Gad

Gad, the seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah, and founder of an Israelitish tribe numbering at the exodus from Egypt over 40,000 fighting-men. Nomadic by nature, and possessing large herds of cattle, they preferred to remain on the east side of Jordan, and were reluctantly allowed to do so by Joshua, on condition of assisting their countrymen in the conquest and subjugation of Canaan. Their territory lay to the north of that of Reuben, and comprised the mountainous district known as Gilead, through which flowed the brook Jabbok, touching the Sea of Galilee at its northern extremity, and reaching as far east as Rabbath-Ammon. The men of Gad were a stalwart fighting race—eleven of its heroes joined David at his greatest need. Jephthah the Gileadite, Barzillai, Elijah the Tishbite, and Gad 'the seer' were in all probability members of this tribe.