Israelites
Israelites were Semitic people of the ancient Middle East.
Overview
The Israelites lived in part of what was Canaan during the time of the Bible. This area came to be called the Land of Israel. It usually refers to a member of one of the Tribes of Israel. The term Children of Israel is also used, especially when talking about the period of the Five Books of Moses.
History
Israelites lived in the United Kingdom of Israel, where the modern State of Israel is situated. The kingdom later split into the Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah, whose descendants have been called Jews ever since.
Conquests by foreign empires
The Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Many Jews were taken hostage from Judah. When the Achaemenid Empire defeated the Babylonians they let the Jews return to rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem about 70 years later.
Where this page comes from
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