The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Biblia.com)

Early Israel

During the period of the settlement in Canaan, the influence of the elders grew as that of the tribes decreased (Deut 21:18–21; de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 12). Elders held power in urban areas and where several larger kinship groups or clans lived together. The elders typically met in the gate or at the entrance to the settlement (Deut 22:15; 25:7; Puckett, “Law and Authority in Ancient Israel,” 1:272–73).

The family and clan-based structure did not disappear altogether. Terms such as “father’s house” (בֵּית אָב, beith av), “clan” (מִּשְׁפָּחָה, mishpachah), and “tribe” (שֵׁבֶט, shevet) began to be used interchangeably, indicating that the judicial system itself was entering into a state of flux (Puckett, “Law and Authority in Ancient Israel,” 1:258).

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