EPHRAIM, efra-im, according to Gen. xli, 50-52, the younger son of Joseph and of Asenath and the founder of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The tribe occupied one of the finest and most fruitful territories of Palestine; in the very centre of the land, and included the most of what was afterward called Samaria. Its approximate boundaries were: on the east the river Jordan, on the west the Mediterranean Sea and the tribe of Dan, on the south the tribe of Benjamin, and on the north that of Manas seh. The Ephraimites, when they left Egypt, are said to have numbered 40,500, and, being numerous and influential, often appear as the representatives of the 10 tribes, both in histor ical and prophetical passages of the scriptures. For a long time the ark and the tabernacle were situated at Shiloh in the heart of Ephraim. The tribe was the most warlike of all the Israelites as attested by their protests against Gideon (judges viii, 1) and against Jephthah (Judges xii, 1-7) because they did not ask their aid in war. Joshua, who conquered the Holy Land,
and Samuel, the prophet, were members of the tribe. Upon the death of Saul, the Ephraimites, in conjunction with all the other tribes except Judah, took part in the revolt of Saul's son Eshbaal (Ishbosheth), and recognized him as legitimate king in opposition to David (2 Sam. ii, 8-9), but upon his murder, submitted to the hegemony of Judah under David. Later, about 975 MC., after the death of Solomon, the tribe revolted under Jeroboam against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon (1 Kings xii, 1-20), and with all the tribes except Judah, Simeon, part of Benjamin, and the Levites, merged into the northern kingdom of which they constituted the most important part. There are, of course, nu merous references to Ephraim in many parts of the Old Testament. A list of these may be found in the article by H. W. Hogg in Vol. II of Encyclop>rdia Riblica (London 1901). Con sult also English Commentaries on Bible, Old Testament, Exodus.