Israelite | Definition, Tribes, & Bible - Britannica

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External Websites

• The Orthodox Presbyterian Church - Becoming an Israelite
• Biblical Archeology Society Library - How Did Israel Become a People?
• World History Encyclopedia - Ancient Israelite and Judean Religion
• The History Files - Israelite Tribes
• Minnesota State Pressbooks - Reading the Bible as Literature: A Journey - Primeval and Ancestral: historical context of the Israelite people
• JewishEncyclopedia.com - People of Israel
• Joshua Project - Israelite

Israelite people Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Israelite, descendant of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after an all-night fight at Penuel near the stream of Jabbok (Genesis 32:28). In early history, Israelites were simply members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. After 930 bce and the establishment of two independent Hebrew kingdoms in Palestine, the 10 northern tribes constituting the kingdom of Israel were known as Israelites to distinguish them from the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in 722/721 bce, and its population was eventually absorbed by other peoples.

Key People: David Joshua Martin Noth (Show more) Related Topics: Jew Levite Hebrew (Show more) See all related content

In liturgical usage, an Israelite is a Jew who is neither a cohen (descendant of Aaron, the first high priest) nor a Levite (descendant of early religious functionaries). The distinction is significant, for if a cohen is present for synagogue service, he must be called up first for the reading of the Law; he is then followed by a Levite. Normally, therefore, an Israelite is not called up until the third reading.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan.