Were Israelites Jews

Answer 1

Hebrews, Israelites, Jews: same people, different eras.

"Hebrews" (Ivrim) actually means descendants of Eber (Ever). Ever was an ancestor of Abraham (Genesis ch.10-11) and the earliest Hebrews were Abraham's uncles and cousins for several generations back.
In 1934-39, excavations were conducted at ancient Mari on the Euphrates River. They found that ancient towns were named after the ancestors of Abraham: The city of Nahor was found near the city of Harran which exists to this day. Equally clear signs of early Hebrew residence appear in the names of other towns nearby: Serug (Assyrian Sarugi), Terah (Til Turakhi, "Mound of Terah"), and Peleg (Paliga, on the Euphrates). All these names are found in Genesis ch.11.
Abraham himself was called a Hebrew (Genesis 14) because of his ancestors, not because he was the first one. That is the simple meaning of Genesis 14:13. Poetically, however, Abraham is called Ivri because the name also translates to "other side." Abraham was on "the other side" since he was the only monotheist (Midrash Rabbah 42:8) until his teachings spread.
In that sense, "Hebrews" is often used to refer to Abraham's Israelite descendants. Thus it refers to the Jewish people.
"Israelites" refers to the people down to about the time of the destruction of the First Temple some 2500 years ago. "Jews" refers to the people from Second Temple times onward, because after the Assyrian conquest the remaining Israelites were (and are) mostly from the Israelite tribe of Judah.
In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, showing relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition and refute theories which would allege that Jewish communities consist mostly of converts."

Answer 2

In early Israelite times, there were two separate kingdoms. The southern kingdom was Judah, and its early inhabitants are called Judahites. After the exile of the Ten Tribes, the Judahites became known simply as Jews. The larger kingdom was Israel to the north, whose Israelite inhabitants were conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE and its inhabitants deported, where they assimilated into their host cultures. However, some Israelites escaped to Judah and joined the Judahites and their descendants became called Jews.

In even earlier times, The Bible tells us that Judah and Israel formed a United Monarchy, also called Israel, although archaeologists tell us there is no evidence of this. If the Bible is correct, then the Judahites could claim to have once been Israelites themselves, and in fact the later books of the Bible do stress this point.

From one point of view, the Israelites were a separate though ethnically related people. From the biblical point of view, all the Hebrew people were, at least at one point in time, Israelites and therefore the descendants of those Israelites who lived in the south were to become Jews.

• Answer 2

Yes, the Israelites were Jewish, since today's Jews are the physical and spiritual descendants of the Israelites; and because all Israelites had the same Torah that the Jews have today.

In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, showing relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

In addition to genealogical descent, we call someone Jewish because of their beliefs and practices. "Anyone who opposes idolatry is called Jewish" (Talmud, Megillah 13a). It is in that sense of belonging to the Jewish religion that members of Israelite tribes other than Judah are called Jewish. Therefore, any attempt to go technical based upon the specific tribes, is disingenuous and misleading. No one today would claim, for example, that today's Kohens and Levites are not Jewish.

Answer 3

Israelites are the descendants of Israel (Jacob). Jews are the descendants of Judah, who was one of Jacob's sons.

Most Jews (converts excepted) consider themselves to be descendants of Judah. Since Judah was a son of Jacob, they would theoretically be Israelites. However, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians and the scattering of those Israelite Tribes led to the remaining Jews identifying separately from the "Israelite" name.

Answer:

"Hebrews" is often used to mean Abraham and his descendants, instead of his wider family. In this sense it is sometimes used refer to the Jewish people.

The word Hebrews can continue to refer to Abraham's descendants until the lifetime of Jacob. After that, we prefer "Israelite," since Jacob was given that name by God (Genesis ch.35), and it is considered a national title; one of honor. "Israelite" refers to the people (Jacob's descendants) down to about the time of the destruction of the First Temple some 2500 years ago.

"Jews" refers to the people from Second Temple times, up to this day, because after the Assyrian conquest the remaining Israelites were (and are) mostly from the Israelite tribe of Judah. But all the above terms are occasionally interchanged.

Answer 4

The Jews were considered Hebrews because of their religious beliefs. Both terms were correct when referring to the Twelve Tribes.