Origin
According to the Torah, the tribe consisted of descendants of Asher the eighth son of Jacob, from whom it took its name.
Critical scholars view this as an eponymous metaphor. Asher is one of the two descendants of Zilpah, originally a handmaid of Leah, the other being Gad; critical scholars claim that the authors intended this to mean Asher and Gad were not of entirely of Israelite origin.
Read more about this topic: Tribe Of Asher
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