9 myths
Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Naphtali from across Jewish tradition.
9 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.
Naphtali carried a vision for ninety years before he told it. He saw his dead grandfather call a footrace and two brothers seized the sky.
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.
At one hundred and thirty-two, Naphtali told his sons two visions: brothers riding sun and stars, and a ship nearly wrecked by jealousy.
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.
On his deathbed Naphtali described two visions he had kept for a lifetime: a ship in a storm and stars falling from the hands of Levi and Judah.
Of Jacob's twelve sons, Naphtali was famous for something almost trivial next to wrestling angels and prophecy: he could run faster than any man alive.
When twelve tribal princes brought offerings at the Tabernacle, Naphtali came last. The rabbis found a theology of joy hidden inside the sequence.
Tobit came from Naphtali, first tribe dragged into exile by Assyria. His faithfulness in Nineveh was a one-man correction of his people.
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.
