
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming…
The number twelve plays a prominent role in scripture. In the Old Testament, we can understand the twelve drummers drumming to represent the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:1-27):
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Reuben
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Simeon
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Levi
(the priestly tribe of Moses, Aaron, Miriam and John the Baptist)
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Judah
(the tribe of kings David and Solomon, and of Jesus)
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Zebulun
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Issachar
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Dan
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Gad
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Asher
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Naphtali
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Joseph
(which was divided between his sons Manasseh and Ephraim)
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Benjamin
(the tribe of Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul)
In the New Testament, the number twelve signifies the twelve original apostles:
The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him (Matthew 10:2-4).
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Simon, renamed Peter by Jesus
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Andrew
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James
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John
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Philip
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Bartholomew
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Thomas
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Matthew
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James, son of Alphaeus
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Thaddaeus
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Simon
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Judas Iscariot, who was replaced after the Resurrection by Matthias (Acts 1:15-26)
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