Asriel

Asriel was a prominent figure within the tribe of Manasseh and became the ancestor of the clan of the Asrielites, one of the most important family groups in this tribe. His genealogical placement varies between biblical sources: In Numbers he appears as the son of Gilead and thus the great-grandson of Manasseh, while 1 Chronicles places him in a different genealogical context where an Aramaic concubine is mentioned – although there is textual uncertainty regarding this verse. The various traditions illuminate the complex origins of the tribe of Manasseh and its contact with surrounding peoples. During the allocation of land in Canaan under Joshua's leadership, the clan of the Asrielites received their share of the inheritance west of the Jordan, in the central highlands that later became the core area of Samaria.