“Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already”. (Exodus 1, verses 1-5) In the Bible, the Israelites are described as descendents of the twelve sons of Jacob whose name was changed to Israel in Genesis 32:28. The Bible contains about two dozen listings of the twelve sons of Jacob and/or tribes of Israel. Some of these are in very brief lists, while others are spread out over several paragraphs or chapters that discuss the distribution of the land or name certain representatives of each tribe, one after another. Once the Israelites completed the conquest of the land of Canaan during the days of Joshua, the twelve tribes split up to their assigned territory. For many years, each tribe was ruled by a series of Judges. At times enemies had to be fought but not all the tribes were united in battle. The tribes hoped to be united as the other nation through leadership of a king. The prophet Samuel, names Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be the first king of Israel. After Sauls Short reign Samuel anoints David of the tribe of Judah. Israel was again united under King David, and followed so during the reign of his son King Solomon. Solomon's son, Reheboam however saw the split of Israel in two- 10 northern tribes making the kingdom of Israel (aka Northern Kingdom) and the other being the Kingdom of Judah, comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. When the Assyrian captured the Northern kingdom (tribes) around 720 BCE they disbursed the Israelites among many lands. When the Babylonian captured the Judean kingdom around 680 BCE the tribes of Judah and Benjamin held on to their identity as Judeans. It is said that all Jews descend from these two remaining tribes.