A term typically used interchangeably with "Hebrew" and "
Jew", referring to an ethnic group that traces its origins to the Biblical patriarch
Jacob (
Israel). Another group that has consistently traced its origins to this patriarch since antiquity is the Samaritans, and the term "Israelite" may be used to refer to Samaritans as well.
Even in Biblical times, the Israelites weren't of the pure stock of
Israel - there was also the Erev Rav, the mixed multitude of
people from other nations that followed the Israelites out of Egypt to Sinai, and were still often referred to even in the Torah as b'ney yisrael, Israelites. Conversely, there were Israelites who did not follow
Moses to Sinai, and they were not counted among the Israelites from that point.
Among the modern Jews and Samaritans there are groups who trace their origins to specific Israelite tribes. Many families trace their origins to the tribe of Judah, for example, but the lineage that is best conserved is that of the Levites, who continue to
play an important role in Judaism and Samaritanism. This includes the priestly lineage, who trace their lineage to Aaron the
High Priest.
