MANASSEH (apparently Hebrew for " he who causes to for-get," but see H. W. Hogg, Encyc. Bib., s.v.); in the Bible, a tribe of Israel, the elder but less important of the "sons" of Joseph. Its seat lay to the north of Ephraim, but its boundaries can scarce

This article appears in Volume V17, Page 541 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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MANASSEH (apparently Hebrew for " he who causes to for-get," but see H. W. Hogg, Encyc. Bib., s.v.); in the Bible, a tribe of Israel, the elder but less important of the "sons" of Joseph. Its seat lay to the north of Ephraim, but its boundaries can scarce ly be defined. It merged itself with its " brother " in the

south

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

and with Issachar, Zebulun and other tribes in the north (Josh. xvii. 7 sqq.). From the latter it was separated for a time by a line of Canaanite cities extending from Dor to Bethshean, which apparently were not all subdued till the days of

David

or Solomon (Judg. i. 27; I Sam. xxxi. lo; 1 Kings ix. 15). Besides its western

settlement

SETTLEMENT
SETTLEMENT, ACT OF

in the fertile glades of northern Samaria, running out into the

great

GREAT

plain, there were territories

east

EAST
EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

of the Jordan reckoned to Manasseh. Gilead and Bashan were said to have been taken by Machir, and a number of places of uncertain identification were occupied by Nobah and Jair (Num. xxxii. 41; Judg. x. 35). It seems most natural to suppose that these districts were held before the Israelites crossed over to the west (cf. the tradition Num. xxi., Dent. iii.). On the other hand, in Judg. v. 14, Machir may conceivably belong to the west, and it is possible that, according to another tradition, these movements were the result of the complaint of the Joseph tribes that their

original

ORIGINAL

territory was too restricted.' In the genealogical lists, Machir, perhaps originally an independent branch, is the eldest son of Manasseh (Josh. xvii. b, 2); but according to later schemes he is Manasseh's only son (Num. xxvi. 2834). Intermixture with Aramaeans is indicated in the view that he was the son of Manasseh and an Aramean concubine (I Chron. vii. 14), and this is supported by the statement that the Arameans of Geshur and Maacah (cf. 2 Sam. x. 6; Gen. xxii. 24) dwelt among the Israelites of eastern Jordan (Josh. xiii. 13). Subsequently, at an unknown period of history, sixty cities were lost (r Chron. ii. 23). The story of the daughters of the Manassite Zelophehad is of

interest

INTEREST

for the Hebrew law of

inheritance

INHERITANCE

(Num. xxvii. 111, xxxvi.).
'So Budde Richter u. Samuel), who recovers certain old fragments and arranges josh. xvii. 1418 (v. 18 read " hill-country of Gilead ") ; Num. xxxil. 39, 41 seq.; Josh. xiii. 13.
Some details of the history of this twofold branch of the Israelites are contained in the stories of Gideon (W. Manasseh) and Jephthah (E. Manasseh). The relations between

Saul

SAUL (Heb. shd'ul, " asked ")

and Jabesh-Gilead point to the close bond uniting the two districts, but the details have been variously interpreted: Winckler, for example, suggesting that

Saul

SAUL (Heb. shd'ul, " asked ")

himself was originally from E. Manasseh and that he followed in the steps of Jephthah (Keilinschr. u. d. alte Test., pp. 216 seq. 227). Generally speaking, its position in the west made it share the fortunes of Ephraim, whilst on the

east

EAST
EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

the proximity of Ammonites and Moabites controlled its history; see also the articles on its southern neighbours, GAD and

REUBEN

REUBEN

, and the_articles GENEALOGY (Biblical); and Jaws: History. (S. A. C.)

End of Article: MANASSEH (apparently Hebrew for " he who causes to for-get," but see H. W. Hogg, Encyc. Bib., s.v.); in the Bible, a tribe of Israel, the elder but less important of the "sons" of Joseph. Its seat lay to the north of Ephraim, but its boundaries can scarce

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