THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
The answer
Twelve (Mark 3:13-19). The number deliberately echoes the twelve tribes of Israel.
Why it’s interesting
The Gospels' lists of the Twelve don't perfectly match — Matthew and Mark name "Thaddaeus," while Luke has "Judas son of James" in that slot. The count is fixed at twelve even where the names shift.
Scholarly consensus
You can know the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.