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According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. Originally they were descendents of twelve sons of Jacob and their families until they took up residence in the Land of Goshen at the invitation of Joseph. Josephe's two sons were added by Jacob to his own, increasing the number of tribes to thirteen during the journey through the wilderness to Sinai and to the time of the conquest of the Canaan territory under Joshua's leadership. After the conquestt the territory was divided among twelve tribes, with the tribe of Levi not having a portion of their own, but sharing in that of the other tribes. The tribes were united under King Saul, but later divided into the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah until they were conquered by the Babylonians in 3183 H.C. (574 BCE)^[1] and taken into exile.

The term Israelite derives from Israel (Hebrew: ישראל (Standard

Yisraʾel Tiberian

Yiśrāʾēl)), the name given to the biblical patriarch Jacob after he struggled with an angel ( Genesis 32:28–29). His descendants are called the House of Jacob^[2], the Children of Israel, the People of Israel, or the Israelites.

The Hebrew Bible is mainly concerned with the Israelites. According to it, the Land of Israel (previously called Canaan) was promised to them by their God. Jerusalem was their capital, and the site of the temple at the center of their faith.

The Israelites became a major political power with the United Monarchy of Kings Saul, David and Solomon, from c. 1025 BCE. Zedekiah, king of Judah (597-586 BCE), is considered the last king from the house of David.

Terminology

The terms Hebrews and Israelites usually describe the same people, called Ebiru by the Ancient Egyptians until their conquest of the Land of Canaan, Evri, Ebri or Ivri until the formation of the United Monarchy. ^[3] ^[4] Until the exile the collective name for the members of the various tribes was Am Yisrael, or the People of Israel, and by their tribal name when referring to specific affiliations, either territorial or communal. This was also used as an addition to the names of individuals, and persisted in some communities to medieval times. "Hebrew" as an adjective came into use in Europe derived from HaEbri (the Ebri) ^[5] with "Jewish" being also used alternatively, derived from the abbreviated "Jew" from Yehuda or Jehuda. The Hebrew language is the language historically associated with the Israelites and Jews.^[6]

In addition, a Jew is any member of the Jewish faith or people, regardless of the historical period or ancestry.

The citizens of the modern State of Israel are called Israelis.

The Twelve Tribes

The Israelites were divided along patriarchal lines, each called a shevet or mateh in Hebrew meaning literally a "staff" or "rod". The number twelve is derived from the number of sons Jacob's two wives and their maids had. However, on arrival in Egypt, and following meeting with Joseph, Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons as his own, increasing the number to thirteen.

Although for reasons of ritual and according to the textual interpretation the tribe of Levi, and the sub-family of Kohanites (Kohanim) are considered separate entities from the rest fot eh Israelites, they are never the less a part of the larger people.

The term is conventionally translated as "tribe" in English, although the divisions were not small isolated distinct ethnic groups in the modern sense of the term, representing some 2 million people according to the Biblical account.^[7]

Some English speaking Jewish groups view the pronunciation, English transcription and Hebrew spelling of the tribal names to be extremely important. The transcriptions and spellings are as follows:

Reuben: ראובן, Standard

Rəʾuven, Tiberian

Rəʾûḇēn

Simeon: שמעון, Standard

Šimʿon, Tiberian

Šimʿôn

Levi: לוי, Standard Levi, Tiberian Lēwî
Judah: יהודה, Standard

Yəhuda, Tiberian

Yəhûḏāh

Dan: דן, Standard Dan, Tiberian

Dān

Naphtali: נפתלי, Standard Naftali, Tiberian

Nap̄tālî

Gad: גד, Standard Gad, Tiberian

Gāḏ

Asher: אשר, Standard Ašer, Tiberian

ʾĀšēr

Issachar: יששכר, Standard

Yissaḫar, Tiberian

Yiśśâḵār

Zebulun: זבולן, Standard Zəvúlun, Tiberian

Zəḇûlun

Joseph: יוסף, Standard Yosef, Tiberian

Yôsēp̄, containing the tribes:

Manasseh: מנשה, Standard Mənašše, Tiberian Mənaššeh, Samaritan Manatch

Ephraim: אפרים, Standard Efráyim, Tiberian

ʾEp̄ráyim /

ʾEp̄rāyim, Samaritan Afrime

Benjamin בנימין, Standard Binyamin, Tiberian Binyāmîn

Jacob's sons

Jacob's wives gave birth to twelve sons: Reuben (Genesis 29:32), Simeon (Genesis 29:33), Levi (Genesis 29:34), Judah (Genesis 29:35), Dan (Genesis 30:5), Naphtali (Genesis 30:7), Gad (Genesis 30:10), Asher (Genesis 30:12), Issachar (Genesis 30:17), Zebulun (Genesis 30:19), Joseph (Genesis 30:23), and Benjamin (Genesis 35:18). The table below shows which son was born to which of Jacob's wife or concubine.

In Egypt the tribe of Joseph was divided into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, by the virtue of Jacob's blessing. (Genesis 48:8–21) Blessing were also bestowed on the other tribes by Jacob before his passing.^[8]

After leaving Egypt, the Israelites incorporated many other populations into their society, during the conquest of Canaan in particular, but also during the period of the Judges and the united Kingdom.^[9]

Camps following the exodus

Following the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were divided into thirteen camps (Hebrew: machanot) according to importance ^[10] with Levi in the center of the encampment around the Tabernacle and its furnishings surrounded by other tribes arranged in four groups: Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; Reuben, Simeon and Gad; Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin; Dan, Asher and Naphtali.^[11] Thus additionally Aaron and his descendants although descended from Levi were appointed as priests (kohanim) and came to be considered a separate division to the Levites.

The division of the land

The tribes were assigned territories following the conquests of land under Moses and Joshua. Moses assigned territories to Reuben, Gad and a portion of Manasseh on land east of the Jordan which they had requested (Numbers 32:5). Joshua assigned territories to Judah, Ephraim and the rest of Manasseh on land west of the Jordan which they had conquered. The tribe of Manasseh thus came to be divided into two parts by the Jordan each part referred to as a half-tribe (chatzi-shevet) of Manasseh, the part lying east of the Jordan being referred to as the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. Following the conquest of the remainder of Canaan, Joshua assigned territories to Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Issacher, Naphtali, Simeon and Zebulun. The land of Judah was considered too large for that tribe alone and Simeon was assigned a portion within the land of Judah instead of its own territory in the newly conquered land. Because the Levites, and kohanim (descendants of Aaron) priests played a special religious role of service at the Tabernacle to the people they were not given their own territories, but were instead assigned cities to live in within the other territories. Dan was assigned territory lying between Ephraim and Manasseh but was later displaced and subsequently settled in territory to the north of Naphtali.

Israelite kingdoms

The Kingdom of Judah consisted of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, and the parts of Levi within those lands, while the Kingdom of Israel contained Reuben, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, Ephraim, and the remainder of Levi.

The Israelites became a major political power with the United Monarchy of Kings Saul, David and Solomon, from c. 1025 BCE.

The Kingdom of Israel was conquered in the 720s BC, by the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and then under Sargon II, who, after conquering the land, destroyed Samaria, its capital, and, deported most of the occupants into exile, with the southernmost tribe - Benjamin - managing to survive by joining the Kingdom of Judah; Assyrian chronicles of the time report that only a small number of people were deported. Assyrian policy was for the deportees to be scattered, and assimilated into the Assyrian empire, and, as a result of this policy, the deported tribes lost their cultural identity, becoming traditionally known as the Ten Lost Tribes. Other defeated peoples of the Empire were in turn settled in the land.

Zedekiah, king of Judah (597-586 BCE), is considered the last king from the house of David. In 586 BC, he was toppled by Babylon, who ransacked Jerusalem, killed his heirs before his eyes, gouged out the king's eyes ensuring that would be the last thing he saw, and then deported the population into the Babylonian Captivity. Even after the elite was allowed to return from exile after some fifty years, the country was to remain a part of the Persian Empire as long as it existed.

Genetic evidence of common descent

File:Haplogroup IJ (Y-DNA).jpg

Map showing the diversion of Y-chromosome Haplogroup IJ and its descendants.

Patrilineal descent can be documented by analysis of the Y-chromosome, passed from father to son. Of the many variants, or haplogroups, of the Y-chromosome, haplogroups J1 and J2, both originating from the Middle East, are the most common among Jewish men.

J2 is found in 23% of Ashkenazi Jews and 29% of Sephardi Jews. It is equally common among Muslim Kurds, Northern Iraqis, Modern Turks, Greeks, Italians, and Lebanese. J2 is thought to have originated in the Northern Levant.
J1 is found in 19.0% of Ashkenazim and 11.9% of Sephardim. It is more common among Arab populations, especially Arab Bedouins. J1 is believed to originate from the Southern Levant or Egypt approximately 10,000 - 15,000 years ago. ^[12]
A variant of J1 and J2, called the Cohen Modal Haplotype, is found in a high proportion (about 65%) of Jewish males with the surname Kohen or its variants, less frequently among other Jews (25%) and other Middle-Eastern people (22% or less)^[13]. Kohanim claim descent from Aaron, brother of Moses and the first priest of the temple. Aaron was from the house of Levi, the third son of Jacob.

Thus, genetic evidences support a levantine patrilineal descent for a small portion of Jews, which may represents descent from one of the Israelite tribes. The discovery of the Cohen Modal Haplotype gives more weight to the Biblical and priestly claim of descent from a unique ancestor, namely Aaron ^[14], and also provides an objective test of claims of Israelite origin, as for example with the Lemba people. ^[15]

Note, however, that several Kohen families carry other Y-chromosome variants.^[16] Note also that the CMH gene pattern is found in populations not know to be related to Israelites ^[17].

Archeology of Israelites

There has been a great deal of interest among archaeologists and lay people as to whether the archaeological evidence in this period confirms or denies the historical accounts in the Hebrew Bible or whether archaeology should be expected to confirm every detail. A wide spectrum of opinions exist on the subject.

Other groups claiming descent

Samaritans

Samaritans, once a comparatively large, but now a very small ethnic and religious group, consisting of not more than about 700 people^[18] living in Israel and the West Bank. They regard themselves as descendants of the tribes of Ephraim (named by them as Aphrime) and Manasseh (named by them as Manatch). Samaritans adhere to a version of the Torah, known as the Samaritan Pentateuch, which differs in some respects from the Masoretic text, sometimes in important ways, and less so from the Septuagint. Samaritans do not regard the Tanakh as an accurate or truthful history. They regard only Moses as a prophet, have their own version of Hebrew, and do not regard themselves as part of Judaism.

Since 539 BCE, when Jews began returning from Babylonian captivity, many Jews have rejected the Samaritan claim of descent from the Israelite tribes, though some regard them as a sect of Judaism.

Karaites

Mainstream Judaism regards both the Tanakh and an Oral Law (codified and recorded in the Mishnah and Talmuds) as the foundation of their religion, morality, and other laws. Karaite Judaism regards the Tanakh as scripture, but reject the Oral Law.

There are approximately 50,000 adherents of Karaite Judaism, most of whom live in Israel, but exact numbers are not known, as most Karaites have not participated in any religious censuses. The differences between Karaite and mainstream Judaism goes back many hundreds of years.

Beta Israel

The Beta Israel or Falasha is a group formerly living in Ethiopia that has a tradition of descent from the lost tribe of Dan. They have a long history of practicing such Jewish traditions as kashrut, Sabbath and Passover and for this reason their Jewishness was accepted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Israeli government in 1975. They emigrated to Israel en masse during the 1980s and 1990s, as Jews, under the Law of Return. Some who claim to be Beta Israel still live in Ethiopia. Their claims were formally accepted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and are accordingly generally regarded as Jews.

Bnei Menashe

The Bnei Menashe is a group in India claiming to be descendants of the half-tribe of Menashe. Members who have studied Hebrew and who observe the Sabbath and other Jewish laws received in 2005 the support of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel in arranging formal conversion to Judaism. Some have converted and emigrated to Israel under the Law of Return.

Hebrew Israelites

The Hebrew Israelites, or Black Hebrews, believe that the biblical Israelites were actually of a dark skin, and that they are their ethnic descendants. They also believe that modern Jews are actually descendants of the Kazars. The Hebrew Israelites claim that the word "Jewish" merely pertains to Judah and that the use of the term is as a result of a mistranslation in the King James Bible for Judah.

The belief that the Israelites were black is based on the afro-centric view of Egyptian culture. It is based on the premise that ancient Egyptians were a dark skinned people, and asserts that Moses and Joseph must have been dark-skinned because they were mistaken for Egyptians. Commentators have noted, however, that contemporary ancient Egyptian iconography (for example, the images on the thrones of Tutankhamen and grave images) shows a people of olive brown complexions and Hamito-Semitic features.

Ancient historians indicated an Ethiopian origin of the Israelites. The ancient Roman historian, Tacitus, wrote that “many, again, say that they [the Israelites] were a race of Ethiopian origin” (Histories (Tacitus), Book 5, Paragraphs 2 & 3).^[19]

Rastafari

Some Rastas believe that the black races are the lost Israelites – literally or spiritually ^[20]. They interpret the Bible as implying that Haile Selassie was the returned Messiah, who would lead the world's peoples of African descent into a promised land of full emancipation and divine justice. There are some Rastafarians that believe they are Jews by descent through Ras Tafari, Ras Tafari being a descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba via Menelik I. One Rastafari order named The Twelve Tribes of Israel, imposes a metaphysical astrology whereby Aries is Reuben, Aquarius is Joseph, etc. The Twelve Tribes of Israel differ from most Rastafari Mansions (sects) because they believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, while other Mansions claim that Haile Selassie I is the true God. With his famous early reggae song The Israelites Desmond Dekker immortalised the Rastafari concept of themselves as the Lost Children of Israel. However, sometimes peoples native to Africa are identified with descendants of Ham, whereas the Old Testament of the Bible states that Abraham is descended from Shem.

Messianic Judaism

Messianic Judaism sometimes known as "Jews for Jesus" describes itself as Jewish while considering Jesus as the Messiah. There are several branches of Messianic Judaism, each of which accept to varying degrees core doctrines of Christianity and/or Judaism. Many individuals who are not ethnically Jewish attend the temples and meeting places of Messianic Judaism, especially those embracing the Two House Movement.

Members of Messianic Judaism regard themselves as Jewish and/or Israelite, even though they may not be ethnically Jewish, considering themselves as being "grafted into" the tribes of Israel (ie. not converted to Judaism), in a similar way to how the descendants of Caleb and those of Ruth (great grandmother of King David) are treated by the Bible as being Jewish, despite both Caleb and Ruth not originally being ethnically Jewish. Mainstream Judaism does not consider members of Messianic Judaism to be Jewish at all.

"Jews for Jesus" is generally seen by mainstream Judaism as an attempt by missionaries to convert Jews to Christianity by making Jews think that it is possible to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and still remain Jewish. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God movement actively encourage and aid the establishment of new Messianic Judaism congregations, as part of their efforts to evangelize to and convert the Jewish people to Christianity.

Latter-day Saints

The Latter Day Saint movement (commonly termed Mormons), believe that through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, they become "regathered" as Israelites, either as recovered from the scattered tribes of Israel, or as Gentiles adopted and grafted into Israel, and thus becoming part of the chosen people of God^[21]. These religious denominations derive from a movement started by Joseph Smith, Jr., and almost half of all members live in the United States; the movement does not strictly believe that they are ethnic Jews as such, but rather that Israelites can refer to many different cultures, on occasion including Jews^[22]. They believe that certain Old Testament passages^[23] are prophecies implying that the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) will take a prominent role in the spread of the gospel to all of scattered Israelites in the last days, and that the tribe of Judah (ie. Judah) also has a prominent role in the last days and during the Millennium^[24].

Christian Identity

The Christian Identity movement comprises a number of groups with a racialized theology which claim to be the only true Israelites on the basis that white Europeans are, in their belief, the literal descendants of the Israelites through the ten tribes, and who are accordingly still God's Chosen People. These groups generally deny that present-day Jews are descended from the Israelites nor Hebrews (who were in Egypt and were in the Exodus) but are instead descended from Turco-Mongolian blood, or Khazars, and of the Biblical Esau (who was also called Edom) who traded his birthright for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:29–34)[3]

Children of Israel

In Christianity

Based on the New Testament, some Christians claim that Christians are the "new Israel" that replaced the "Children of Israel" since the Jews rejected Jesus. This view is called Supersessionism. Many European settlers in the New World saw themselves as the heirs of those ancient tribes, hence one finds that they named their children and many towns they settled in with names connected to the figures in the Bible. However, other Christians believe that the Jews are still the original children of Israel, and that Christians are adopted children of God but are not the new Israel. This view is a part of dispensationalism.

In Islam

In the Qur'an there are forty-three specific references to "Banū IsrāTemplate:ArabDINīl" (meaning the Children of Israel).^[25] There is a Surah (chapter) in the Qur'an titled Bani Israel (Arabic: بني اسرائيل, "The Children of Israel"), alternatively known as ِAl-Isra (Arabic: سورة الإسراء, "The Night Journey"). This Surah was revealed in the last year before Hijrah and takes its name from

. See Bani Israel (Quran sura). Also starting from verse 40 in Sura Al-Baqara (سورة البقرة "The Cow") is the story of "Bani Israel".

Others

There is an ethnic-religious group in Pakistan and Afghanistan which refers to itself as the Bnai Israel, or House of Israel, or Beit Israel. This group is referred to in English as the Pashtuns. Some Pashtuns claim to be the patriarchal historical descendants of the "ten lost tribes" of the northern Kingdom of Israel which were taken into captivity by Assyria.

Certain groups of Jews in other parts of South Asia are sometimes referred to as Benai Israel.

References and notes

^ based on calculations of Rashi, Radak and Ralbag to Kings II 15:37-38
^ Genesis 46:27
^ Hebrews entry in Jewish Encyclopedia
^ entry in britannica.com
^ after Abram HaEbvri from Genesis 14:13
^ entry in thefreedictionary.com
^ Exodus 12:37
^ Genesis chapter 49
^ Roland de Vaux (ed), John McHugh (trans), Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997, p.6
^ http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/bamidbar/coh.html "How Fair Are Your Tents, O Jacob", Dr. Gabriel H. Cohen, Bar-Ilan University
^ Numbers 10:12-28
^ https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html; Semino, et al, “Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area.” Am J Hum Genet. 2004 May; 74(5).
^ Ekins, JE (2005). "An Updated World-Wide Characterization of the Cohen Modal Haplotype" (PDF). ASHG meeting October 2005. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Kleiman, Yaakov (2000-01-13). "The fascinating story of how DNA studies confirm an ancient biblical tradition". aish.com. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
^ Y Chromosomes Traveling South: The Cohen Modal Haplotype and the Origins of the Lemba—the “Black Jews of Southern Africa”, retrieved 15.06.2008 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^ Behar, DM; Thomas MG, Skorecki K, Hammer MF, Bulygina E, Rosengarten D, Jones AL, Held K, Moses V, Goldstein D, Bradman N, Weale ME (2003). "Multiple Origins of Ashkenazi Levites: Y Chromosome Evidence for Both Near Eastern and European Ancestries". Am. J. Hum. Genet. 73: 768–779.
^ An Updated World-Wide Characterization of the Cohen Modal Haplotype, Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), Salt Lake City, UT, USA; [1]
^ As of 2006
^ Tacitus: History: Book 5 [1]
^ Article Twelve Tribes on website Words of Wisdom [2]
^ Guide to LDS scriptural references on Israel
^ ibid
^ Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:10-13
^ ibid
^ Yahud, Encyclopedia of Islam

External links

[1] sed on calculations of Rashi, Radak and Ralbag to Kings II 15:37-38

[2] Genesis 46:27

[3] Hebrews entry in Jewish Encyclopedia

[4] try in britannica.com

[5] ter Abram HaEbvri from Genesis 14:13

[6] try in thefreedictionary.com

[7] Exodus 12:37

[8] Genesis chapter 49

[9] Roland de Vaux (ed), John McHugh (trans), Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997, p.6

[10] ttp://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/bamidbar/coh.html "How Fair Are Your Tents, O Jacob", Dr. Gabriel H. Cohen, Bar-Ilan University

[11] Numbers 10:12-28

[12] ttps://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html; Semino, et al, “Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area.” Am J Hum Genet. 2004 May; 74(5).

[13] Ekins, JE (2005). "An Updated World-Wide Characterization of the Cohen Modal Haplotype" (PDF). ASHG meeting October 2005. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[14] Kleiman, Yaakov (2000-01-13). "The fascinating story of how DNA studies confirm an ancient biblical tradition". aish.com. Retrieved 2008-09-26.

[15] Y Chromosomes Traveling South: The Cohen Modal Haplotype and the Origins of the Lemba—the “Black Jews of Southern Africa”, retrieved 15.06.2008 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

[16] Behar, DM; Thomas MG, Skorecki K, Hammer MF, Bulygina E, Rosengarten D, Jones AL, Held K, Moses V, Goldstein D, Bradman N, Weale ME (2003). "Multiple Origins of Ashkenazi Levites: Y Chromosome Evidence for Both Near Eastern and European Ancestries". Am. J. Hum. Genet. 73: 768–779.

[17] An Updated World-Wide Characterization of the Cohen Modal Haplotype, Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), Salt Lake City, UT, USA; [1]

[18] As of 2006

[19] Tacitus: History: Book 5 [1]

[20] Article Twelve Tribes on website Words of Wisdom [2]

[21] Guide to LDS scriptural references on Israel

[22] ^ ibid

[23] Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:10-13

[24] ^ ibid

[25] Yahud, Encyclopedia of Islam

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v t e Children of Jacob
With Leah	Reuben (1) Simeon (2) Levi (3) Judah (4) Issachar (9) Zebulun (10) Dinah (11)
With Rachel	Joseph (12) Benjamin (13)
With Bilhah, Rachel's servant	Dan (5) Naphtali (6)
With Zilpah, Leah's servant	Gad (7) Asher (8)
Adopted	Ephraim (12.1) Manasseh (12.2)

v t e The Biblical and historical Israelites
Children of Israel / Twelve Tribes of Israel Ten Lost Tribes
History of ancient Israel and Judah Land of Israel United Monarchy (Kingdom of Israel) Northern Kingdom Southern Kingdom (Kingdom of Judah)
Tanakh Bible Hebrew Bible Old Testament Historicity of the Bible

v t e Jewish history
Overviews	Historiography Jewish history in Israel/Palestine Population history Military history Genetic history Languages Expulsions and exoduses Schisms Political movements Timeline
Ancient Israel and Judah	Israelites Origins of Judaism Ancient Israel and Judah Kingdom of Judah Kingdom of Israel Assyrian Captivity Judah's revolts against Babylon Babylonian captivity Babylonian Yehud
Second Temple period	Yehud Medinata Maccabean Revolt Hasmonean dynasty Herodian dynasty Roman Judaea Second Temple Judaism Hellenistic Judaism Diaspora Greece Carthage Egypt Persia Mesopotamia Jewish-Roman Wars First Jewish-Roman War Kitos War Bar Kokhba revolt
Late Antiquity	Rabbinic Judaism Synagogal Judaism Nasi Sanhedrin Chazal Tannaim Amoraim Savoraim Geonim Roman Empire Byzantine Empire Constantinus Gallus Heraclius Talmudic academies in Babylonia
Middle Ages	Under Muslim rule Sephardic Golden Age Kairouan Byzantium Crusades Expulsion of Jews from Spain Anusim Ottoman Empire Medieval antisemitism
Modern	Jewish question Disabilities Emancipation Enlightenment Reform Judaism Zionism Soviet Union United States World War II The Holocaust Resistance Israeli history New Yishuv
See also WP:Jewish history