Hebrews

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HEBREWS

Early name of a Semitic people of the ancient East, descended from the line of Abraham, whose ancestors today define themselves as "Jews". Hebrew may have come from the word habirou, orhabiru, designating tribes who left Egypt for the Canaanite kingdoms after the death of Amenophis IV (Ikhnaton, 1334/1334 b.c.), or from the word ibrim, designating "those beyond the sons of Abraham." In certain Hebrew writings the name of Abraham appears sometimes under that of the ibri (sons of Eber), which also could be the source of the word "Hebrew."

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