One thought:
Reuben was the 'first born' to Jacob(Genesis 49:3), and so was entitled to the rights and responsibilities that went with the honor, including TWO portions of his father's estate, but because he acted recklessly, and disgraced his father, his 'first born' rights were removed(Genesis 49:4)(Genesis 35:21+22) and given to faithful Joseph, through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh(1 Chronicles 5:1/Genesis 48:5).
Another Answer:
They were adopted by Abraham:
Genesis 48:5New King James Version (NKJV)5 And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, aremine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Ephraim and Manasseh were given tribe status because they were the sons of Joseph, who was one of Jacob's twelve sons. To maintain the twelve tribes of Israel after Joseph's descendants had grown, Ephraim and Manasseh were essentially recognized as separate tribes with their own territories.
The tribe of Ephraim was one of the twelve tribes of Israel and descended from Ephraim, one of the sons of Joseph and the grandson of Jacob. They settled in the central region of Canaan after the Israelites entered the Promised Land.
It is only the house of Judah (Jews) who refer to all other tribes as Gentiles. Most white races come through Manasseh or Ephraim, while other races of people come through the other nine tribes. The dark skinned races come through the lineage of Ham's wife Egyptus who was of the lineage of Cain who, if you remember was cursed (with a dark skin). Genesis 4:15 gives us some clue as to what the punishment was God placed upon Cain.
In the book of Isaiah, Ephraim refers to the northern kingdom of Israel. It was one of the tribes of Israel and a powerful kingdom in ancient times. The prophet Isaiah frequently mentions Ephraim in reference to its rebellion against God and impending downfall.
When Ephraim and Manasseh were counted as individual tribes, the tribe of Levi was not included among the twelve tribes of Israel. Levi was set apart for priestly duties and was not given a territorial inheritance in the Promised Land like the other tribes.
The Bible doesn't mention a wife or children for Joshua, however in Joshua 24:15 he does say "...But as for me and my house(household), we shall serve the LORD (YHWH)..", possibly implying that there WAS a family??
The tribe of Ephraim was one of the twelve tribes of Israel and descended from Ephraim, one of the sons of Joseph and the grandson of Jacob. They settled in the central region of Canaan after the Israelites entered the Promised Land.
Joshua was of the Tribe of Ephraim (Numbers ch.13).See also the Related Link.More about Joshua
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim was one of the Tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim also formed the House of Joseph. As part of the Kingdom of Israel, the territory of Ephraim was conquered by the Assyrians, and the tribe exiled; the manner of their exile led to their further history being lost.
Joseph made both of his kids tribes of their own, hence Ephraim is the 13th tribe, but a whole tribe not a half.
The Tribe of Ephraim (Numbers 11:28 and 13:8)
The gemstone associated with the tribe of Ephraim is the moonstone. It is often connected to this tribe due to its symbolism of femininity, intuition, and inner growth, qualities that are attributed to Ephraim in biblical text.
Ephraim the Hivite
Ephraim Black is a character from the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. In the series, he is the great-grandfather of Jacob Black and a former leader of the Quileute tribe. Ephraim Black played a significant role in the history of the werewolves in the series.
Joseph is not in the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob, who is known as Israel has 12 sons...Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun,Joseph and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.So logically, 12 tribes of Israel would bore these names...But no...The tribe of Levi was given/consecrated to the LORD (Num 3:11-13) and were not to be counted. The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born.Excluding Levi and including Joseph there are only 11 tribes, but because Joseph is represented by each of his two sons, (Ephraim and Manasseh), who were given the status of independent tribes, it means that there are 12 tribes.This is their formation around the Tabernacle and in order of their marches;The Eastern Tribes : Judah, Issachar and ZebulunThe Southern Tribes : Reuben, Simeon and GadThe Western Tribes : Ephraim, Manasseh and BenjaminThe Northern Tribes : Dan, Asher and Naphtali
The descendants of Ephraim were the entire Tribe of Ephraim, part of the Israelite people. They lived to the north of Benjamin and Judah in the country of Israel, and later went lost when the Ten Tribes were exiled to points unknown, some 2600 years ago.
It is not specified in the script, but according to the place of her sitting, it is suggested that she was from the tribe of Ephraim. According to some Rabbis in the Midrash she was in fact married to Barak, son of Avinoam from the tribe of Naftali, but it does not necessarily mean she too was from that tribe.
If you're asking about Ephraim the son of Joseph in Genesis, the answer is an unqualified no. If you're asking about the Israelite tribe of Ephraim, the answer is only 99% no, since in times of terrible famine there may have been a few who succumbed to doing so, as God warned (Deuteronomy 28:53).