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Zabulon (also Zebulun was one of the twelve sons
of Jacob and ancestor of the tribe of the same
name (Gen., xlvi, 14; Num., xxvi. 26). 

Nothing is known of Zabulon except that Sacred,
Elon, and Jahelel were his sons and the heads of
three tribal families. 

The Tribe of Zebulun|tribe of Zabulon plays an
important part in the early history of Israel. The
name is Hebrew; it occurs in the form zebĂșlĂ»n,
eighteen times; zebĂ»lĂșn, twenty-six times;
zebûlûn, once; Sept., Zaboulon; Josephus (Ant.,
V, vii, 14), Zaboules; Vulg., Zabulon, the New
Testament reading is that of the Septuagint. 

The meaning of the name is doubtful. There seems
to be a play upon Zebed; cf. Lia's words in
Genesis 30:20: "God hath gifted me (zebadani) with
a good gift (zebed); this time my husband shall
honour me (yizbeleni), because I have borne him
six sons; and therefore she called his name
Zabulon". 

At the census of the tribes, in the Desert of
Sinai, during the second year of the Exodus, the
tribe of Zabulon numbered 57,400 men fit for war
(Num., i, 31). This army, under the command of
Eliab, encamped with Judah and Issachar east of
the tabernacle and with them made up the vanguard
of the line of march (Num., ii, 3-9). Among the
spies sent by Moses to view the land of Canaan,
Geddiel the son of Sodi represented Zabulon (Num.,
xiii, 11). 

At Settim, in the land of Moab, after 24,000 men
were slain for their crime, a second census was
taken; Zabulon numbered 60,500 fighting men (Num.,
xxvi, 27). Elisaphan, son of Pharnach, was chosen
to represent Zabulon at the division of the
Promised Land (Num., xxxiv, 25). 

The tribe seems to have easily conquered its
portion. During the rule of Joshua it received no
special mention. While the judges ruled, its
prowess was worthy of note. In the Canticle of
Debbora the tribe is specially singled out as
having:

:offered their lives to death in the region of
Merome (Judges, v, 18); 
and praised for that there came "out of Zabulon
they that led the army to fight", as in Hebrew,
"they that carry the pen of the writer", i.e.,
such as recruiting and inspecting officers (Jg.,
v, 14). 

The reference is to Barac's campaign against
Sisara, the commander of the forces of Jabin, King
of Canaan (Judges, iv, 10). They answered the call
of Gideon and joined in battle against Madian
(Judges, vi, 35); and gave to Israel Ahialon, who
judged her ten years (Judges, xii, 11). Among
those that followed David to Hebron to make him
king were 50,000 fully armed men of Zabulon with
no double heart (I Par., xii, 33), who brought
with them, as sign of their hearty allegiance,
bounteous supplies of meat and drink to celebrate
the accession of their new ruler (I Par., xii,
40). When Ezechias made reparation for the
abominations of his father Achaz, he invited all
Israel to keep the Passover in the house of the
Lord. Mockery and ridicule met the emissaries of
the reformer; yet some were true to the religion
of their fathers, and, even from far away Zabulon,
went up to Jerusalem, destroyed the idols, and
kept the feast of the unleavened bread (II Par.,
xxx, 10-23). 

At the division of the land between the seven
tribes not yet provided for, the lot of Zabulon
was third. The tribe's territory started with
Sarid (Jos., xix, 10), which is supposed to have
been Tel Shadud, some five miles southwest of
Nazareth. Zabulon's boundaries have not been made
out. Of the nineteen proper names that the book of
Joshua gives to guide us, only Bethlehem (Beit
lahm, seven miles northwest of Nazareth) can be
identified with certainty. Josephus (Antiq. Jud.,
V, i, 22) assigns to Zabulon the land near to
Carmel and the sea, as far as the Lake of
Genesareth. To its northwest lay Asher, to the
southeast Issachar. It included a part of the
Plain of Esdraelon, and the great highway from the
sea to the lake. Within the territory of Zabulon,
Christ was brought up, and did and said much that
is narrated in the Gospels, especially in the
Synoptic Gospels|Synoptics, about His Galilean
ministry.

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