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| Jacob blessing his sons |
Jacob’s twelve sons became the founders of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, each tribe named after one son-Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Originally, these tribes formed the nation of Israel, and their descendants were called Israelites.
The term “Jew” comes specifically from the tribe of Judah (Yehudah), which became the dominant tribe after the northern tribes were conquered and dispersed by the Assyrians in the 8th century BCE. The southern kingdom, centered around Judah and Benjamin (and some Levites), survived as the Kingdom of Judah. After the Babylonian exile, the people who returned and maintained their identity were mostly from Judah, and over time, “Jew” (from “Yehudi”) became the common term for all Israelites.
So, while Jacob had many sons and the original Israelites included all twelve tribes, “Jews” are the descendants of those tribes who survived and maintained their identity-primarily from Judah-after the loss of the other tribes.
Is that to say that the tribes that were dispersed did not keep torah? And if they did and they stayed outside of Israel, why did they adopt the term jew?
Most of the ten northern tribes, after being exiled by the Assyrians, gradually lost their distinct Israelite identity. Many did not continue to keep the Torah in its traditional form. Over generations, they assimilated into the surrounding cultures, and their original practices faded. Some individuals and small groups from these tribes did join the southern Kingdom of Judah, where Torah observance continued, and over time they became absorbed into what became known as the Jewish people.
Those who remained outside the Land of Israel and did not assimilate would have had little reason to adopt the term "Jew" (from "Judah") unless they rejoined the Judahite community and its religious life. The term "Jew" became the standard identifier because the surviving, Torah-observant community was centered in Judah, and the descendants of the northern tribes who maintained Israelite identity did so by integrating with this Judahite (Jewish) community.
In summary, the lost tribes largely lost Torah observance and their distinct identity. Those who kept the Torah and rejoined the Judahite community became known as Jews, while those who did not assimilated into other cultures and did not adopt the term "Jew."
But somebody who was from another tribe, even though they never went back to israel, would essentially still be an israelite.
Someone descended from one of the other tribes, even if they never returned to Israel or Judah, would still be an Israelite by ancestry. The term “Israelite” refers to any descendant of Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons, regardless of which tribe they belong to.
Key Points:
1. Israelite vs. Jew -- Israelite is the broader, original term for all descendants of Jacob/Israel-covering all twelve tribes.
2. Tribal Identity in Exile -- If someone from, say, the tribe of Dan or Asher maintained their Israelite identity, kept Israelite traditions, and did not assimilate, they would still be an Israelite-even if they never returned to the land of Israel.
3. Adoption of “Jew” as an Identity -- The term “Jew” became the global identifier for all Israelites who maintained their ancestral faith and practices, especially after the Babylonian exile, as the Judahite community (Judah, Benjamin, and Levi) preserved the Torah and Israelite religion.
If a member of another tribe kept Torah and identified with the surviving Judahite community, they would be called a “Jew,” but their tribal ancestry would still technically make them an Israelite.
4. Modern Implications -- Today, “Jew” is used for all descendants of the ancient Israelites who practice Judaism or identify with the Jewish people, regardless of tribal origin (which is mostly lost to history except for some Levites and Kohanim).
So by ancestry, someone from another tribe who never returned would still be an Israelite and a Jew.
The shift to “Jew” as a universal term happened because the Judahite community survived, preserved the Torah, and became the core of Jewish identity. But in essence, all Jews are Israelites, though not all Israelites in ancient times were “Jews” in the later, Judah-centric sense.
Since most Jews do not know what tribe they are from, it seems to me that Jews who live outside of Israel and may be part of the original Diaspora, would be more accurate to call themselves israelites.
Jews today, for the most part, do not know their specific tribal ancestry, and since many are descendants of the original Diaspora, the term “Israelite” could seem more accurate from a historical perspective.
An exception would be the "priestly tribes."
1. Preserved Lineage -- Kohanim (Priests): Traditionally, Jewish families who are Kohanim have preserved this status through generations, maintaining special roles in synagogue rituals (like the Priestly Blessing) and certain religious privileges and restrictions.
Levites: Similarly, Levite families have maintained their identity, with specific synagogue honors and historical roles related to the Temple service.
2. Tribal Identification -- While most Jews today do not know their specific tribal ancestry, Kohanim and Levites often do, because their status is tied to religious duties and passed down patrilineally.
Their identification as descendants of Levi (and, for Kohanim, specifically Aaron) is both a matter of family tradition and, in some cases, supported by genetic studies showing common paternal ancestry among many Kohanim.
3. Modern Practice -- In synagogue life, Kohanim and Levites are called for the first and second aliyot (Torah readings), and Kohanim perform the Priestly Blessing in some communities.
The "priestly tribes" unique status is recognized across all Jewish communities-Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, etc.
Conclusion
Ashkenazi Jew vs. Ashkenazi Israelite: While “Israelite” is technically correct for anyone descended from Jacob, in both religious and cultural usage, “Jew” now refers to all members of the Jewish people-whether in Israel or the Diaspora. The terms are close synonyms, but “Jew” has become the standard identifier for the collective people, traditions, and religion that survived and evolved from ancient Israel.
Epilogue:
Other related links on Jewish identity and antisemitism:
Part 1. Why we say antisemitism
