Benjamin (redirected from Ben Oni)

Benjamin [Heb.,=son of fortune], younger son of Jacob and Rachel, eponymous ancestor of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. His mother, dying, named him Benoni (bĕnō`nī) [Heb.,=son of my sorrow]. According to the Book of Joshua, the tribe of Benjamin was allotted the plateau of E central Palestine lying W of the Jordan between Jerusalem and Bethel. The tribespeople were famous archers. It has been argued that the account in Joshua relates the conquest of Canaan from the point of view of the Benjamite clans. This tradition was later expanded to present a pan-Israelite conquest account. The name survived in the High Gate of Benjamin of the Temple at Jerusalem. The Bible attests that Saul and Paul were of the tribe of Benjamin.

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Benjamin¹

1. Arthur. 1893--1960, Australian composer. In addition to Jamaican Rumba (1938), he wrote five operas and a harmonica concerto (1953)

2. Walter . 1892--1940, German critic and cultural theorist

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Benjamin²

Old Testament

a. the youngest and best-loved son of Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 35:16--18; 42:4)

b. the tribe descended from this patriarch

c. the territory of this tribe, northwest of the Dead Sea