撒烏耳王這個人 (King Saul this person)

舊約撒慕爾上下二書主要人物有三位：先知撒慕爾(Samuel the Seer)，撒烏耳王(King Saul)，和達味王(King David)。撒烏耳本是由上主揀選的第一位以色列王，撒慕爾上書第九章至第三十一章，講述了撒烏耳由被選，為王，至被放棄及死亡的經過。讓我們先看看撒烏耳上半生從少時到為王及被擯斥的一些描寫。

魁梧英俊的戰士撒烏耳

撒烏耳出自以色列十二支派之本雅門一系(Benjaminite)，他的父親名克士(Kish)，『是個英勇的戰士』("a powerful man")，而撒烏耳則被形容為『魁梧英俊，在以色列中沒有人比他更俊美的，比所有人高出一肩。』("who was a handsome young man. There was no other Israelite more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people.")

從他在尋驢一事中對父親的關心，和僕人有商有量的敘述中，撒烏耳似乎是溫和得體的年輕人。先知撒慕爾受到天主的指示，為撒烏耳傅油，並立他為第一任以色列王，正式為以色列建立國王制度。撒烏耳最大的功績，是為王後在多次與培肋舍特人及周邊國家交戰中得勝。

米革瑪斯之戰

撒慕爾上書十三至十四章詳細描述了撒烏耳及他兒子約納堂(Joanthan)與培肋舍特人在本雅明境內的米革瑪斯之戰，為之後撒烏耳被擯斥作了鋪排，先了解一下這場戰爭，可對撒烏耳的為人多點認識。

米革瑪斯(Michmash)位於本雅明境內貝特爾東南死海西北，南面有革巴(Geba)、基貝亞(Gibeah)，而耶路撒冷在基貝亞的南面。 基耳加耳(Gilgal)則在離米革瑪斯較遠的東南方。米革瑪斯和貝特爾山地(the hill country of Bethel)都是撒烏耳的根據地有二千人追隨他，而約納堂則領一千人在革巴。

米革瑪斯 （http://www.bibleplaces.com/michmash.htm）

米革瑪斯(Michmash)貝特爾(Bethel)革巴(Geba)及基貝亞(Gibeah)等地（http://www.bible-history.com/maps/images/1_samuel_michmash.jpg）

戰爭之始，是約納堂首先在基貝亞殺死了當地駐守的一位培肋舍特人官員，引發了培肋舍特人調動大軍，包括『戰車三千，騎兵六千，民兵多得如同海邊的沙』來攻打以色列人，並在米革瑪斯紮營。撒烏耳則在較東面的基耳加耳，以色列人都害怕培肋舍特人的大軍，四散逃走。

撒烏耳本在基耳加耳約了先知撒慕爾作獻祭，為向上主求援，等了七天，不見撒慕爾，可能是為安定軍心，便在撒慕爾未到時，自行決定先行奉獻全燔祭。聖經沒有解釋撒慕爾遲到的原因，但撒慕爾就對撒烏耳表達不滿，認為他沒有服從上主，並立即起身離開。撒烏耳得不到支持，只好帶領仍隨從他的六百人，到革巴與約納堂會合。同時培肋舍特人也正調動大軍分三路，向南圍剿撒烏耳一方。

約納堂從兩座石峰的懸崖到米革瑪斯培肋舍特人的前哨 （http://www.bibleplaces.com/michmash.htm）

在這個敵我軍力懸殊，再加上由於培肋舍特人一向不讓以色列境內有鐵匠，而令撒烏耳的人缺乏武器，約納堂運用了他的智慧，勇敢，並得到上主的助力，而大敗培肋舍特人。轉捩點是約納堂與一名同伴攀過革巴北面兩座石峰的懸崖，到米革瑪斯培肋舍特人的前哨，一口氣殺死了二十人，再加上同時發生的大地震，令敵方大為恐慌，方存大亂，這時躲藏的及本來幫培肋舍特人的希伯來人，都跑出來倒戈，因而令培肋舍特人大敗。

撒烏耳的弱點

米革瑪斯之戰似乎顯露了一些撒烏耳的弱點。

首先，整場戰爭由開始至勝利，似乎都是由約納堂主導，撒烏耳總是在關心經由祭獻(撒上13:8-12)、司祭、及占卜(撒上14:2-3)等作決定。文中曾描述約納堂及撒烏耳分別與士兵相近的對話及兩人不同的反應。約納堂在勝算不高，打算到米革瑪斯前哨偷襲前，與同伴溝通他的想法，得到同伴回答『你儘可隨意行事，我只跟著你，隨你心意而行』後，約納堂便憑著觀察上主心意行事，而獲得勝利。反之，當撒烏耳在大勝之時，猶疑是否該乘勝追擊時，雖也得到士兵同樣的回說『你看怎樣好，就怎樣作罷』，則未能掌握時機，反而聽司祭說去求問天主，當得不到回應時，便因此錯失良機。

另外，撒烏耳也未有準確判斷情勢，作出不得軍心的決定，例如要求疲乏的士兵在大戰之日禁食，而約納堂則指出如不是如此，則可能更獲大勝；另又因沒有得到天主的回應，害怕有誰犯錯惹怒天主，便打算把立功的兒子約納堂處死，幸得軍民阻止，才不致釀成大錯。

書中對撒烏耳最直接的指責，大概就是兩次出自先知撒慕爾口中對撒烏耳的責備。第一次是當撒烏耳在基耳加耳因撒慕爾遲到而自行奉獻全幡祭，撒慕爾知道後，指責撒烏耳的糊塗，強調撒烏耳的王位已立不住了，因為他『沒有遵守上主吩咐的命令』，撒慕爾並『起身離開』。

第二次的指責，是撒烏耳得撒慕爾親口要求毀滅阿瑪肋克(Amalek)的一切時，撒烏耳放過了阿瑪肋克王(King of Amalek)阿加格(Agag)和最好的牲畜，他雖然解釋是為了作為祭獻，卻被撒慕爾嚴厲指責他拒絕了天主，並重申：『上主豈能喜歡全幡祭和犧牲，勝過上主的命令？聽命勝於祭獻，服從勝過綿羊的肥油脂。』(“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the LORD’s command?  Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams.")

Reference: 
Bibleplaces.com.  Michmash, Geba and the "Pass".  Bibleplaces.com.
(http://www.bibleplaces.com/michmash.htm)

Geography and the Bible.
(http://www.bible-history.com/maps/books.php)

The Moving Castle of Ebola 伊波拉之移動城堡

Having looked at the various human ebola outbreaks in the past forty years, the next question is how do they move from one place to another, and what happens during those quiescent period?

To understand the first question, we first look at the life cycle of ebolavirus.  Though not yet fully understood, the virus primarily survives in fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family.
They cause infection to wild animals and mammals like apes only occasionally.  Infection in human occurs primarily because of human animal contact followed by human to human spread.  The following graph from CDC summarizes such transmission routes.

Ecology of Ebolavirus. CDC, US.            (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/resources/virus-ecology.html)

This suggests that, even in the absence of reported human infection, the virus exists, probably widely in the fruit bat family.

Natural host fruit bat of Ebolavirus. UNC website. (http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2014/june/dispatch-from-guinea-containing-ebola)

The World Health Organization has put together the geographical locations of where serological evidence, such as the detection of antibodies in serum suggesting prior infection, to ebolavirus.  As from the health map obtained from the WHO website, apart from those countries with known ebola outbreaks in central and western africa, there are evidence to show infection has occurred in other parts of Africa such as Medagasgar and in South East Asia.  This coincides the areas within which the ebola host fruit bats are found.  Of note is that the fruit bat is also found as far as the east coast of Australia.

Distribution of the natural host fruit bat of ebola virus and areas with known evidence of human or animal infections. WHO website.

The map also showed that the Reston ebolavirus, so far considered not causing human diseases, have caused infections in animals in Mainland China as well as all over the United States, the latter through importation of infected Monkeys rather than due to the presence of natural host.  Such evidence suggested that, during the period of apparent quiescent, infection still occurs in various areas where the natural hosts are found without causing devastating human outbreaks.

Photo credit:
University of North Carolina News Room on Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2014/june/dispatch-from-guinea-containing-ebola

The Four Waves of Ebola 四波伊波拉

Ebolavirus was first identified in 1976 in Africa.  Over the nearly forty years of history, it has been found to cause acute viral illness with sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sorethroat. Shortly after there will be gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and diarrhoea), rash, organ damage and various bleeding disorders.  There will be decreased white cells and platelets as well as abnormal liver enzymes.

As regards its transmission, it is through contact of body fluids containing the virus.  There is an incubation period of 2 to 21 days.  People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus - can last much longer after their own recovery.

Ebolavirus belongs to the family of Filoviridae (the filovirus).  There are two other genus in this family, the Marburgvirus, and Cuevavirus.

Genus Ebolavirus comprises 5 distinct species. Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) seems to be causing the worst and deadliest outbreaks and Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) and Bundibugyo ebolaviruses (BDBV) can also cause highly fatal diseases. The Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) is found in the Phillipines and Mainland China.   can infect humans but no known human illness or deaths have been reported.  The Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV) has been reported causing a non-fatal case in Cote d'Ivoire in 1994.

A summary of major Ebola outbreaks from Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-18/ebola-spurs-nigeria-surveillance-regional-border-limits.html)

The above graph, published at Bloomberg in an article on the subject by Zoker and Chen, has nicely shown the geographical relationships of the major outbreaks across the African continents over the past years.  When we look further into the species of the ebola virus causing these outbreaks, we can actually identify three different patterns caused by three out of the five species of Ebola virus.

The Four Waves of Spreading Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)

This Zaire ebolavirus seems to be the most deadly species of the genus.  It was first detected (1976) in an outbreak in 1976 in the then Zaire, which subsequently changed to the present Democratic Republic of Congo, in Central Africa.  The species causing this outbreak was identified as the Zaire Ebola virus.  It caused 391 reported cases with 281 deaths, with a case-mortality rate of 88%.  It was placed under the Genus Ebola virus because cases were initially found in northern Zaire near the River Ebola.

The second wave (1994 to 1996) of Zaire Ebolavirus was detected in 1994 in Gabon - after an apparent 18-year quiescent period after the 1976 outbreak.  In 1995, an outbreak of the same virus also occurred in Zaire resulting in 315 cases with 254 deaths, with mortality again high at 81%.  The outbreak in Gabon continued till 1996 with 143 cases and 97 deaths and mortality at 68%.  One fatal case, presumably an imported case from Gabon, was detected in South Africa in 1996.

The third wave (2001 to 2008) of Zaire Ebolavirus outbreak occurred fiver years later in 2001 in Gabon again, and also newly found in Congo, the country located between Gabon and Zaire.  Zaire has undergo political change and had been renamed as the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1997, had its third Zaire Ebolavirus outbreak in 2007 to 2008.  The case numbers in Gabon, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo were 65, 249, and 296 with case-mortality rate of 82%, 85% and 68% respectively.

Ebolavirus Outbreak Dec 2013 to Aug 2014 in West Africa (WHO) http://who.int/csr/disease/ebola/geographic-map-29-aug-2014.png?ua=1)

As we can see now, the current outbreak occurring in West Africa since December 2013 is basically the fourth wave (2013 to current) of the Zaire Ebolavirus outbreak.  Over the past five years of silent period, the virus has travelled through more than 3,000 km west to Guinea, with subsequent detection in Sierra Leone, Liberia, as well as Nigeria.  Based on the WHO statistics, as of 11 August 2014, the number of cases in these countries are:

• Guinea - 510 cases, 377 deaths
• Liberia - 670 cases, 355 deaths,
• Sierra Leone - 783 cases, 334 deaths, and
• Nigeria - 12 cases, 3 deaths.

Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) primarily in Sudan and Uganda

Around the time of the first Zaire ebolavirus outbreak, a similar outbreak was also detected in a neighbouring country, Sudan (north to Zaire), due another species, named Sudan Ebolavirus.  The worst first outbreak in 1976 resulted in 284 cases with 151 deaths, with a case-fatality rate of 53%; followed by two smaller outbreaks in 1979 (34 cases and 65% deaths) and in 2004 (17 cases and 41% deaths).

Sudan ebolavirus was detected outside Sudan in Uganda, a country south to Sudan in Central Africa, in 2000 and again in 2011 to 2012.  In the first outbreak, there were 425 cases with 224 deaths (case fatality rate 53%).  The second one was smaller causing 32 cases and 22 deaths (69% deaths).  

Budibugyo eboavirus (BDBV) detected in 2007 and 2012

There is a third species, the Budibugyo ebolavirus, found to be able to cause human outbreaks and deaths.  It was first detected in Uganda in 2007 with 149 cases and 27 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 25%.  It was detected in Democratic Republic of Congo (the previous Zaire) in 2012 resulting in 57 cases including 29 deaths.

Reference: 

Ebolavirus outbreaks updates at World Health Organization

Elise Zoker and Caroline Chen.  Ebola Spurs Nigeria Surveillance, Regional Border Limits at Bloomberg access http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-18/ebola-spurs-nigeria-surveillance-regional-border-limits.html.

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyeung (南陽聖母聖地/남양성모성지) Korea

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyeung (南陽聖母聖地/남양성모성지), also called "Rosary Hill" is in Korea.  It is 43km south to Seoul in Hwaseong (華城/화성) of Namyangdong (南陽洞/남양).  It is in the area of Suwon (水原/수원시)in Gyeonggi-do (京畿道/경기도).

At its official website, there are details in Korean and English to highlight the significance of this site as a pilgrimage stop.  Below I attempt to summarize some of them:

(a) Dedicated to Mary: It is the first site in Korea especially dedicated to the Holy Mother and was designated as a Holy Site on 7 October, the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Rosary, in 1991.

(b) A Shrine: Historically, it is an execution site of Korean Martyrs during the 1866 Byeongin-nyeon Persecution  (丙寅年迫害).

(c) Its geographical design, from an aerial view, is like that of an icon of Holy Mother, the Our Lady of Vladimir.  The icon has been agreed as a high quality artistic piece surviving from the period of Byzantine.  As there was no master plan in the initial design of this site, this resemblance is considered a miracle contributed to special meaning to this site.

The aerial view of the site on the left and the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir on the right (http://www.namyangmaria.org/en/images/contentimg5.jpg)

(d) Rosary Path: The concept was based on the dynamics of the "4-Hour Rosary Prayer Movement" devoted to peace.  A half-a-mile 20-Decade Rosary Road is built with giant rosary beads by the road side for praying rosary.

(e) Statue of Holy Mother: Is is a highlight on the Rosary Road.

Statue of Mary
(http://www.namyangmaria.org/en/images/contentimg6.jpg)

(f) Way of the Cross: Apart from the Rosary, one other prayer activities here is to walk the Way of Cross with Mary, to experience the pain and suffering of Jesus and that of the Holy Mother at each station.  The path is paved with pebbles for barefoot walkers and each station is also equipped for easy kneeling in prayer.

(g) Garden of Merciful Jesus: At the end of the Way of the Cross, there locates the Garden of Merciful Jesus inspired by Pope John Paul II as in his speech during his canonisation of Sister Faustina, the faithful disciple of merciful God, "The message of mercy is not new, but in an era of violence and war Sister Maria Faustina is a gift of God for our age."  There stands the statue of Divine Mercy (described by Sister Faustina as "the vessel that draws the water of grace from the well"), as well as the crown of thorns, the nail and hammer, the hands and feet nailed to the cross, the spear-pierced heart of Suffering Jesus, and sculpture of the Holy Mother's "Pieta" and the busts of Saint Faustina and of Pope John Paul II.

(h) Pray for Life Protection:  There is a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe beside the Tomb of Aborted Children for a "continuous prayer movement to the atonement for an prevention of sinful abortions."  It was also explained that "Guadalupe means 'to smite the serpent's head'" with the serpent referred as abortion.

The address of the site is 112 sanctuaries in Hwaseong Namyang Suwon (contact: 031-356-5880).  Please see below for the website.  There are also videos in various languages posted.

Reference (and photos):
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyeung (남양성모성지)
http://www.namyangmaria.org/index_en.htm

Theotokos Vladimir (Our Lady of Vladimir)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theotokos_of_Vladimir

Solmoe Shrine (松山聖地/솔뫼성지) at the birthplace of the first Korean Catholic priest

Solmoe Shrine (松山聖地/솔뫼성지) is located in Naepo (內浦地區) of Dangjin (唐津) in Chungcheongnam-do (忠清南道/충청남도 ).   It is within the Diocese of Daejeon in Korea.  Naepo is at the western shore about 100 m south of Seoul (about 2 hours' ride by bus or train).  The name "Naepo" means a bay near the sea or a lake and "Solmoe" means a hill with a pine forest.

Solmoe is an important area for Catholics in Korea as it was the birthplace of Korea's first Catholic priest: St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon (聖金大建安德烈).  He was from a Catholic family with his great-grandfather, Pius Kim Jin-hu, his uncle, Andrew Kim Jong-han, and his father, Ignatius Kim Je-jun, all martyrs for their faith. The Kim clan produced a total of eleven martyrs.

St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon was born on 21 August 1821 and baptised in 1835 at age 16 by a French priest Pierre Philibert Maubant.  He then walked to Macao to study Catholicism and was ordained as a priest in Shanghai by Jean Joseph Ferreol in 1845.  He returned to Korea in October 1845 together with Ferreol and priest Marie Nicolas Antoine Daveluy to start his missionary work.  He died in September in 1846.

In 1846, he was arrested by Joseon government authorities on Sunwi-do Island, Hwanghae-do and hanged on the Saenamteo execution grounds in Seoul on September 16, 1846 at the age of 25, 13 months his ordination.  He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in Seoul in 1984.

The 6th Asian Youth Day in 2014 had its opening mass held at Solmoe on 13 August and Pope Francis met with youth delegates from various Asian areas at Solmoe place in Korea on 15 August for the 6th Asia Youth Day.  On 16 August 2014, Pope Francis beatified 124 martyrs in Gwanghwamun (光化門/광화문) of Gyeongbokgung Palace (景福宮/경복궁) in Seoul, and among the 124, 49 are from this coastal Naepo area.

Pope Franicis visited Solmoe and Haemi in Naepo 

Reference:
Birthplace of Korean Catholicism, Solmoe.  Visit Korea.
http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Society/view?articleId=119546

2014 Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to Korea.
http://popekorea.catholic.or.kr/en/schedule/sch-sub01.asp

2014 Asian Youth Day
http://www.ayd2014.org/eng/

Yakhyeon Cathedral (藥峴聖堂/약현성당) - the first catholic church in Korea

The name of the church, Yakhyeon, is probably the pronunciation of the Korean "약현" or 藥峴.  "성당" means church or cathedral in Korean.  It is located in the administrative district called Jungnim-dong (中林洞 ; 중림동).  Jungnim-dong is a dong in the neighbourhood of Jung-gu in Seoul.  The church was named after "Yakjeonhyeon" (藥田峴,) meaning the original location being a hilly area covered with medicinal herbs. It was shortened to "Yakhyeon" and referred to the area between Malli-dong and Seoul Station.

Yakhyeon Cathedral (藥峴聖堂)

Yakhyeon Cathedral is an important place for Catholic pilgrimage in Korea for two reasons.

First, it is the first catholic church built in Korea.  It was originally a school set up by the then Bishop Blanc and the Paris Foreign Missions Society in 1887 for teaching christianity in Korea.  With the expanding number of Catholics, the then Bishop Mutel decided a church was to be built and the foundation stone was laid in October 1891.  The construction was completed in September 1892 and consecration carried out in April 1893. There was a fire in February 1998 that brought the church into ashes. It was then refurbished and reopened to the public on 17 September in 2009.

Its opening was an important historical landmark in Korea as the freedom for the public to become Catholics was in 1886 when a treaty was signed between France and the then Joseon Dynasty of Korea.  Before that there was ongoing oppression and persecution against catholics since in 1784, when Yi Sunghun (李承薰;이승훈; 1756 - 1801) was baptized in China and marked the official beginning of the Catholicism in Korea.

As some of the beliefs and practices advocated by the Church were not acceptable to the then governing Joseon Dynasty, such as ancestral worship, there were ongoing persecutions in the 100 years in between.  Three most important ones were: Sinyu Persecution  (辛酉迫害) in 1801, Gihae Persecution (己亥迫害in 1839 and Byeongin Persecution (丙寅迫害) in 1866.  These persecutions resulted in more than 8000 deaths in the Korean Catholic history.

On 6 May 1984, the Pope John Paul II canonized 103 previously beatified Korean martyrs (79 beatified in 1925 and 24 more in 1968) in Yeouido (汝矣島/여의도), Seoul, South Korea. Their feast day is 20 September. Korea now has the fourth largest number of saints in the Catholic world.

Seosomun Memorial (西小門殉教者紀念堂）

This history of martyrdom is related to the second reason of the significance of the Yakhyeon Cathedral.  Across the Cathedral, there is the Seosomun Park (西小門公園서소문 공원seosomun gong-won).  The crossroads outside Seosomun was one of the official execution ground in the Joseon Dynasty.  Among the 103 saints, 44 were executed in this place.  There is a memorial in the Park, the Seosomun Martyrs Memorial Center (西小門殉教者紀念堂서소문순교성지）built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the church.

Pope Francis visited the Yakhyeon Cathedral and Seosomun on 16 August 2014 during his visit to Korea for the 6th Asia Youth Day.

Reference:
Visit Seoul: Yakhyeon Church
(http://www.visitseoul.net/en/article/article.do?_method=view&m=0004003002027&p=03&art_id=359&lang=en;
http://www.visitseoul.net/cb/article/article.do?_method=view&m=0004003002002&p=03&art_id=359&lang=cb)

History 100.  Pope canonises 103 Korean Martyrs.   http://www.historychannel.com.au/classroom/day-in-history/589/pope-canonizes-103-korean-martyrs

以色列的十二支派 (The 12 Israel Tribes)

對於『以色列』這個名字，聖經清楚在創世紀第三十二章第二十九節，記載了雅各伯 (Jacob) 與代表天主的神秘人搏鬥後，得到祝福，『那人說：「你的名字以後不再叫雅各伯，應叫以色列，因為你與神與人搏鬥，佔了優勢。」』

在第三十五章第十節，天主在貝特耳顯現給他，再重申，『「你原叫雅各伯，但以後不再叫作雅各伯，卻要叫作以色列。」』 並許諾多過一個民族要由他而生，又將賜給了亞巴郎 (Abraham) 和依撒格 (Issac) 的土地賜給他和他未來的後裔。

此後，雅各伯有了十二個兒子，並經過多番轉折，各人的性情能力逐漸呈現，形成為以色列的十二個支派的特色。這十二支派是由雅各伯的十二個兒子，減去肋未及約瑟，換上約瑟的兩個兒子默納協及厄弗辣因所組成。十二個支派的發展和去向，也在雅各伯臨終祝福內預示了。以下嘗試列出來，有部分還未讀到清楚的解釋，暫先列出雅各伯的用詞在『』內。

以色列十二支派的分佈 Distribution of the 12 Tribes of Israel (http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/division-of-promised-land-to-twelve-tribes-israel.html)

勒烏本 (Reuben): 本是長子，但由於過於暴燥及激烈，又侵犯父親的妾，因此被除去長子的名分。

西默盎 (Simeon) 和肋未 (Levi) 兩兄弟：由於曾在盛怒下殘殺了人，因此受懲罰，被分散在以色列各支派中。圖示西默盎歸在猶大之內。而肋未一支則在曠野中表示了堅決的信仰，在各派中專職為司祭，例如撒慕爾。肋未沒有分到土地，又由於司祭不必服兵役，不參與各國戰爭，因此一般不算一支派。

猶大 (Juda)：本是三子，現獲得長子的名分，也得到雅各伯最多的祝福，包括『權杖不離猶大，柄杖不離他腳間，直到那應得權杖者來到，萬民都要歸順他。』。此後的大衛王、撒羅滿王及默西亞耶穌都是猶大這一支。

則步隆 (Zebulun)：『將居於海濱，成為船隻停泊的口岸，與漆冬毗連。』

依撒加爾 (Issachar)：『是匹壯驢，臥在圈中；他覺得安居美好，地方優雅；便屈肩負重，成為服役的奴隸。』

丹 (Dan)： 『將如以色列的一個支派，衛護自己的人民。丹必似路邊的長蟲，道旁的毒蛇，咬傷馬蹄，使騎士向後跌下。』

加得 (Gad)：『 要受襲擊者襲擊，但他要襲擊他們的後隊。』

阿協爾 (Asher)：『食物肥美，將供給君王的佳肴。』

納斐塔里 (Naphtali)：『是隻被釋放的母鹿，發出悅 耳的歌詠。』

本雅明 (Benjamin)：則是好鬥的民族，『是隻掠奪的豺狼：早上吞食獵物，晚上分贓。』第一位以色列王撒烏耳便是從本雅明而來。

對十二支派中的默納協 (Manasseh) 及厄弗辣因 (Ephraim) 的祝福，則是在有關若瑟 (Joseph) 的一段, 『是一株茂盛的果樹， 一株泉旁茂盛的果樹； 枝條蔓延牆頭。... 他的弓仍舊有力，他的手臂依然靈活』。默納協及厄弗辣因是若瑟的兒子，受到雅各伯特別的祝福，如同自己的親兒，因而在若瑟名下，可算是得到兩份的祝福。有說因若瑟後來回到埃及終老，所以沒有以他的名字作為一個支派。

當時十二支派的分佈，則在網上一個名為 "Bible Study" 到網站找到以上一幅地圖，可作參考。也可以看到以色列周邊的一些民族，包括在地中海岸旁的培肋舍特人 (Philistines).