NAPIITALI, TEME or, named after a son of Jacob, recorded as numbering 53,400 adult males at the exodus, being then the 6th in numbers among the 12 tribes. On its arrival at the outskirts of Palestine, it was only 8th in number. In the journey through the wilderness its place was n. of the tabernacle, near the tribes of Dan and Asher, with which it constituted the " camp of Dan." The ensign of the three is represented by the Jewish legends as a serpent, bearing the inscription "Return, 0 Jehovah! unto the many thousands of Israel." The territory allotted to Naphta]i was situated in n.e. Palestine, bounded on the n. IT the Leontes river, on the e. by lakes Galilee and Merom, and the Jordan. on the s. by the Zebulun, and on the w. by Asher. It included the w. shore of the sea of Galilee. Its surface and scenery were more diversified than those of the other tribes. Its s. portion, and especially the plains alohg the shore of the sea of
Galilee were the most fertile region of Palestine. The tribe of Naphtali, under the leadership of Barak of Kedesh-Naphtali, repelled the invasion of the Canaanites under Sisera. and Jabia (Judg. x.), and their valor is extolled in the song of Deborah. In the reign of Solomon, Naphtali was under the charge of Ahimaaz, his son-in-law. The head of the tribe in David's time was Jerimoth ben Azriel. In the reigns of Asa, king of Judah, and Baasha, king of Israel, Benhadad, king of Syria, " sentthe captains of the host which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali " (I. Kings, xv, 20). About 730, Ttghtth Pileser ravaged n. Palestine and carried off the population to Assyria, and the history of the tribe ends at this point.