 29:32)
Landscape - A view of mountains to the east of the Dead Sea with Masada in the foreground.
Gemstone - Sardius (possibly Ruby)
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and my initial vigour, foremost in rank and foremost in power. Water-like impetuosity - you cannot be foremost, because you mounted your father's bed; then you desecrated Him Who ascended my couch." (Genesis, 49:3)
Kabbalah - Reuben, the first-born son, represents the powerful energy of everything that comes first. In this painting, Lesley depicts the first rays of sunshine; the beginning of a new day. If channelled properly, the energy of the first can change worlds, but if abused, it can become a destructive force instead. Like water, it can be the source of life, but, if left unharnessed, it erodes its environment and floods its surroundings. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Simeon

Simeon - The Aggressor

Essential Quality - Hearing
Birth Mother - Leah
Birth Order - Second
Mother's Naming - And she (Leah) conceived again and bore a son and declared, "Because Hashem has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this one also," and she called his name Simeon. (Genesis, 29:33)
Landscape - The Ramon Crater in the Negev adjacent to the city of Dimona
Gemstone - Topaz
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Simeon and Levi are comrades, their weaponry is a stolen craft. Into their conspiracy, may my soul not enter! With their congregation, do not join, O my honour! For in their rage they murdered people and at their whim they hamstrung an ox. Accursed is their rage for it is intense, and their wrath for it is harsh; I will separate them within Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel." (Genesis, 49:5-7)
Kabbalah - Simeon is aggressive gevura (heroism) - the antithesis of Reuben's chesed. The fierce anger and cruel wrath that can result from unbridled gevura must be eliminated lest it turns into weapons of violence that consume the person and all those he comes in contact with. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Levi

Levi - The Cleric

Essential Quality - Service
Birth Mother - Leah
Birth Order - Third
Mother's Naming - Again she (Leah) conceived, and bore a son and declared, "This time my husband will become attached to me for I have borne him three sons"; therefore she called his name Levi. (Genesis, 29:34)
Landscape - The Jewish Quarter and Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel.
Gemstone - Green Agate
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Simeon and Levi are comrades, their weaponry is a stolen craft. Into their conspiracy, may my soul not enter! With their congregation, do not join, O my honour! For in their rage they murdered people and at their whim they hamstrung an ox. Accursed is their rage for it is intense, and their wrath for it is harsh; I will separate them within Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel." (Genesis, 49:5-7)
Kabbalah - Levi is the tribe chosen to serve in the Temple. "Levi" also means 'attached' or 'joined'. Levi is the personality of dedicating your life to serving a higher calling; of freeing oneself from the shackles of a materialistic world and dedicating oneself to Divine service. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Judah

Judah - The Leader

Essential Quality - Gratitude
Birth Mother - Leah
Birth Order - Forth
Mother's Naming - She (Leah) conceived again, and bore a son and declared, "This time let me gratefully praise Hashem"; therefore she called his name Judah; then she stopped giving birth. (Genesis, 29:35)
Landscape - The Judaea hills heading east from Jerusalem on the way to the Dead Sea.
Gemstone - Carbuncle (or Garnet)
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Judah - you, your brothers shall acknowledge; your hand will be at your enemies' nape; your father's sons will prostrate themselves to you. A lion cub is Judah; from the prey, my son, you elevated yourself. He crouches, lies down like a lion, and like an awesome lion, who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a scholar from among his descendants, until Shiloh shall arrive and his will be an assemblage of nations. He wii tie his donkey to the vine; to the vine branch his donkey's foal; he will launder his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes. Red eyed from wine, and white toothed from milk." (Genesis, 49:8-12)
Kabbalah - Judah means acknowledgement. Judah's name also includes the four letters of the Divine name Havaya. Judah is the leader; his descendants would be the kings of Israel, beginning with King David and concluding with the Messiah. Judah is the path of selflessness, the most vital ingredient in true leadership. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Issachar

Issachar - The Scholar

Essential Quality - Reward
Birth Mother - Leah
Birth Order - Fifth
Mother's Naming - G-d hearkened to Leah; and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. And Leah declared, "God has granted me my reward because I gave my maidservant to my husband." So she call his name Issachar. (Genesis, 30:17-18)
Landscape - A view north overlooking the Jezreel Valley from Mount Gilboa.
Gemstone - Sapphire
Father (Jacob) Blessing - Issachar is a strong-boned donkey; he rests between the boundaries. He saw tranquility that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant, yet he bent his shoulder to bear and he became an indentured labourer. (Genesis, 49:14-15)
Kabbalah - Issachar is the scholar. Scholarship provides wisdom, clarity and direction. It is the foundation of any system. Issachar is the dedication to immerse in study and education. Ultimately, the final reward of hard work is peace and bounty. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Zebulun

Zebulun - The Businessperson

Essential Quality - Gift
Birth Mother - Leah
Birth Order - Sixth
Mother's Naming - Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Leah said, "G-d has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will make his permanent home with me for I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. (Genesis, 30:19-20)
Landscape - A view of the port of Haifa and the Carmel Mountains in the background.
Gemstone - Diamond
Father (Jacob) Blessing - Zebulun shall settle by seashores. He shall be at the ship's harbour, and his last border will reach Zidon." (Genesis, 49:13)
Kabbalah - Zebulun is the merchant, the businessperson personality. His role is to enter the marketplace and redeem the Divine sparks within the material world (the ‘secret treasure hidden in the sand’ (Deuteronomy 33:19)). Zebulun complements Issachar; they forge a partnership: Zebulun supports the scholar, he funds houses of scholarship, which earns him a right to partake in the reward of Issachar’s studies. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Dan

Dan - The Judge

Essential Quality - Justice
Birth Mother - Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant
Birth Order - Seventh
Mother's Naming - So she (Rachel) gave him (Jacob) Bilhah her maidservant as a wife, and Jacob consorted with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, "G-d has judged me, He has also heard my voice and has given me a son." She therefore called his name Dan. (Genesis, 30:4-6)
Landscape - A view of the Mediteranean Sea coastline overlooking the old city of Jaffa north towards the modern city of Tel Aviv.
Gemstone - Opal
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Dan will avenge his people, the tribes of Israel will be united as one. Dan will be a serpent on the highway, a viper by the path, that bites a horse's heels so its rider falls backward. (Genesis, 49:16-17)
Kabbalah - Dan is the path of law and order (‘dan’ means to judge). Objective justice is the heart of any civilization. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths) Perspective is at the heart of fair judgement. It requires the judge to examine the past and consider the future; it demands attention to the divide between right and wrong. The tribe of Dan was the last tribe in the procession of Israelites out of Egypt. They collected all the items left behind by the other 11 tribes, and they were required to ascertain to whom to return these belongings.

Naphtali

Naphtali - The Free Spirit

Essential Quality - Connection
Birth Mother - Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant
Birth Order - Eighth
Mother's Naming - And Rachel said, "Sacred schemes have I maneuvered to equal my sister, and I have also prevailed!" And she called his name Naphtali. (Genesis, 30:8)
Landscape - A view of the Sea of Galilee looking north up the Jordan river towards Mount Hermon and Mount Arbel and Safad on the left slopes.
Gemstone - Agate
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Naphtali is a hind let loose who delivers beautiful sayings." (Genesis, 49:21)
Kabbalah - Naphtali is the free spirit personality. Like a ‘deer running free’ – breaking out of the status quo – independence is a necessary component in growth. Yet, this free spiritedness must always take care to ‘deliver words of beauty.’ (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths) Thus, water flows freely from the lush mountains and rivers in the north of Israel into the Sea of Galilee. It is at this point that water is harnessed and delivered via the Israel's National Water Carrier to all of Israel, as far south as the Negev. Just like this vital component of life flows to all of Israel through natural and man-made channels, one is sustained spiritually by connecting with Divine energy within and above through prayer.

Gad

Gad - The Warrior

Essential Quality - Fortune
Birth Mother - Zilphah, Leah's maidservant
Birth Order - Nineth
Mother's Naming - Zilphah, Leah's maidservant, bore Jacob a son. And Leah declared, "Good luck has come!" So she called his name Gad. (Genesis, 30:10-11)
Landscape - A view of the Jordan Valley from Mount Moab, the area where the Israelites first saw the land of Canaan. This expansive view north captures a view of the most northern tip of the Great Rift Valley between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. It also includes a view of the northern part of Israel.
Gemstone - Amethyst
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Gad will recruit a regiment and it will retreat on its heel." (Genesis, 49:19)
Kabbalah - Gad is the warrior archetype. Expanding on the justice of Dan, Gad is ready to fight for his beliefs. The warrior is necessary to both defend our cherished values and to protect our freedoms. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths) When the Israelites finally got a view of the Promised Land, they could finally appreciate how fortunate they were. The perspective from the wings of eagles is a necessary one, because it allows the observer to see far into the metaphorical distance. Only then is one able to diligently guard one's fortunes.

Asher

Asher - The Prosperous One

Essential Quality - Abundance
Birth Mother - Zilphah, Leah's maidservant
Birth Order - Tenth
Mother's Naming - Leah declared, "In my good fortune! For women have deemed me fortunate!" So she called his name Asher. (Genesis, 30:13)
Landscape - An expansive view west towards the Mediteranean Sea from a porch overlooking a courtyard, lush coastal fields, olive trees and date palms.
Gemstone - Aquamarine
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "From Asher - his bread will have richness, and he will provide kingly delicacies." (Genesis, 49:20)
Kabbalah - Asher is both prosperity and pleasure. Asher is the dimension of blessing beyond the norm – to be given more than what is necessary for survival. Asher is the personality of not just getting what you need, but also enjoying it. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Joseph

Joseph - The Sufferer

Essential Quality - Adding, Embracing, Gathering
Birth Mother - Rachel
Birth Order - Eleventh
Mother's Naming - G-d remembered Rachel; G-d hearkened to hear and He opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and said, "G-d has taken away my disgrace." So she called his name Joseph, saying, "May Hashem add on for me another son." (Genesis, 30:22-24)
Landscape - Joseph's tomb in the eastern valley that separates Mount Gerixim and Mount Eval on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus.
Gemstone - Onyx
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "A charming son is Joseph, a charming son to the eye; each of the daughter's climbed heights to gaze. They embittered him and became antagonists; the arrow-tongued men hated him. But his bow was firmly emplaced and his arms were gilded, from the hands of the Mighty Power of Jacob - from there, he shepherded the stone of Israel. [That was] from the G-d of your father and He will help you, and with Shaddai - and He will bless you [with] blessings of the bosom and womb. The blessings of your father surpassed the blessings of my parents to the endless bounds of the world's hills. Let them be upon Joseph's head and upon the head of the exile from his brothers." (Genesis, 49:22-26)
Kabbalah - Joseph is the element of suffering in life. Yet, he not only survives; he thrives. He achieves greatness through his challenges. He overcomes all adversaries and becomes a great leader, saving his entire generation. Despite his corrupt environment, he maintains his spiritual integrity. The powerful light that emerges from darkness in Joseph divides into two dimensions – his two sons: Menasheh and Ephraim: (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)

Benjamin

Benjamin - The Ravenous Consumer

Essential Quality - Strength and Transformation
Birth Mother - Rachel
Birth Order - Twelfth
Mother's Naming - And it was when she (Rachel) had difficulty in her labour that the midwife said to her, "Have no fear, for this one, too, is a son for you." And it came to pass, as her soul was departing - for she died - that she called his name Ben-oni, bue his father called him Benjamin. (Genesis, 35:17-18)
Landscape - The Jerusalem hills and the Old City of Jeruselem with a view towards a sunset in the west.
Gemstone - Jasper
Father (Jacob) Blessing - "Benjamin is a predatory wolf; in the morning he will devour prey and in the evening he will distribute spoils." (Genesis, 49:27)
Kabbalah - Benjamin is hungry, hungry for the Divine sparks in all of existence. So, like a ‘ravenous wolf’ Benjamin recognizes that his mission is to passionately seek out the Divine energy embedded in matter, devour it, consume and elevate it. (Jacobson, Simon from Twelve Tribes - Twelve Paths)