(fl. ?19th-16th cent, BCE)
Israelite, fourth son of Jacob and Leah. When the sons of Jacob turned against Joseph, the 11th son Judah convinced them to sell Joseph to travelling Ishmaelites rather than leave him to die in a pit (Genesis 37). Judah later received Jacob's patriarchal blessing (Genesis 49:8). David belonged to the tribe of Judah and his accession to the throne assured its supremacy. When the Israelite kingdom split after Solomon's death, the tribe of Judah supported Rehoboam and became predominant in the south.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.