How do you find out which of the 12 Jewish Tribes of Israel you came from?

Answer 1

Normally, one doesn't refer to the "12 Jewish Tribes of Israel", but rather simply

to the "12 Tribes of Israel", since the word Jewish comes from Judah, one of the tribes.

The modern Jewish people (for the past 2,500 years or so) is mostly descended

from the tribe of Judah. However, there are also some Jews who are descended

from the tribe of Levi - they may be named some variation of Levy or Cohen.

Jews know what tribe they come from through written records in the form of

their parents' ketubot (marriage contracts).

Answer 2:Quintessentially, to find your tribe of the Twelve Tribes of Israel in which you

came from, you can use the following technique.

1. Obtain decorated ossuaries with their original bones, provenanced to the standard required by specialists. With archival analysis of the symbolic decorations identify and create sample groups of the Twelve Tribes with the application of these hieroglyphs: {refer: Testament of Judah}

Levi, cherubim; Judah, key; Simeon, pillars; Reuben, heaven; Issachar, earth; Zebulun, sea; Joseph, mountains;Benjamin, tabernacle; Dan, luminaries; Naphtali, Eden; Gad, sun; Asher, moon.

Methodology aid: Rosette circles and outer bounds identify tribes in their lined interior. Zigzags, called rafter cuts, are steep for Joseph; sea-like for Zebulun; fiery for Gad; and key shaped for Judah. Layers as heavens for Reuben. Verdant for Naphtali. Clay ossuary for Issachar.

2. Acquire specific genetic markers for each Tribe, from DNA testing on the bones or alternative material, to the standards required.

3. Quantify the specific genetic markers that you have in relation to the Twelve Tribes by undergoing DNA testing.

Technique Aid:

Private owners of ossuaries can provide a exploratory data base if they desire. They may have in their possession the means to identify the Twelve Tribes using the mechanism above.

Your ossuary may have on it, as an example, what you discern is a big round circle, but it also depicts the moon, and thereby it represents the tribe of Asher - and the original bones placed in that ossuary are authenticated as a member of the tribe of Asher, by the engraved decoration, and by any engraved inscription on that ossuary.

A decorated ossuary found in situ with the bones inside is of most value - of great importance for DNA evidence, are uncontaminated samples.

Untouched bones would therefore be best for testing. Although bones placed in ossuaries are handled, they are gathered by relatives, and so the specific genetic marker for the tribe would likely be intact. (bone gathering ref: - Klein, Semahot texts; quoted in Decorated Jewish Ossuaries by Pau Figueras.)

With a substantial exploratory data base, an analysis of the specific genetic marker trends can provide the statistics for determining the specific identity markers for each of the Twelve Tribes, providing the mechanism described to find your tribe through quantitative inheritance.

Technique Result:

The dominant specific genetic marker of the Twelve Tribes that you have, is the Tribe that you came from.

Jewish Answer:The above answer is not from Jewish sources. Judaism prohibits tampering with graves or human bones.

To answer the original question: you don't. The great majority of Jews no longer possess specific information as to their tribe (except Levites & Cohens), and we simply leave it at that. Most of us are from Judah.

Note that although some Jewish graves and ossuaries have designs, motifs or decorations, the number of those having specific tribal markers is vanishingly small (except for kohens). And even then, such graves are invariably ancient and almost no one today has unbroken 2000-year old family trees. So the entire subject is wholly hypothetical.

Answer 2

Study the Cepher carefully and pray for revelation.

Answer 3

You can't. Some people who are descended from the Levites sometimes know from family tradition, as well as some people descended from Ancient priests. But that is about it.