11 myths
Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Naphtali from across Jewish tradition.
11 myths on JewishMythology.com retell how Jewish tradition imagines naphtali, drawn from the Hebrew Bible, Midrash, Talmud, Kabbalah, and later Jewish literature. Each story below synthesizes primary sources into a single narrative; follow any myth to read it, and from there into the source passages behind it.
Twelve princes brought identical offerings on twelve straight days. Asher came eleventh, Naphtali last. The rabbis heard the words honey for me in his name.
His whole tribe worshipped Jeroboam's golden calves and his family mocked him for going to Jerusalem. In Nineveh he buried the bodies left in the streets.
Naphtali called his children to a banquet, then told them he was dying. His two visions of ships and stars foretold a nation falling into ruin.
At 132, Naphtali told his children he was leaving no silver and no gold. What he left instead was one commandment he called the easiest thing in the world.
On the Mount of Olives, Naphtali watched his brothers race to seize the sun and moon. His two visions mapped the whole future of Israel and its exile.
In a dream, Naphtali's brothers grabbed the sun and the moon, and he seized a star. On earth he carried Jacob's messages between Egypt and Canaan.
Joseph planted his own son at the palace gate to record the brothers' names, then closed every grain station but one and goaded them toward war.
At one hundred twenty-five Asher ordered his sons off the double path. Reuben confessed seven months of plague and seven years of penance for one night's sin.
Jacob would not pray for his wife. The sister with every reason to gloat asked heaven to turn her own unborn son into a daughter instead.
Leah had four sons. Rachel had none. She told Jacob to give her children or she would die, and his anger flared at being asked to do God's work.
Deborah sent Naphtali's fighters like a doe let loose. Swift feet took the Kishon road, and later song repaid the charge.
