The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel is the first study to treat the history of claims to an Israelite identity as an ongoing historical phenomenon from biblical times to the present. By treating the Hebrew Bible's accounts of Israel as one of many efforts to construct an Israelite history, rather than source material for later legends, Andrew Tobolowsky brings a long-term comparative approach to biblical and nonbiblical "Israelite" histories. In the process, he sheds new light on how the structure of the twelve tribes tradition enables the creation of so many different visions of Israel, and generates new questions: How can we explain the enduring power of the myth of the twelve tribes of Israel? How does "becoming Israel" work, why has it proven so popular, and how did it change over time? Finally, what can the changing shape of Israel itself reveal about those who claimed it?

This book tells the fascinating, millennia-long story of peoples around the world who have claimed an Israelite identity and history.

About the Author
Andrew Tobolowsky is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. An acknowledged expert on the tradition and on Israelite history, he is the author of The Sons of Jacob and the Sons of Herakles (2017),and numerous articles on the history of the twelve tribes of Israel tradition and the value of thinking through cross-cultural comparisons.


Book Information
ISBN 9781009094092
Author Andrew Tobolowsky
Format Paperback
Page Count 298
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 489g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 17mm