View source for Benjamin

{{short description|Biblical figure and son of Jacob and Rachel}}
{{About|the Biblical figure Benjamin, son of Jacob|people named Benjamin|Benjamin (name)|other uses|Benjamin (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Benjamin
| image              = Benjamin (after Francisco de Zurbarán).jpg
| caption            = Painting by [[Arthur Pond]] (1745) after [[Francisco de Zurbarán]]'s portrait from the series (''[[Jacob and His Twelve Sons]]'') {{circa|1640|1645}}
| native_name        = {{font|text=בִּנְיָמִין|font=Palantino}}
| native_name_lang   = he
| birth_date         = 11 [[Cheshvan]]
| father             = [[Jacob]]
| mother             = [[Rachel]]
| children           = <ref>Genesis 46:21</ref>{{Plainlist|
* Bela (son)
* Beker (son)
* Ashbel (son)
* Gera (son)
* Naaman (son)
* Ehi (son)
* Rosh (son)
* Muppim (son)
* Huppim (son)
* Ard (son)
}}
| relatives          = {{Plainlist|
* [[Reuben (son of Jacob)|Reuben]] (half brother)
* [[Simeon (son of Jacob)|Simeon]] (half brother)
* [[Levi]] (half brother)
* [[Judah (son of Jacob)|Judah]] (half brother)
* [[Dan (son of Jacob)|Dan]] (half brother)
* [[Naphtali]] (half brother)
* [[Gad (son of Jacob)|Gad]] (half brother)
* [[Asher]] (half brother)
* [[Issachar]] (half brother)
* [[Zebulun]] (half brother)
* [[Dinah]] (half sister)
* [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]] (brother)
* [[Leah]] (aunt/stepmother)
}}
}}
{{SpecialChars}}
'''Benjamin''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebr|בִּנְיָמִין}}}} ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right")<ref name=EtymologyBenjamin>[[blue letter bible]]: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv)</ref> was the younger of the two sons of [[Jacob]] and [[Rachel]], and Jacob's twelfth and youngest son overall in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was also considered the progenitor of the [[Israelites|Israelite]] [[Tribe of Benjamin]]. Unlike Rachel's first son, [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]], Benjamin was born in [[Canaan]] according to biblical narrative.

In the [[Samaritan Pentateuch]], Benjamin's name appears as "{{Transliteration|smp|Binyamēm}}" ([[Samaritan Hebrew]]: {{lang|smp|ࠁࠪࠍࠬࠉࠣࠌࠜࠉࠌࠬ}}, "son of days"). In the [[Quran]], Benjamin is referred to as a righteous young child, who remained with Jacob when the older brothers plotted against Joseph. Later rabbinic traditions name him as one of four ancient Israelites who died without sin, the other three being [[Chileab]], [[Jesse (biblical figure)|Jesse]] and [[Amram]].

==Name==
The name is first mentioned in letters from King [[Sîn-kāšid]] of [[Uruk]] (1801–1771 BC), who called himself “King of Amnanum” and was a member of the [[Amorite]] tribal group the “Binu-Jamina” (single name “Binjamin”; Akkadian {{Transliteration|akk|Mar-Jamin}}).<ref name=Dietz>[[Dietz Otto Edzard]]: ''Die Nomaden in der altbabylonischen Zeit'' In: [[Elena Cassin]], [[Jean Bottéro]], [[Jean Vercoutter]]: ''Die Altorientalischen Reiche I - Vom Paläolithikum bis zur Mitte des 2. Jahrtausends v. Chr. -'', Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1965 (gleichnamige limitierte Sonderausgabe 2003), S. 170.</ref> This name means "Sons/Son of the South" and is linguistically related to the Old Testament name "Benjamin".

According to the [[Hebrew Bible]], Benjamin's name arose when Jacob deliberately changed the name "Benoni", the original name of Benjamin, since Benoni was an allusion to Rachel's dying just after she had given birth, as it means "son of my pain".<ref>Genesis 35:18</ref> Textual scholars regard these two names as fragments of naming narratives coming from different sources - one being the [[Jahwist]] and the other being the [[Elohist]].<ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who wrote the Bible?''</ref>

Unusual for one of the [[12 tribes of Israel]], the Bible does not explain the  [[etymology]] of Benjamin's name. Medieval commentator [[Rashi]] gives two different explanations, based on [[Midrash]]ic sources. "Son of the south", with south derived from the word for the right hand side, referring to the birth of Benjamin in [[Canaan]], as compared with the birth of all the other sons of Jacob in [[Aram-Naharaim|Aram]].<ref name="Rashi">{{cite web| url = https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8230/jewish/Chapter-35.htm#showrashi=true| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090305023940/http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8230/jewish/Chapter-35.htm| archive-date = 2009-03-05| title = Genesis - Chapter 35 (Parshah Vayishlach) - Genesis - Torah - Bible}}</ref><ref name="bdmtze">''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref>  Modern scholars have proposed that "son of the south" / "right" is a reference to the tribe being subordinate to the more dominant tribe of Ephraim.<ref name = "bdmtze"/> Alternatively, Rashi suggests it means "son of days", meaning a son born in Jacob's old age. The [[Samaritan Pentateuch]] consistently spells his name "בנימים", with a terminal [[mem]], ("Binyamim"), which could be translated literally as "spirit man" but is in line with the interpretation that the name was a reference to the advanced age of Jacob when Benjamin was born.<ref name = "bdmtze"/>

According to classical rabbinical sources, Benjamin was only born after [[Rachel]] had [[fasted]] for a long time, as a religious devotion with the hope of a new child as a reward. By then [[Jacob]] had become over 100 years old.<ref name = "bdmtze"/> Benjamin is treated as a young child in most of the Biblical narrative,<ref name = "bdmtze"/> but at one point is abruptly described as the father of ten sons.<ref name="xhbyqx">{{bibleverse||Genesis|46:21|HE}}</ref> Textual scholars believe that this is the result of the genealogical passage, in which his children are named, being from a much later source than the [[Jahwist]] and [[Elohist]] narratives, which make up most of the [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]] narrative, and which consistently describe Benjamin as a child.<ref name = "bdmtze"/>

By allusion to the biblical Benjamin, in [[French language|French]], [[Polish language|Polish]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]], "Benjamin" ({{lang|fr|benjamin}}/ {{lang|pl|beniamin}} /{{lang|es|benjamín}}, respectively) is a common noun meaning the youngest child of a family, especially a particularly favoured one (with a similar connotation to "baby of the family").

==Israelites in Egypt==
[[Image:BenjaminandJoseph.jpg|thumb|left|Benjamin (right) embracing his brother [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]]]]

The Torah's Joseph narrative, at a stage when Joseph is unrecognised by his brothers, describes Joseph as testing whether his brothers have reformed by secretly planting a silver cup in Benjamin's bag. Then, publicly searching the bags for it, and after ''finding'' it in Benjamin's possession, demanding that Benjamin become his [[slave]] as a punishment.<ref name=Gen44>{{bibleverse||Genesis|44|HE}}</ref>

The narrative goes on to state that when [[Judah (son of Jacob)|Judah]] (on behalf of the other brothers) begged Joseph not to enslave Benjamin and instead enslave him, since enslavement of Benjamin would break Jacob's heart. This caused Joseph to recant and reveal his identity.<ref name=Gen44/> The [[Sefer haYashar (midrash)|midrashic book of Jasher]] argues that prior to revealing his identity, Joseph asked Benjamin to find his missing brother (i.e. Joseph) via [[astrology]], using an [[astrolabe]]-like tool.<ref name="bdmtze"/> It continues by stating that Benjamin [[divination|divined]] that the ''man on the throne'' was Joseph, so Joseph identified himself to Benjamin (but not the other brothers), and revealed his scheme (as in the Torah) to test how fraternal the other brothers were.<ref name = "bdmtze"/>

Some classical rabbinical sources argue that Joseph identified himself for other reasons.<ref name = "bdmtze"/> In these sources, Benjamin swore an oath, on the memory of Joseph, that he was innocent of theft, and, when challenged about how believable the oath would be, explained that remembering Joseph was so important to him that he had named his sons in Joseph's honour.<ref name = "bdmtze"/> These sources go on to state that Benjamin's oath touched Joseph so deeply that Joseph was no longer able to pretend to be a stranger.<ref name = "bdmtze"/>
[[File:Morgan-bible-fl06.jpg|thumb|300px|An illustration from the [[Morgan Bible]] of Benjamin being returned to Egypt (Genesis 44)]]
In the narrative, just prior to this test, when Joseph had first met all of his brothers (but not identified himself to them), he had held a feast for them;<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|43|HE}}</ref> the narrative heavily implies that Benjamin was Joseph's favorite brother, since he is overcome with tears when he first meets Benjamin in particular,<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|43:30|HE}}</ref> and he gives Benjamin five times as much food as he apportions to the others.<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|43:34|HE}}</ref> According to textual scholars, this is really the Jahwist's account of the reunion after Joseph identifies himself, and the account of the threat to enslave Benjamin is just the Elohist's version of the same event, with the Elohist being more terse about Joseph's emotions towards Benjamin, merely mentioning that Benjamin was given five times as many gifts as the others.<ref name = "bdmtze"/>

== Jacob's blessing ==
Upon his death, the [[Jacob|patriarch Jacob]] [[Blessing of Jacob|blesses]] his youngest son: "Benjamin is a ravenous [[wolf]]; In the morning he consumes the foe, And in the evening he divides the spoil" (Genesis 49:27). This [[Wolves in folklore, religion and mythology|wolf symbolism]] has been interpreted to refer to several elements of the Tribe of Benjamin, including its heroic members like [[Saul|King Saul]] and [[Mordecai]], the tribe's often warlike nature, and the tribe's jurisdiction over the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] in which [[Korban|sacrifices]] were 'devoured' by flame.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Genesis 49:27 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.49.27?ven=The_Contemporary_Torah,_Jewish_Publication_Society,_2006&lang=bi&with=Commentary&lang2=en |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gottheil |first=Richard |title="Benjamin," in the Jewish Encyclopedia |year=1906}}</ref>

==Origin==
[[Image:Kever Binyamin.jpg|thumb|300px|An exterior view of a [[Mamluk]] [[caravanserai]] complex, including the mausoleum of Nabi Yamin, traditionally believed to be the tomb of Benjamin, located outside [[Kfar Saba]], Israel]]

Biblical scholars believe, due to their geographic overlap and their treatment in older passages, that Ephraim and Manasseh were originally considered one tribe, that of ''Joseph''.<ref name = "gzuhsh">''Jewish Encyclopedia'', ''Ephraim''</ref> According to several biblical scholars, Benjamin was also originally part of this single tribe, but the biblical account of Joseph as his father became lost.<ref name = "gzuhsh"/><ref name = "fxeide">''[[Peake's Commentary on the Bible]]''</ref>

The description of Benjamin being born after the arrival in Canaan is thought by some scholars to refer to the tribe of Benjamin coming into existence by branching from the Joseph group after the tribe had settled in Canaan.<ref name = "fxeide"/> A number of biblical scholars suspect that the distinction of the ''Joseph tribes'' (including Benjamin) is that they were the only Israelites which went to [[Egypt]] [[the Exodus|and returned]], while the main Israelite tribes simply emerged as a subculture from the Canaanites and had remained in [[Canaan]] throughout.<ref name = "fxeide"/><ref>[[Israel Finkelstein]], ''The Bible Unearthed''</ref>

According to this view, the story of Jacob's visit to [[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] to obtain a wife originated as a [[metaphor]] for this migration, with the property and family which were gained from Laban representing the gains of the Joseph tribes by the time they returned from Egypt.<ref name = "fxeide"/> According to textual scholars, the [[Jahwist]] version of the Laban narrative only mentions the Joseph tribes and Rachel, and does not mention the other tribal [[matriarch]]s whatsoever.<ref name = "fxeide"/><ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who Wrote the Bible?''</ref>

==Benjamin's sons==
According to Genesis 46:21, Benjamin had ten sons: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.<ref name="xhbyqx"/> The name of his wife/wives are not given, but the [[Book of Jubilees]] calls his wife Ijasaka and the [[Sefer haYashar (midrash)|Book of Jasher]] mentions two wives, Mechalia the daughter of Aram and Aribath the daughter of Shomron.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/45.htm|title=Book of Jasher, Chapter 45|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/jub/jub69.htm|title=Book of Jubilees: The Book of Jubilees: The Wives of Jacob's Sons (xxxiv. 20-21)|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> The classical rabbinical tradition adds that each son's name honors Joseph:<ref name = "bdmtze"/> 
*''Belah'' (meaning ''swallow''), in reference to Joseph disappearing (''being swallowed up'')
*''Becher'' (meaning ''first born''), in reference to Joseph being the first child of Rachel
*''Ashbel'' (meaning ''capture''), in reference to Joseph having suffered captivity
*''Gera'' (meaning ''grain''), in reference to Joseph living in a ''foreign'' land (Egypt)
*''Naaman'' (meaning ''grace''), in reference to Joseph having graceful speech
*''Ehi'' (meaning ''my brother''), in reference to Joseph being Benjamin's only full-brother (as opposed to half-brothers)
*''[[Rosh (biblical figure)|Rosh]]'' (meaning ''elder''), in reference to Joseph being older than Benjamin
*''Muppim'' (meaning ''double mouth''), in reference to Joseph passing on what he had been taught by Jacob
*''Huppim'' (meaning ''[[chuppah|marriage canopies]]''), in reference to Joseph being married in Egypt, while Benjamin was not there
*''Ard'' (meaning ''wanderer''/''fugitive''), in reference to Joseph being like a rose
There is a disparity between the list given in Genesis 46 and that in Numbers 26, where the sons of Benjamin are listed along with the tribes they are the progenitors of.<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|26:38-41|HE}}</ref>
*''Belah'', progenitor of the Belaites, is in both lists
*''Ashbel'', progenitor of the Ashbelites, is in both lists
*''Ahiram'', progenitor of the Ahiramites, appears in this list but not the first
*''Shupham'', progenitor of the Shuphamites, corresponds to Muppim from the first list
*''Hupham'', progenitor of the Huphamites, corresponds to Huppim from the first list
Becher, Gera, Ehi, and Rosh are omitted from the second list. Ard and Naaman, who are the sons of Benjamin according to Numbers 26, are listed as the sons of Belah and are the progenitors of the Ardites and the Naamites respectively.

==In Islam==
Though not named in the [[Quran]],<ref>{{qref|12|4-102|b=y}}</ref> Benjamin ({{lang|ar|بنيامين}} Binyāmīn) is referred to as the righteous youngest son of [[Jacob in Islam|Jacob]], in the narrative of [[Joseph in Islam|Joseph]] in Islamic tradition. Apart from that, however, Islamic tradition does not provide much detail regarding Benjamin's life, and refers to him as being born from Jacob's wife [[Rachel]]. As with Jewish tradition, it also further links a connection between the names of Benjamin's children and Joseph.<ref name="EOIBinyamin">{{cite encyclopedia |author1=Vajda, G. |author2=Wensick, A. J. |title=Binyamin |publisher=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]] |volume=I}}</ref>

Near [[Jenin]], in [[Al-Yamun]], there is a tomb-shrine known as the "[[Maqam (shrine)|Maqam]] of Nabi Yamin" or "A-Nabi Binyamin," which is traditionally believed by locals to be the burial site of Benjamin.<ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last=Tal |first=Uri |title=Muslim Shrines in Eretz Israel: History, Religion, Traditions, Folklore |publisher=Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi |year=2023 |isbn=978-965-217-452-9 |location=Jerusalem |pages=106–107 |language=he}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Benjamin (disambiguation)]]
** For a list of persons with the given name Benjamin see {{lookfrom|Benjamin}}
* [[Tribe of Benjamin]]
* [[Paul the Apostle]], of the Tribe of Benjamin
* [[Mordecai]] the Jew, from the Tribe of Benjamin see Esther 2:5
* [[Esther]], also known as Hadassah, the cousin of Mordecai the Jew—see the Book of Esther
* [[Prophet Joseph (TV series)|Prophet Joseph]] (TV series)

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Benjamin (Biblical figure)}}
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2947-benjamin "Benjamin"], ''[[The Jewish Encyclopedia]]'', 1908: Material on the tribe, its territory, Rabbinical tradition and Islam.

{{Characters and Names in Quran}}
{{sons of Jacob}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Children of Jacob]]
[[Category:Founders of biblical tribes]]
[[Category:Book of Jubilees]]
[[Category:Tribe of Benjamin]]