Ishmaelites
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Genesis, Ishmaelites are the descendants of Ishmael
, the elder son of Abraham
.
's first wife was named Sarah
and his second wife Hagar
. However Sarah
was old and barren, and could not conceive. According to Genesis 16:3 Sarah
(then Sarai) gave her maid Hagar
in marriage to Abraham
, in order that Abraham
might have an heir. Genesis 16: 3 states, "And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid....and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife”. Hagar
conceived Ishmael from Abraham, and the Ishmaelites descend from him.
After Abraham pleaded with God for Ishmael to live under his blessing, Genesis 17:20 states, "But as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."
ic works such as the Sefer Ha-Yashar which records that they had conquered the territory in a war with the sons of Tarshish
.
. Some are shown in Judges as having become part of the Midianites. Others are mentioned living amongst the Israelites. The Hagarites split off as a separate group from the rest of the Ishmaelites and were conquered and assimilated by the Israelites during the reign of Saul. The extra-biblical Book of Jubilees claims that the sons of Ishmael intermingled with the children of Keturah
from Abraham
and were called "Arabs" and Ishmaelites:
The term "Arab" here is a translation of the Hebrew Arvim referring to the Nabateans and not a reference to the modern Arab nation that arose in southern Arabia.
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
, the elder son of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
.
Traditional Origins
According to the Book of Genesis, AbrahamAbraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
's first wife was named Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
and his second wife Hagar
Hagar (Bible)
Hagar , according to the Abrahamic faiths, was the second wife of Abraham, and the mother of his first son, Ishmael. Her story is recorded in the Book of Genesis, mentioned in Hadith, and alluded to in the Qur'an...
. However Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
was old and barren, and could not conceive. According to Genesis 16:3 Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
(then Sarai) gave her maid Hagar
Hagar (Bible)
Hagar , according to the Abrahamic faiths, was the second wife of Abraham, and the mother of his first son, Ishmael. Her story is recorded in the Book of Genesis, mentioned in Hadith, and alluded to in the Qur'an...
in marriage to Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, in order that Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
might have an heir. Genesis 16: 3 states, "And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid....and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife”. Hagar
Hagar (Bible)
Hagar , according to the Abrahamic faiths, was the second wife of Abraham, and the mother of his first son, Ishmael. Her story is recorded in the Book of Genesis, mentioned in Hadith, and alluded to in the Qur'an...
conceived Ishmael from Abraham, and the Ishmaelites descend from him.
Genesis 16:12 "He [Ishmael] will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers"
After Abraham pleaded with God for Ishmael to live under his blessing, Genesis 17:20 states, "But as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."
Rise to Greatness
Genesis goes on to record that the Ishmaelites went on to control the vast region north of Havilah stretching from Shur before Egypt northwest towards Assyria. Traditions regarding their rise to greatness are found in MidrashMidrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
ic works such as the Sefer Ha-Yashar which records that they had conquered the territory in a war with the sons of Tarshish
Tarshish
Tarshish תַּרְשִׁישׁ occurs in the Hebrew Bible with several uncertain meanings:*One of the sons of Javan .* In the Bible Solomon set up a trade with Tarshish and received ivory, apes, and peacocks from Tarshish which are all native to the jungles in India. India's state bird for example is the...
.
Dissolution and Assimilation
Ishmaelites are no longer mentioned after the time of King David, having assimilated into other peoples according to the book of JubileesJubilees
The Book of Jubilees , sometimes called Lesser Genesis , is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches...
. Some are shown in Judges as having become part of the Midianites. Others are mentioned living amongst the Israelites. The Hagarites split off as a separate group from the rest of the Ishmaelites and were conquered and assimilated by the Israelites during the reign of Saul. The extra-biblical Book of Jubilees claims that the sons of Ishmael intermingled with the children of Keturah
Keturah
According to the Hebrew Bible, Keturah or Ketura was the woman whom Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, married after the death of his wife, Sarah. Keturah bore Abraham six sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah....
from Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and were called "Arabs" and Ishmaelites:
Book of JubileesJubileesThe Book of Jubilees , sometimes called Lesser Genesis , is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches...
20:13 And Ishmael and his sons, and the sons of KeturahKeturahAccording to the Hebrew Bible, Keturah or Ketura was the woman whom Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, married after the death of his wife, Sarah. Keturah bore Abraham six sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah....
and their sons, went together and dwelt from Paran to the entering in of BabylonBabylonBabylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
in all the land which is towards the East facing the desert. And these mingled with each other, and their name was called Arabs, and Ishmaelites.
The term "Arab" here is a translation of the Hebrew Arvim referring to the Nabateans and not a reference to the modern Arab nation that arose in southern Arabia.