ZABULON (Hebr. Zēbhūlūn). — Jacob (v.), from whom the tribe of which he was the ancestor took its name. Z. as a person is mentioned very little; he was Leah’s sixth son (Gen. 30:20; 35:23), and was the father of Sered, Elon, and Jahleel (ibid. 46:15).
The tribe of Z. likewise played only a minor part in the history of Israel. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, 57,000 and 60,500 (Num. 1:13; 26:27) men fit for military service descended from Z. are recorded, figures to be understood in relation to the other numbers in the two separate censuses. In Jacob’s blessing (Gen. 49:13), only the region of the tribe north of Palestine along the coast as far as Sidon is mentioned. The same idea, with some additions, is the subject of Moses’ blessing (Deut. 33:18 ff.). In the division of the Promised Land, whose geographical terms cannot always be identified, lower Galilee together with the northern part of the plain of Esdraelon was assigned to Z.; but the coastal region was left to the tribe of Aser (Jos. 19:10-16 and 24-31).
In Iudc. 1:20 it is noted that, like other tribes, Z. entered into coexistence with the Canaanites whom it had failed to eliminate from its territory. Together with the tribe of Nephthali, it took an active part in Barac’s action against Sisara under the leadership of the prophetess Deborah (ibid. 4:6 ff.), who praised its heroism (ibid. 5:18). This fact explains the praise of its leaders found in Ps. 67:28. The tribe of Z. was also summoned by Gideon to fight against the Midianites; but it does not seem to have responded enthusiastically (Iudc. 6:35). The minor judge Ahialon belonged to the tribe of Z.; he exercised his office for ten years (ibid. 12:11 f.).
The tribe of Z. formed part of the Kingdom of Israel after the division, but it is mentioned only occasionally. In I Par. 27:17, Iesmaias, son of Abdia, is named as tribal leader during the reign of David,
for whose exaltation the descendants of Z. cooperated sincerely (cf. ibid. 12:33). After the fall of the Kingdom of Israel (722 B.C.), the remnants of the tribe of Z., like the others, were invited to the solemn celebration of Passover; but only a few responded to the appeal (II Par. 30:10 f. 18).
In the prophetic books Z. is mentioned in Is. 9:1 as sharing in the peace and prosperity of the messianic age. The text is used by the evangelist Matthew, who relates it to Jesus’ temporary transfer to Capharnaum, a locality situated near the boundary between the tribe of Nephthali and that of Z. (Mt. 4:13 ff.).