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This article proposes a new solution to an old problem: Why is the tribe of Reuben first in so many descriptions of the tribes? This question, which was routinely debated in the middle of the twentieth century, has not often been explored in recent years even as the assumptions on which earlier solutions were based have fundamentally changed. Here, I lay out the dimensions of a necessary paradigm shift in dealing with details of this sort very generally and suggest that the tribe of Reuben specifically gained its elevation as a tool of Judahite authors seeking to rewrite the history of tribal Israel on Judahite terms. This is not because Reuben itself was a southern tribe, but quite the opposite--because it could give an Israelite imprimatur to a new version of tribal traditions that otherwise emphasized the importance of the south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dieser Artikel greift aktuelle Argumentationen auf, die für einen späten südlichen Ursprung des bekannten 12-Stämmekonzeptes plädieren, das wiederum aus einer kleineren israelitischen Version entstanden sein soll. Dabei wird auf verschiedene Beispiele im Richterbuch, im Samuelbuch und in den Königebüchern eingegangen, die diese Entwicklung anscheinend reflektieren. Diese Texte, die nördliche und südliche Traditionen zusammenführen, Bezugnahmen auf nördliche Figuren und auf nördliche Geographie oft in das Stämmekonzept einbetten, während dies nicht für die südlichen Traditionen gilt. Dies legt eine Unterscheidung des Quellenmaterials in dem jeweiligen Falle mit Rücksicht auf dieses Konzept nahe. This article builds on recent arguments in favor of the late and southern origins of the familiar twelve tribe concept – from a smaller northern Israelite version – by pointing out instances in the books of Judges Samuel and Kings where this development might be reflected. Here, at sites of aggregation between northern and southern traditions, references to northern figures and geography are very often couched in a tribal paradigm while references to southern entities are not. This suggests a difference in the source materials, in each case, with respect to this paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]