Topical Bible: the Tribe of Dan: Bounds of Its Inheritance

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Tribe of Dan, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, was allotted a specific portion of land as its inheritance in the Promised Land. This allocation is detailed in the Book of Joshua, which describes the division of Canaan among the tribes of Israel following their exodus from Egypt and subsequent conquest of the land under Joshua's leadership.

Geographical Boundaries:

The initial inheritance of the Tribe of Dan is described in Joshua 19:40-48. The territory assigned to Dan was located in the western part of the land of Canaan, adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. The boundaries of Dan's inheritance included several key cities and regions:

· Zorah and Eshtaol: These towns marked the eastern boundary of Dan's territory. Zorah is notably the birthplace of Samson, one of the most famous judges of Israel (Judges 13:2).
· Ir-shemesh and Shaalabbin: These towns were part of the northern boundary.
· Aijalon and Ithlah: Located further south, these towns were included in the territory.
· Ekron and Gibbethon: These cities were part of the western boundary, with Ekron being one of the five Philistine cities.
· Elon, Timnah, and Ekron: These towns were also within the territory, with Timnah being significant in the narrative of Samson (Judges 14:1-2).

The territory of Dan was relatively small and situated between the lands of Judah to the south and Ephraim to the north. It was bordered by the Philistine territories to the west, which often led to conflicts, as seen in the accounts of Samson.

Challenges and Expansion:

The Tribe of Dan faced significant challenges in securing and maintaining its allotted territory. The presence of the Philistines, a formidable and hostile group, made it difficult for the Danites to fully occupy their inheritance. Judges 1:34 notes, "The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain."

Due to these pressures, a portion of the tribe sought additional land. This led to the migration of some Danites to the north, where they captured the city of Laish, renaming it Dan (Judges 18:27-29). This northern settlement became a significant center for the tribe and is often mentioned in the phrase "from Dan to Beersheba," denoting the entire span of Israelite territory.

Cultural and Religious Significance:

The Tribe of Dan played a notable role in the religious history of Israel. The city of Dan became a center of idolatry when Jeroboam I, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, set up a golden calf there to prevent the Israelites from traveling to Jerusalem for worship (1 Kings 12:28-30). This act had long-lasting implications for the spiritual state of the northern kingdom.

In summary, the Tribe of Dan's inheritance was marked by its strategic location, challenges from neighboring peoples, and eventual expansion to the north. The tribe's history reflects both the struggles and the complexities of settling and maintaining a distinct identity within the broader narrative of Israel's history.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Joshua 19:40-46
And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Treatise on Christ and Antichrist.
... refers to Samson, who sprang from the tribe of Dan ... For Jeremiah also speaks to this
effect: "From Dan we are ... of my understanding I will remove the bounds of the ...
/.../treatise on christ and antichrist.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... luxury, its gross licentiousness and profanity, its cruelty and ... Just bounds are theirs
in town and field; no ... dream, restores Judah, the royal tribe, and all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... Tradition attributed the misfortunes of the tribe to the ... many powerful and wealthy
families; Dan, on the ... Gad received as its inheritance nearly the whole of ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... importance was not recognised until after the discovery of the Tel el-Amarna tablets
and of its situation ... These were the Amorites which the tribe of Dan at a ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1824 to the ...
... Dan Barnes, in giving an account of the Black river ... blessed results on other fragments
of the same tribe. ... in establishing an academy within its bounds, for the ...
/.../chapter 8 from the close.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... Each one of us has his appointed bounds; let me ... of the world, the world would love
its own." And ... the people away, every man unto his inheritance, that they ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober ...
... from doing, by having set them laws and bounds which they ... Messiah,"that he should
be of the tribe of Judah ... (Dan.vii.9.10.) But the following words of the same ...
/.../xiv proposition xiv fifthly as.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... districts, and by thus restricting each tribe to a ... and houses kept the river within
bounds, and even ... had the effect of resisting its encroachment; towards the ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... and is delivered from the fear of its perishing for ... it is because he keepeth not
within the bounds of that ... neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; to ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... Magi were not necessarily devoted to the service of religion, but all who did so
devote themselves sprang from the Magian tribe; the Avesta, in its oldest form ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm