What and who is…
Zebulun

Hebrew: זְבוּלוּן

also known as: Zebulon, Zabulon

Meaning: “dwelling”—from the Hebrew זָבַל (zabal) which probably meant “to dwell”

This is the name of the 6th and youngest son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 30:20).

Little is known of Zebulun’s personal history. He had 3 sons (see relatives, below) (46:14).

His descendants are known as the Tribe of Zebulun, Zebulonites, “sons of Zebulun,” or simply Zebulun.

Tribe of Zebulon

The tribe was made up of various clans (family groups). After the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, the borders of the territory alloted to the descendants of Zebulon are detailed by Joshua in Joshua 19:15…

Territory of Zebulun
“Now the 3rd lot came up for the sons of Zebulun according to their families.

And the territory of their inheritance was as far as Sarid. Then their border went up to the west and to Maralah, it then touched Dabbesheth and reached to the brook that is before Jokneam.

Then it turned from Sarid to the east toward the sunrise as far as the border of Chisloth-tabor, and it proceeded to Daberath and up to Japhia.

From there it continued eastward toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and it proceeded to Rimmon which stretches to Neah.

The border circled around it on the north to Hannathon, and it ended at the valley of Iphtahel.

Included also were Kattah and Nahalal and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem; 12 cities with their villages.

This was the inheritance of the sons of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.” —Joshua 19:10-16 NASB

Map of the ancient Israelite tribal territories in the Promised Land. CC BY-SA 3.0 / 12 tribus de Israel.svg / 12 Tribes of Israel Map.svg
The land of Zebulon (in purple) was located in northern Israel between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee, sharing borders with the territories of Asher, Naphtali, Issachar and Manasseh.

Relatives

More information

Article Version: September 28, 2017