The four Northern tribes formed, as it were, a state by themselves (Stanley, Jewish Church, i, 266); and among them Zebuhin became distinguished for warlike spirit and devotion. In the great campaign and vic- tory of Barak it bore a prominent part (Judg. iv, 6, 10). Deborah, in her triumphal ode, says, "Zebulun and
NTaphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives imto the death in the high places of the field" (v, 18). It would appear, besides, that their commercial enterprise led them to a closer and tidier study of the arts and sci- ences than their bretliren. "They thus at an early pe- riod aeqtiired the reputation of literary accomplishment; and the poet sang of them, ' From Zebulun are the men who handle tlie pen of the scribe'" (ver. 14; Kalisch, On GenesiK, p. 753). One of these scribes may have been Elon, the single judge produced by the tribe, who is re- corded as having held otHce for ten years (Judg. xii, 11, 12). This combination of warlike spirit with scientific skill seems to be referred to once again in a more ex- tended held of action. The sacred historian mentions that in David's army there were, " Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank; not of double heart" (1 Ciiron. xii, 33). They were generous, also, and liberal, as well as brave and loyal ; for they contributed abundantly of the rich products of their country — meal, figs, raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep — to the wants of the army (ver. 40). The head of the tribe at this time was Ishmaiah ben-Obadiah (xxvii, 19). The "way of the sea" (Isa. ix, 1), the great road from Damascus to the Jlediterranean, traversed a good por- tion of the territory of Zebulun, and must have brought its people into contact with the merchants and the com- modities of Syria, Phoenicia, and Egypt. Its inhabi- tants, in consequence, took part in .seafaring concerns (Josephus, Ant. v, 1, 22). In the Testament of Zabu- loii (Fal)ricius, Psevdepii/r. V. T. i, 630-645) great stress is laid on his skill in fishing, and he is commemorated as the first to navigate a skiff on the sea. It is satis- factory to refiect that the very latest mention of the Zebuhinites is the account of the visit of a large num- ber of them to Jerusalem to the passover of Hezekiah, when, by the enlightened liberality of the king, they were enabled to eat the feast, even though, through long neglect of the provisions of the law, they were not cleansed in the manner prescribed by the ceremonial law (2 Chron. xxx, 10, 11. 18).
The tribe of Zebidun, though not mentioned, appears to have shared the fate of the other Northern tribes at the invasion of the country by Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings xvii, 18, 24 sq.). From this time the history of distinct triljes ceases. With the exception of the Levites, the whole were amalgamated into one nation; and, on the return from exile, were called Jews. The land of Zeb- ulun, however, occupied a distinguished place in New- Test, times. It formed the chief scene of our Lord's life and labors. Nazareth and Cana were in it; and it em- braced a section of the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where so many of the miracles of Christ were performed, and so many of his discourses and paraldes spoken. Then was fullillcd the prophecy of Isaiah: "The land Zabu- lon, and the land Nephthalim, the way of the sea, be- yond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people which sat in darkness saw great light ; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up" (ix, 1, 2; Matt, iv, 15, 16). In the vision? of Ezekiel (xlviii, 26-33) and of John (Rev. vii, 8) this tribe finds its due mention. — Kitto; Smith. See Iskael, Kikg-
I)OM OF.
The following is a list of all the Biblical local cities in this tribe, with their probal)le identifications:
Bethlehem. Town. Beit-Lahm.
Ciina. do. Kanahel-Jelilf
Dabbasheth. do. Jebata.
Dininah. do. See Himmon.
Gath-hepher, or Git-> .,^ „, Unlh^^
tah-hepher. / ^'*- ^l-^^'^^'had.
Hannathon. do. [El-Mughcir]'}
Idalah. do. Ji-da?
Japhia. do. Yafn.
Kartah, or Kattah. do. Kl-llnrtit
Kiijathaim. do. See Kautah.
Kiti'on. do. Sec Kartaii.
Madou. do. Kefr Mendat
Nahalal,Nahallal, or) , \tnl,ilf
Nahalol. I '^°- ^"'''"'*^
ZEBULUNITE
1066
ZECHARIAH
Scale of Jlik's - CO to a Degree
3 4 3 2 10 6
Nenh. Town. [Ximrin]?
Rumali. do. Tdl Rnviahf
Siirid. do. [Ruins N.W.ofel-Mezraah]?
Sbimron. do. hemunieh?
2. A place on the eastern border of the tribe of Asher, between Beth-dacon and the valley of Jiphthah - el (Josh. xi,\, 27) ; ])erhaps the modern .1 bilin, a village "perched upon a high and sharp hill, on the south side of the wady of the same name" (Robinson, Later Res. p. 103). Ill this passage the word has usually been re- garded as referring to the tribe by that name, as if Ash- er's boundary at this point coinciiied with that of Zebu- luii, whereas they were ideutical along the whole line named. See Tkibe.
Zeb'uluuite (Numb, xxvi, 27). See Zebulontte.
Zecliari'ah (Ileb. Zekaryah', H^lSt, remembered of Jehnvah; occasionally [1 Chron. v, 7; xv, 18, 24; xxiv, 25; xxvi, 2, 11, 1-1; xxvii, 21 ; 2 Chron. xx, 14; x.xi, 2; xxvi, 5; xxix, 13; xxxv, 8] in the prolonged form Zekarya'hv, !liTi"i?T; Sept., N. T., and Josephus, Zfli^api'rtc), the name of many Hebrews, besides Zacha- rias (q. v.), the father of John the Baptist.