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someone who screams alot in an oven |
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:''This article is about the Hebrew people. For the book of the Bible, see [[Epistle to the Hebrews]].'' |
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'''Hebrews''' (or '''Heberites''', '''Eberites''', '''Hebreians'''; |
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[[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: '''עברים''' or '''עבריים''', <small>[[Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew|Standard]]</small> ''{{unicode|ʿIvrim}}'', ''{{unicode|ʿIvriyyim}}'' <small>[[Tiberian vocalization|Tiberian]]</small> ''{{unicode|ʿIḇrîm}}'', ''{{unicode|ʿIḇriyyîm}}''; meaning "descendants of biblical Patriarch [[Eber]]"), were people who lived in [[Canaan]], an area encompassing [[Israel]], both banks of the [[Jordan River]] ([[The West Bank]] and [[Jordan]]), [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]], [[Lebanon]], and the coastal portions of [[Syria]]. |
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These areas were politically [[Phoenicia]] and of the [[Philistines]] in [[Canaan]] when they first arrived in the area. The Hebrews lived within this region in the [[2nd millennium BCE]] and spoke a [[Canaanite languages|Canaanite dialect]], which played a role in the [[Hebrew languages]], although their culture was distinct from the local [[Canaanite]] culture. The extent of the distinction between the culture of the Canaanites and the Hebrews is a matter of great debate, touching as it does on strong religious sensibilities. |
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==Biblical views== |
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Biblically, the term ''[[Hebrew]]'' refers to all the [[Children of Eber]], and in particular the descendants listed in the [[Hebrew Bible]] of the patriarch [[Jacob]], who was later renamed ''Israel''. Hebrews are also referred to as the [[Children of Israel]] for this reason. According to the [[Bible]], Jacob partitioned the land between 10 of his 12 sons and two of his grandsons (the two sons of [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]], Jacob's favorite son); and thus, biblically, the Hebrews constitute [[Twelve Tribes]]. The third son [[Levi]], being the [[priest]]ly tribe, was not apportioned land, but instead his descendents were entitled to receive a [[tax]] and lands from among the twelve tribes. |
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Today, most [[Jew]]s support the biblical stance, and consider themselves descended from a few of these tribes; the Tribes of [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]], [[Tribe of Benjamin|Benjamin]], and parts of [[Levite|Levi]] (the priestly tribe – who in the period of the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] and [[Kingdom of Israel|Israel]] had no continuous territory, unlike the others). Some would say the [[Tribe of Simeon]] is included in this list, due to a view that the Tribe of Simeon was absorbed by the Tribe of Judah. The remainder of the Twelve Tribes are said to have been exiled by the [[Assyrian Empire]], leading to the legend in the Western world of the [[Lost Tribes of Israel]]. |
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Many [[Christian]]s support this view of the origin of modern Jews. Certain [[Christian]] groups sometimes use the term 'Hebrews' to distinguish the [[Jew]]s in ancient times that lived before the birth of [[Jesus]] from Jews that lived afterward. |
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Jews often use the term 'Hebrews' to distinguish the descendants of [[Jacob]] prior to the writing of the [[Torah]], or "The Five Books of [[Moses]]." |
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==Modern academic views on the origin of the Hebrews== |
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When the [[Amarna|Tell el-Amarna]] archives were initially translated, some scholars eagerly equated the [[Habiru]], described within the text, with the Hebrews—in particular because they were said to be raiders and outlaws, fitting well with the biblical description of the Hebrews under [[Joshua]] conquering [[Canaan]]. Such religiously motivated conclusions proved to be hasty, and later studies, taking into account [[linguistics|linguistic]] research and other ancient mentions of the Habiru, drew a picture of the ''Habiru'' as a group of stateless foreigners who had banded together, and formed a [[counter culture]] rather than an invading force. (See e.g. [[Moshe Greenberg]], ''The Hab/piru'' (American Oriental Society, New Haven, 1955).) Scholars may still identify Israelites as one among many groups comprising these Habiru, but generally recognize the need for caution. |
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Other controversial theories hold that the Hebrews were the mysterious [[Hyksos]], a [[Semitic]] people, who gradually migrated into Egypt from an unknown location in the Middle East, eventually taking power from the extremely weak Pharaoh by force, and subsequently were expelled after many years, matching up well with the biblical description of the Hebrews in Egypt. Indeed, it was [[Ahmose]] (in Greek, ''Ahmosis''), who was from [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], down the river from the seat of power – [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], who caused the Hyksos to leave, although in contrast to the Bible, Ahmose was the enemy of the Hyksos and expelled them by force. A curious feature of the Hyksos rulers over Egypt is that the third ruler (of six) is named ''Yaqob-her'' which is similar to ''Jacob'' (Ya'aqov), the name of the biblical forefather of this period. If this is a common name among the Hebrews, it may suggest the Hyksos are Hebrews. Archeologists usually distinguish the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt in the 16th century BCE, from the [[Exodus]] of the Israelites from Egypt, hypothesized to be later in the 13th century BCE. Notably, the ancient historian [[Josephus]] in his letter, ''[[Against Apion]]'', explicitly identifies the Hyksos as Israelites. This was used as a response to [[Manetho]]'s [[anti-Semitic]] remark about [[the Exodus]], and was based on many false [[etymology|etymologies]]. |
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There are many Canaanite and [[Mesopotamia|Mesopotamian]] (via Amorite [[mythology]]) themes preserved in Hebrew culture, like the biblical version of the story of [[Noah]] which is similar to the [[Mesopotamian mythology|Sumerian]] story of [[Utnapishtim|Ziusudra/Utnapishtim]], the ark, and the deluge unleashed by the angry, jealous god [[Enlil]] (Babylonian Ellil, Canaanite [[El]]), who was thwarted by the wise god [[Enki]] (Babylonian [[Ea]]). Also, textual sources appear to indicate that Hebrews lived in villages and raised livestock, seasonally grazing them in drier areas which didn't farm well, a form of subsistence known as [[transhumance]]. Consequently many have drawn the conclusion that the Hebrews were merely Canaanites who lived in the more difficult mountainous areas of Canaan, over time becoming separated from other Canaanites, and thus taking separate paths, including favouring [[El]] over [[Hadad]]. |
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It is possible for all three of these potentials to be partially true – had a group of Canaanites separated and tried to live in the hills, which were mainly to the eastern side of Canaan, they could have absorbed other migrating groups, such as the Habiru who brought with them Hurrian stories and cultural practices, gaining a differing identity in consequence of the merging of cultures. Subsequently, the combined group, now distinct from the Canaanites who remained, could have migrated to Egypt, becoming the Hyksos, and upon their return no longer viewing the Canaanites as related, as they no longer resembled themselves. Thus although each theory has its supporters and detractors, the groups are by no means mutually exclusive. |
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==See also== |
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*[[History of ancient Israel and Judah]] |
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*[[Israelite]] |
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*[[Samuel]] |
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*[[Pashtuns]] |
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*[[Documentary hypothesis]] |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.ancient-hebrew.org ancient-hebrew.org] |
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[[Category:Torah people]] |
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[[Category:Jewish history]] |
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[[Category:Canaan]] |
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[[de:Hebräer]] |
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[[es:Hebreos]] |
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[[fr:Hébreux]] |
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[[ko:히브리 민족]] |
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[[ja:ヘブライ人]] |
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[[lad:Ebreo]] |
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[[pl:Hebrajczycy]] |
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[[sk:Hebrejci]] |
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[[zh:希伯來人]] |
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Revision as of 01:28, 13 September 2006
someone who screams alot in an oven