Hebrews

The Hebrews are the ancestral designation for the people of Israel, derived from the name Eber, a great-grandson of Shem (Genesis 10:21–25; 11:14–17). The term 'Hebrew' (ivri) appears in the patriarchal narratives as an ethnic or social designation—Joseph is identified as 'a young Hebrew' in Egypt (Genesis 39:14)—and continues into the Exodus account where the Israelites are called 'the Hebrews' before the establishment of the national name Israel. The term is also used by the Israelites themselves in contrast to 'the Philistines' (1 Samuel 14:11) and carries connotations of both ethnic identity and, in some ancient Near Eastern contexts, social status.