The Twelve Oxen

The Twelve Oxen were part of the sea that King Solomon made in the Holy Temple. It was a copper water basin that stood on twelve copper oxen. As written in the Book of Kings chapter 7: "And he made the sea of cast metal... It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set upon them, from above, and all their hinder parts were inward."

The Twelve Oxen

In Kabbalah

In Kabbalah, it is a term used to refer to the angels of the world of Beriah, and to the twelve tribes.

In the world of Beriah there are four great angels: Michael (Chesed), Gabriel (Gevurah), Raphael (Tiferet) and Uriel (Malchut). Each of these angels has a camp of angels. We learn this from the verse speaking about the river that flows from Eden: "And from there it parted and became four headwaters," and these are the four camps of angels of the world of Beriah where Gan Eden is located.

More specifically, each camp is divided into three parts (corresponding to the three columns: Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferet), thus forming twelve groups, which are the oxen that support the sea.

Similarly, the twelve tribes, which are also divided into four flags with each one including three, are called the 12 oxen.

The 12 diagonal boundaries, which are the integration of Zeir Anpin of the world of Atzilut, extend both to Malchut of Atzilut and to the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. There they are the source of the aspect of the 12 oxen upon which the sea rests from above. The sea is the aspect of Malchut of Atzilut, and they serve as boundaries for this sea.

The "sea" that the oxen support is the Supernal Man, so that they serve as the lower chariot and as the Throne of Glory for the world of Atzilut.