Seventy nations of the world

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1. These are the Names of the Children of Israel – Names and Numbers

   Parashat Vayigash

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   Parashat Vayigash counts Yaakov's sons who descend to Egypt. 69 people are named; why, then, does the Torah state that 70 of Yaakov's descendants went to Egypt? Additionally, women are rarely mentioned in the list - is it possible that no daughters were born to the House of Yaakov? And how did Yehuda's family grow so fast in such a short amount of time? Apparently the number 70 is not realistic. The number is symbolic, and its purpose is to compare the descendants to Egypt with the settlers of the land and the nations of the world.