result of the casting of the lot, and the size of the tribe. It is generally suggested (and is the traditional Jewish view) that the lot established only the approximate location of the land inheritance each tribe would have. That is, that it designated an inheritance in one section or another of the land, such as to the N or S, E or W, along the coastal plain, or in the mountainous region. The decision of the lot proceeded from Jehovah and hence would serve to prevent jealousy or quarreling among the tribes. (Prov. 16:33) By this means God would also guide matters so that the situation of each tribe fell in accordance with the inspired deathbed prophecy of the patriarch Jacob recorded at Genesis 49:1-33.

After the casting of the lot had determined the geographical location of a tribe it would then be necessary to determine the extent of its territory on the basis of the second factor: its proportionate size. “You must apportion the land to yourselves as a possession by lot according to your families. To the populous one you should increase his inheritance, and to the sparse one you should reduce his inheritance. To where the lot will come out for him, there it will become his.” (Num. 33:54) The decision of the lot as to the basic geographical location would stand, but adjustment could be made as to the size of the inheritance. Thus, when Judah’s territory was found to be too large, its land area was reduced by assigning portions of it to the tribe of Simeon.—Josh. 19:9.

The ‘increasing’ or ‘decreasing’ of the inheritance does not seem to have been merely on the basis of land area, for the tribe of Dan, though second most populous, received one of the smaller portions as to actual dimensions. Other factors such as the number of cities, the type of land, the quality of the soil, and so forth, may have been considered.—Compare Joshua 17:14-18.

When the more precise boundaries of the tribal divisions had been worked out, then the individual family holdings could be assigned and this appears to have been done, not by lot, but by the direction of the appointed ‘committee,’ composed of Eleazar, Joshua and the chieftains. (Josh. 17:3, 4) So, Deuteronomy 19:14 states that “when the ancestors will have set the boundaries in your inheritance” they should not be moved back.

The account of the division of the territory W of the Jordan shows that first the lots for Judah (Josh. 15:1-63), Joseph (Ephraim) (16:1-10) and the half tribe of Manasseh settling W of the Jordan (17:1-13) were determined, their boundaries and cities being enumerated. After this there appears to have been an interruption of the dividing of the land, since the camp of Israel is shown to have moved from Gilgal to Shiloh. (Josh. 14:6; 18:1) The length of time involved is not stated, but Joshua eventually reprimanded the remaining seven tribes for their dilatory attitude as to settling the rest of the land. (Josh. 18:2, 3) Various explanations have been offered as to the cause of this delinquency on the part of the seven tribes, some commentators reasoning that the abundance of spoil obtained during the conquest and the relative freedom from any immediate threat of attack by the Canaanites may have caused these tribes to feel no particular urgency about taking possession of the remaining portion of the territory. A reluctance to face up to the problem of dealing with the pockets of strong enemy resistance there may have contributed to this tardiness. (Josh. 13:1-7) Also, their knowledge of this portion of the Promised Land may have been considerably more limited than in those sections already allotted.

To expedite the matter, Joshua sent out a delegation of twenty-one men, three from each of the seven tribes, to “map out the land into seven shares,” and after the men had “mapped it out by cities” Joshua drew lots for them in order to obtain Jehovah’s decision. (Josh. 18:4-10) The individual inheritances allotted are discussed in Joshua 18:11–19:49.

The priestly tribe of Levi was not given a particular region as its allotment, but was granted forty-eight scattered cities and pasture grounds located within the boundaries of other tribes.—Josh. 13:14, 33; 21:1-42.

OTHER BOUNDARIES

By the Law covenant God ‘divided Israel off’ as his chosen people for 1,545 years (Lev. 20:26), but by the sacrificial death of his Son he destroyed the figurative “wall in between” that fenced off the Gentile peoples from the Jews, abolishing the Law of commandments. At Ephesians 2:12-16, Paul likely alluded to the barrier or wall in the temple area beyond which boundary Gentiles were prohibited under penalty of death, such wall serving the apostle as an apt illustration of the division created by the Law covenant.

Under the new covenant mediated by Christ Jesus a spiritual demarcation, far more impressive than any geographical boundary, was made, separating off the spiritual nation of the Christian congregation from the rest of the world of mankind. (John 17:6, 14-19; 1 Pet. 2:9-11) Jehovah had long before prophesied that he would build Zion with precious gems and make all her boundaries of “delightsome stones,” and Jesus quoted from this prophecy applying the succeeding verse to those becoming his disciples. (Isa. 54:12, 13; John 6:45; compare Revelation 21:9-11, 18-21.) These spiritual boundaries are to be held inviolate, for God warns that those invading them will meet with destruction.—Compare Isaiah 54:14, 15; 60:18 with 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17.

Conversely, those forming that spiritual nation are required to remain within its confines, recognizing the moral limitations set forth (1 Cor. 5:9-13; 6:9, 10; 1 Thess. 4:3-6) and the spiritual boundaries separating them from false worship and worldly systems (2 Cor. 6:14-18; Jas. 4:4; Rev. 18:4), as well as governing proper relationships between Christians and the “superior authorities” of the existing governments (Rom. 13:1, 5; 1 Pet. 2:13-16; Acts 4:19, 20; 5:29), husband and wife (1 Cor. 7:39; 1 Pet. 3:1, 7), and in many other respects. Paul also shows there were boundaries governing the territory assigned for ministerial activity.—2 Cor. 10:13-16; see BOUNDARY MARK.

BOUNDARY MARK

When the Israelites occupied Canaan, a plot of land was given to each family and such holdings were marked off by landmarks or boundary marks. These are not described in the Bible, but they may have been posts, stones or even furrows in the ground. It is possible that at least some boundary marks in Palestine bore inscriptions of identification. Elaborate inscriptions do appear on landmarks or boundary stones in Egypt and Mesopotamia. For example, an inscribed boundary stone of Nebuchadnezzar I was discovered at Nippur.

Regardless of the way in which the Hebrews marked off their inheritance or landholdings, Jehovah’s law prohibited the moving back of boundary marks. (Deut. 19:14; see also Proverbs 22:28.) In fact, cursed was the one moving back “the boundary mark of his fellow man.”