In The Torah The Descendants Of Yaakov Are The Israelites So Where Does The Term Jewish Come From: Is The word Found Anywhere In The Bible?
The term "Jew" (or "Jewish") is not directly used in reference to the people of Israel in the earliest parts of the Bible, but it does emerge later, and its origins are tied to the name of the tribe of Judah (Yehudah in Hebrew).
Biblical Background:
1. Descendants of Yaakov (Jacob):
The descendants of Yaakov (Jacob), who was later named Israel, are the Israelites. Yaakov had twelve sons, and each of their descendants became a tribe, collectively known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. These tribes formed the nation of Israel.
The term "Israelites" (בני ישראל, B'nei Yisrael) is used throughout the Bible to refer to the collective descendants of Yaakov/Israel.
2. The Tribe of Judah:
One of the twelve tribes was Judah (יְהוּדָה, Yehudah). Over time, the descendants of Judah came to have a dominant role within the kingdom of Israel.
After the kingdom split into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah following the reign of King Solomon, the people of the Southern Kingdom, which consisted largely of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, came to be known by the name of Judah.
3. The Term "Jew":
The word "Jew" is derived from "Judah". In the Bible, the term "Jew" (יהודי, Yehudi) first appears in the Book of Esther (Esther 2:5) and is used to describe people who are from the tribe of Judah or those living in the region of Judah.
For example, in Esther 2:5, it says:
> "Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair..."
Here, "Jew" (Yehudi) refers to Mordecai’s identification as a member of the people who lived in the region of Judah, even though he was of the tribe of Benjamin.
4. The Shift in Meaning:
By the time of the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE), the term Jew began to be used more broadly to refer to all Israelites, particularly those from the Southern Kingdom (Judah), who survived the exile and returned to the land.
"Jew" thus became a term that encompassed all the people of Israel, particularly in the post-exilic period, regardless of their specific tribal ancestry. This broader use is seen throughout later books of the Bible, such as Nehemiah and Ezra, which describe the return of the Jews from exile.
Where "Jew" Appears in the Bible:
The word "Jew" (Yehudi) does not appear in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) but becomes more common in the Historical Books (such as Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra) and the Prophets. For instance:
Esther 2:5 (as mentioned above).
2 Kings 16:6: "At that time, Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to wage war on Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz."
The term "Jew" here refers to those who lived in the kingdom of Judah, not specifically to the whole nation of Israel.
Ezra 4:12: "The king should know that the Jews who came up to us from you to Jerusalem are building this rebellious and wicked city."
Here, the term "Jews" refers to the descendants of Judah who returned from the Babylonian exile.
Conclusion:
The term "Jew" originates from the tribe of Judah and became a more inclusive term for all of Israel over time, particularly after the Babylonian exile. While the Israelites are the descendants of Yaakov (Jacob), the term "Jew" became common in the biblical period to refer to all of the people of Israel, especially those from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The term is thus found in later parts of the Bible, particularly after the exile, and is used to describe the people of Israel as a whole.