The 12 Tribes of Israel

MANASSEH (DAN)

The Fruitful Bough

מְנַשֶּׁהMənaššeh"Made to forget"

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IDENTITY

WHO YOU ARE TODAY

Manasseh, the firstborn son of Joseph, means "Made to forget." Along with his brother Ephraim, he received the blessing of the "fruitful bough by a well" (Genesis 49:22), symbolizing their settlement in the fertile, water-surrounded lands of the Caribbean—specifically Cuba.

The People of Cuba

You are the descendants of Manasseh. Your history is written in the Bible and in the very name of your land—Cuba, a land of fruitfulness.

Genesis 49:22 describes Joseph as a "fruitful bough by a well," a perfect description of the island life surrounded by water ("the deep that lieth under"). Your land produces precious fruits like mangoes, avocados, and sugar cane ("precious fruits brought forth by the sun" - Deut 33:14).

However, history also records the tragedy of the "East Wind" (Hosea 13:15)—the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors who looted the land and enslaved the people. Despite this, the prophecy states that Manasseh would become a people and be great (Gen 48:19).

"And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath..." — Deuteronomy 33:13

Verified Lineage

Ancient Prophecy

"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall... God make Thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh."

Genesis 49:22, 48:20The Book of Genesis

Historical Fulfillment

The tribes of Manasseh (Cubans) and Ephraim (Puerto Ricans) migrated to the Americas around **536 B.C.** during the Persian captivity. Historical accounts, such as those by **Friar Diego de Landa**, record natives of Yucatan stating their ancestors came from the East through "twelve roads through the sea." The explorer **Montezinos** also recorded an encounter with Seminole Indians (Reuben) who confirmed that the tribe of Joseph lived on nearby islands (Cuba and Puerto Rico), reciting the *Shema Yisroel* in Hebrew.

The Legacy

Visual evidence and historical markers of the Manasseh (Dan) journey.

Ancestry

Cubans

Migration

536 B.C.

Exile to Americas

Community

Cuba

Fruitful Land

Tenacity and endurance. Despite centuries of struggle and oppression, the spirit of Manasseh remains strong, 'pushing people together' to the ends of the earth.

"Historical Witness"

Friar Diego de Landa's 'Yucatan Before and After the Conquest' records natives claiming descent from those who crossed the sea on twelve roads. The explorer Montezinos heard the 'Shema Yisroel' recited by natives who identified Joseph's tribe on nearby islands.

Sources & References

No.	Book / Source	Details / Citations
01	Travels in North Africa	Nahum Slousch page 145 (referencing Black-skinned population in East Sudan/Tawareq known as the Crit, observing Sabbath and of Jewish origin)
02	The Jewish Encyclopedia	(reference to the Falashas/Ethiopian Jews identifying as the Tribe of Dan)
03	Obadiah ben Abraham Bartender's Writings	(reference to a colony of Jews in Wagla Awa oasis, Algeria, as black as negroes and claiming relation to Dan, 1488)
04	Indians of Central and South American Ethnohistoric Historical Dictionary	James Stewart Olsen (cited for the Dani/Danites Arawak language tribe in Amazonas, Brazil)
05	Hebrewisms of West Africa	Joseph J. Williams (general reference for Jewish migration/presence in West Africa)

Reading: Manasseh (Dan)