Judah

Judah
/jooh"deuh/, n.
1. the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. Gen. 29:35.
2. one of the 12 tribes of Israel traditionally descended from him.
3. the Biblical kingdom of the Hebrews in S Palestine, including the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Cf. Ephraim (def. 3).
4. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning "praised."
Also, Douay Bible, Juda (for defs. 1-3).

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I
One of the 12 tribes of Israel, descended from Judah, the fourth son of Jacob.

The tribe of Judah entered Canaan with the other Israelites after the escape from Egypt and settled in the region south of Jerusalem. It eventually became the most powerful tribe, producing the kings David and Solomon, and it was prophesied that the messiah would come from among its members. After the 10 northern tribes were dispersed by the Assyrian conquest of 721 BC, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were left as the sole inheritors of the Mosaic covenant. Judah flourished until 586 BC, when it was overrun by the Babylonians and many of its people were carried into exile. Cyrus II allowed them to return in 538 BC, and the Temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt. The history of Judah from that time forward is the history of the Jews and Judaism. The kingdom of Judah was succeeded by Judaea.
II
(as used in expressions)
Alkalai Judah ben Solomon Hai
Benjamin Judah Philip
Eleazar ben Judah ben Kalonymos
Ibn Tibbon Judah ben Saul
Judah ha Nasi
Magnes Judah Leon

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▪ Hebrew tribe
      one of the 12 tribes of Israel, descended from Judah, who was the fourth son born to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. It is disputed whether the name Judah was originally that of the tribe or the territory it occupied and which was transposed from which.

      After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, each was assigned a section of land by Joshua, who had replaced Moses as leader after the latter's death. The tribe of Judah settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah would come from among its members. Modern Jews, moreover, trace their lineage to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (absorbed by Judah) or to the tribe, or group, of clans of religious functionaries known as Levites. This situation was brought about by the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel in 721 BC, which led to the partial dispersion of the 10 northern tribes and their gradual assimilation by other peoples. (Legends thus refer to them as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.)

      The southern Kingdom of Judah thrived until 587/586 BC, when it was overrun by the Babylonians, who carried off many of the inhabitants into exile. When the Persians conquered Babylonia in 538 BC, Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, where they soon set to work to replace the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem that the Babylonians had destroyed. The history of the Jews from that time forward is predominantly the history of the tribe of Judah.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • JUDAH — (Heb. יְהוּדָה), fourth son of Jacob and Leah. The biblical explanation of the name Judah connects it with thanksgiving and praise (Heb. אוֹדֶה, oʾdeh; Gen. 29:35). However, if one compares the names Judith (Gen. 26:34) and Jahdai (I Chron. 2:47) …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • JUDAH — (Nesiah), nasi from about 230 to 270 C.E., son of Gamaliel III, and grandson of Judah ha Nasi. During his period of office the power of the nasi began to decline and the struggle between him and the scholars became intensified. Judah and his… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Judah II — was a famous Jewish sage who lived in Tiberias in the Land of Israel, in the middle of the third century CE. He is mentioned in the classical works of Judaism s oral law, the Mishnah and Talmud.There he is variously called Judah, Judah Nesi ah ( …   Wikipedia

  • JUDAH IV — (fl. c. 385–400 C.E.), patriarch, son of gamaliel V. Very little is known about him, and even that little is doubtful. He seems to have been unpopular with contemporary rabbis, and when his sister Mana died, a leading Palestinian scholar refused… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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  • Judah — [jo͞o′də] n. [Heb yehūdhāh, lit., praised] 1. a masculine name: dim. Jude; fem. Judith 2. Bible a) Jacob s fourth son, whose mother was Leah: Gen. 29:35 b) the tribe descended from him, the strongest of the twelve tribes of Israel: Num. 1:26 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • Judah IV — held the office of Nasi of the ancient Jewish Sanhedrin between 385 and 400 CE, following Gamaliel V. He was succeeded by Gamaliel VI, the last occupant of the office. References …   Wikipedia

  • Judah — m Biblical name, possibly meaning ‘praised’ in Hebrew, borne by the fourth son of Jacob (Genesis 29: 35), who gave his name to one of the twelve tribes of Israel and to one of its two kingdoms. Cognate: Hebrew: Yehuda …   First names dictionary

  • Judah — masc. proper name, biblical son of Jacob by Leah, also the name of a tribe of Israel, from Heb. Yehudah, from stem of y d h, lit. praised …   Etymology dictionary

  • Judah — Infobox Given Name Revised name = Judah imagesize= caption= pronunciation= gender = meaning = region = origin = related names = footnotes = Judah (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew: Yəhuda ; Tiberian vocalization:unicode|Yəhûḏāh, Celebrated,… …   Wikipedia

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