Hebrews-Israelites-or-Jews?
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Are we ...
“ Hebrews, Israelites or Jews?”
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens,
PhD.
The question is why were we ever called יְהוּדִי - Ye’hu’di - “Jews” or “Jewish”? To be completly honest, we should have NEVER been called Jews, as it is simply incorrect, for we are not just “Judeans”.
As we should all know that after te destruction of our Temple, thein due course we were renamed us Ye’hu’di - Jews. We know of course that it comes from the name of the kingdom of יְהוּדָה - Judea. However, why were we named related to a single tribe, when we are a total of twelve tribes? That seems to say that only Judeans and the tribe of Benjamin were the only ones left and as certain Christian groups claim that the ‘Ten Tribes’ are either lost, or certain Christian nutcases claim that they are the ten tribes. Sorry but that is completly wrong, for the fact is that all twelve tribes lived in Judah at that time, and they are still with us to this very day, thus the title was given to us is was so wrong. But then it thanks to the Rabbis of the past who messed up in so many ways decided to rename us.
We should have remained what we were called and known
us pre בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ - Beit HaMikdash,
being הָעִבְרִי
- Ha’Ivri - the Hebrew, and בְּנֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל
- Bnei Yisrael - sons of Israel!
But let us go back into our history and discover much more regarding when the word עִבְרִי (ʿIvri) and how it was used in the Torah.
“And there came one that had escaped, and told
Abram הָעִבְרִי (Ha’Ivri) “the Hebrew”. Genesis 14:13 (MEC).
The truth is that is what we should still be called to this day, for we were originally known as; עִבְרִים (Ivrim), the plural being עִבְרִי (Ivri), meaning “Hebrew / Hebrews”. Then of course we were also known as ‘Israelites’ as both are correct in English!
“Now these are the names of the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (Bnei Yisrael) the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household”. Exodus 1:1. (MEC)
We need to ask the question as follows - “How,
where, and when did the Name “Hebrews” and “Israelites” became part of us all,
according our blessed Torah?
Obviously we did receive both names “Hebrew”, which in Ivrit is, הָעִבְרִי - Ha’Ivri - the Hebrew, as well as יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי – Sons of Yisrael - Israel. The truth is that it goes a very long way back. In fact all the way back as we have already learnt to Avram - Abram.
And from here on we will view many verses, and each one will provide us with an answer!
1... Bereshit - Genesis 14:13. (MEC).
וַיָּבֹא, הַפָּלִיט, וַיַּגֵּד, לְאַבְרָם הָעִבְרִי; וְהוּא
שֹׁכֵן
בְּאֵלֹנֵי
מַמְרֵא
הָאֱמֹרִי, אֲחִי
אֶשְׁכֹּל
וַאֲחִי
עָנֵר, וְהֵם, בַּעֲלֵי
בְרִית-אַבְרָם
“And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew (הָעִבְרִי - Ha’Ivri) now he dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram”.
2... Bereshit - Genesis 32:28-29. (MEC).
וַיֹּאמֶר
אֵלָיו, מַה-שְּׁמֶךָ; וַיֹּאמֶר, יַעֲקֹב
וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא
יַעֲקֹב
יֵאָמֵר עוֹד
שִׁמְךָ-כִּי, אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ
עִם-אֱלֹהִים
וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים, וַתּוּכָלוַיָּשֻׁבוּ,
הַמַּלְאָכִים,
אֶל-יַעֲקֹב,
לֵאמֹר: בָּאנוּ
אֶל-אָחִיךָ,
אֶל-עֵשָׂו,
וְגַם
הֹלֵךְ
לִקְרָאתְךָ,
וְאַרְבַּע-מֵאוֹת
אִישׁ עִמּוֹ
“And he (the Angels - מַּלְאָכִים) said unto him: ‘What is thy name?’ And he said: Ya’aqov - Jacob. And he said: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Ya’aqov - Jacob, but יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael - Israel; for thou hast striven with Elohim (God) and with men, and hast prevailed’”.
3... Shemot - Exodus 1:1. (MEC).
וְאֵלֶּה, שְׁמוֹת
בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַבָּאִים, מִצְרָיְמָה: אֵת
יַעֲקֹב, אִישׁבֵית
וּוֹ בָּאוּ
“Now these are the names of the sons of יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael, who came into Egypt with Ya’aqov - Jacob; every man came with his household”.
Later Use erroneous name given by rabbis as Ye’Hu’di translated as “Jewish”.
How,
where, and when did the Name “Hebrews” Originate:
1. Etymology of the Term “Hebrew”.
The English word “Hebrew” derives from the biblical Hebrew עִבְרִי (ʿIvri), and the plural עִבְרִים (Ivrim).
Likely from the root ע־ב־ר (ʿ-b-r), meaning “to cross over,” perhaps referring to Abraham’s journey from Mesopotamia into Canaan or to an ancestral river crossing.
In ancient Greek it appears as Ἑβραῖος – Hebraios, and in Latin, well who cares.
2. Earliest Biblical Usage (c. 2000-1000 BCE).
First Occurrence: Bereshit - Genesis 14:13 (MEC) mentions Abraham as הָעִבְרִי - Ha’Ivri, being “the Hebrew”.
“And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram הָעִבְרִי - the Hebrew, now he dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram”.
Usage: The term appears 34 times across 32 verses in the Tanakh, generally identifying Hebrews in the nomadic or pre-monarchic era.
3. Ancient Near Eastern References.
Egyptian Sources: While the Torah narrates the sojourn and the Exodus, no unequivocal Egyptian inscription for “Hebrew” exists.
Assyrian Records: Some Neo-Assyrian texts of the 8th-7th centuries BCE mentions “Habiru” or “Apiru” groups, possibly socio-economic bands of semi-nomadic people, which some scholars connect to the the title “Hebrew - ʿIvri”.
4. Hellenistic and Roman Period (3rd century BCE–2nd century CE).
Greek Translation: The ‘Septuagint’ (3rd century BCE) consistently renders עִבְרִים as “Ἑβραίοι” – “Hebraioi”.
5. Emergence of the Term “Jew” (Yehudi).
Origin: From the Hebrew יְהוּדִי - Yehudi, “is a member of the tribe or kingdom of Judah.” Although the tribe of Benjamin was also in Judah!
Biblical Roots: As we well know that after Solomon’s reign, Israel split into the northern “Israel” and southern “Judah”. In exile and afterward, inhabitants of Judah, or יְהוּדִים - Yehudim became the predominant survivors and retained their identity.
Greek and Latin: Greek Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios) and Latin Iudaeus evolved into Old French ‘Juiu’ and then in English it became “Jew, it is said by the 12th–13th centuries.
Revival in Israel: In the late 19th century, Jewish settlers in Palestine began using עִבְרִי - Ivri being “Hebrew” of course, to emphasize our ancient roots and it having been a spoken Hebrew National language!
A Timeline Summary:
|
Period: |
Term in Use: |
Context: |
|
c. 2000 BCE (Patriarchal). |
עִבְרִי - ʿIvri. |
Applied to Avraham, pre-monarchic tribes. |
|
8th-7th c. BCE Assyria.. |
Habiru - Apiru. |
Possible external echo of “Hebrew”. |
|
3rd c. BCE–1st c. CE (Hellenistic/Roman). |
Ἑβραῖος - Hebraios. |
Greek term for Israelites/Judeans. |
|
Post-Babylonian Exile (6th c. BCE). |
יְהוּדִי - Yehudi. |
Residents of Judah become dominant group. |
|
12th-13th c. CE Europe. |
Jew came via the old French. |
Latin ‘Iudaeus’ - Old French ‘Juiu’ - English Jew. |
|
19th c. CE Zionist Revival. |
Hebrew. |
Ethno-national identity, modern language movement. |
Why “Hebrews” Predates the wrong word “Jews”.
The ancestral designation “Hebrew” describes a tribal identity from Avraham - Abraham onward.
“Jew” only became the title for all Israelites after Judah’s prominence post-exile as the word ‘Jews’ was chosen by the rabbis, who else?
In many modern languages (e.g., Italian, Russian, Georgian), the equivalent of “Hebrew” remains the primary term for ethnic Jews, reflecting the original usage!
Further Exploration:
Examine the Amarna letters (14th c. BCE) for any mention of “Habiru.”
Compare the ‘Septuagint’ renderings of “Hebrew” and “Jew” to see shifting connotations in early Christianity.
Let us turn and look at the Early Use of “Hebrew”:
Genesis 14:13 (JPS):
“Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew…”
This was the first biblical use of the term Hebrew - עִבְרִי, applied to Avraham.
It likely derives from Eber, being an ancestor of Avraham (Genesis 10:21), or from the root meaning “to cross over,” referencing Avraham’s migration from Mesopotamia.
Emergence of “Israelite” - Genesis 32:28 (JPS).
“Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed”.
This marks the origin of the name Israel - יִשְׂרָאֵל, as given to Ya’aqov - Jacob, thus His descendants are subsequently called Israelites בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, as seen in Shemot - Exodus 1:1 (JPS);
“These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob…”
Later Use erroneous name given by rabbis as Ye’Hu’di translated as “Jewish”.
The term “Jew” - יְהוּדִי appears much later, primarily in post-exilic texts. For example in Esther 2:5 (JPS);
“In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew named Mordecai…”
This reflects the shift after the Babylonian exile, when the term ‘’Jew began to refer to members of the tribe of Judah and eventually all Israelites; thanks to the rabbis had to sadly live with that, with their tribal origins having been wiped away! Unbelievably, the rabbis renamed our faith under the banner of “Rabbinic Judaism” in the middle-ages, but as that was not appreciated, they then changed to just “Judaism”. However, we should be named and known as “Hebrews” and “Israelites”.
Summary of the Transition:
|
Term |
First Mention |
Associated Figure |
Context |
|
Hebrew: |
Genesis 14:13. |
Avraham - אַבְרָהָם |
Migrant identity. |
|
Israelite: |
Genesis 32:28. |
Ya’aqov - יַעֲקֹב Yisrael - יִשְׂרָאֵל |
Covenant lineage. |
|
Jew: |
Esther 2:5. |
Mordechai - מָרְדֳּכַי |
Post-exilic tribal identity. |
Go to Part Two of this Study (online soon).
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said
“Return unto Me, and I will return
unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יָהוָה- the LORD of
hosts”. Mal’a’chi 3:7. MEC).
אֲנִי
יָהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יָהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יָהוָה (the LORD your God);
walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances,
and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and
you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יָהוָה”. Yechezkel
- Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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before food and drinks, etc!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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