Tribes Israel was divided into twelve tribes according to the twelve sons of Jacob (Genesis 1:35-26). In the division of Canaan, the tribe of Levi received no allotment of its own but was given cities within all the other tribes (Numbers 18:24; Numbers 35:1-8; See LeviTE). Joseph, by contrast, received two tribal allotments, one for each of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. This double portion was the inheritance of the firstborn, an inheritance that Joseph received instead of the eldest son, Reuben (Genesis 1:48-20; Genesis 49:22-26; 1 Chronicles 1:5-2).
The arrangement for dividing Canaan between the twelve tribes had two main features. First, the area of land for each tribe was in proportion to the population of the tribe. Second, the location of each tribe within the land was decided by drawing lots (Numbers 1:26-56).
by their own choice, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh did not settle in Canaan itself (i.e. the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea). Instead they settled in the good pasture lands on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The remaining nine and a half tribes settled in Canaan (Joshua 1:13-8). Judah and Simeon settled in the south. Benjamin, Dan, Ephraim and the other half of Manasseh settled in the centre. Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali and Asher settled in the north. (For details See separate entries for each tribe. For further history See Israel.)