When did the Israelites become Jews? Was Moses a Jew? Were the ten tribes Jewish? Was David a Jew?
The historical transformation of the Israelites into the broad term "Jew" was a complex process rooted strongly in cultural and linguistic developments. This shift, which unfolded over centuries, reflects both the political realities and the religious evolution of the ancient Israelite people. While the Israelites originally identified themselves as the descendants of Jacob (also known as Israel) and his twelve sons, the designation “Jew” eventually came to signify a distinct religious and cultural identity, largely shaped by historical events and the prominence of the tribe of Judah.
God called Abraham (the first Israelite) out of his native land of Mesopotamia into an unfamiliar land, promising to make Abraham a great nation and bless him:
GEN. 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
GEN. 12:2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
GEN. 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Through the lineage of Abraham, the Israelite identity was passed down by means of the Abrahamic Covenant. These people were united by their shared ancestry and their covenant with the God of Israel.
Abraham bore Isaac and Isaac bore Jacob.
Jacob bore twelve sons, but later Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons in place of Joseph after moving to Egypt, making it 13 tribes. Thereafter, the sons of Jacob were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. Known today as the 12 tribes of Israel, they settled in the land of Canaan, where they established a society centered around their religious practices and their understanding of their unique role as a chosen people. Moses was a descendant of Jacob, through the tribe of Levi, making him an Israelite. Since Moses is central to Judaism as the author of the Torah and the leader who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, he is often referred to today as a Jew, but this terminology would not have been used in his time. This identity was solidified during the period of the United Monarchy under kings Saul, David, and Solomon (approximately 935 BC). Following Solomon’s death, the kingdom split into two separate nations: the northern Kingdom of Israel, comprising ten tribes, and the southern Kingdom of Judah, which was primarily home to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, along with many Levites:
1KINGS 11:31 He said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes
1KINGS 11:32 (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel),
1KINGS 11:33 because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.
1KINGS 11:34 Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes;
1KINGS 11:35 but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you, even ten tribes.
Moreover, the division of the kingdom marked a critical moment in the evolution of Israelite identity. While the inhabitants of both kingdoms continued to see themselves as Israelites, the southern kingdom's association with the tribe of Judah led to its people being referred to as “Judahites” or “Yehudim” in Hebrew. This term would eventually evolve into “Jews.” The political distinction between the two kingdoms deepened with the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel to the Assyrian Empire in approximately 722 BC. The Assyrians exiled much of the northern population, leading to the concept of the “Ten Lost Tribes.” However, these tribes were never lost, just dispersed. All thirteen tribes of Israel continue to exist today as they always have existed.
2KINGS 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Judah remained in tact, allowing its people to preserve their traditions and identity more cohesively.
The Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 BC and the subsequent exile of its population to Babylon further solidified the identity of the Judahites as a distinct group. While in exile, the exiled population continued to practice their religion and maintain their cultural heritage, despite being far from their homeland. When the Persian Empire allowed their return in 539 BC, those who returned to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and reestablish the community in the land of Judah became more explicitly associated with the term “Yehudim,” now understood as “Jews.”
2CHR. 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah—the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
2CHR. 36:23 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!’”
Over time, this identity became more defined throughout the Second Temple period (516 BC–70 AD). Under the influence of Hellenistic culture and later Roman rule, the term “Jew,” derived from the Greek "Ioudaios," became widely used to describe the people of Judah and, by extension, all those who practiced the Jewish religion. This period also saw the emergence of Judaism as a religion with a distinct set of beliefs and practices, which further united the Jewish people.
The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD marked the end of Jewish political sovereignty in the land of Israel.
LUKE 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.
Forty years later the Roman authorities under Titus fulfilled the prediction to the very letter. With no central temple or kingdom, Jewish identity became primarily religious and cultural rather than tribal or political. With the Second Temple's destruction, every known ancestral artifact containing scrupulous genealogy was destroyed. By this time, the distinction between the broader Israelite identity and the Jewish identity had faded, with “Jew” becoming the standard term for the descendants of the Israelites and adherents of Judaism.
The transition from “Israelite” to “Jew” was a gradual process influenced by political divisions, exiles, and cultural evolution. Initially referring specifically to the people of the Kingdom of Judah, the term “Jew” expanded over time to encompass all those who followed the Jewish religion and identified with its traditions. This transformation underscores the resilience of the Jewish people and their ability to adapt and redefine their identity in response to historical challenges.
Today, however, we are not identified through our worldly lineage but rather in Christ our Savior:
GAL. 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
GAL. 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
GAL. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
GAL. 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
For a deeper study of Israel’s history, we recommend our Genesis teaching series.
