one of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times composed the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the elder of two sons born to Jacob and Zilpah, a maidservant of Jacob's first wife, Leah.

After entering the Promised Land, each tribe was assigned a territory by Joshua, who replaced Moses as leader after the latter's death. The tribe of Gad settled on land east of the Jordan River, gained renown for its military spirit, and was one of the 10 northern tribes that formed a separate kingdom in 930 BC with Jeroboam I as king. Following the Assyrian conquest of 721 BC, the 10 tribes were partially dispersed and eventually assimilated by other peoples. The tribe of Gad thus became one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.