Kenites

Tel Arad fortress above the town of Arad, the central hub of the Negev of the Kenites.

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Kenites/Qenites (/ˈkiːnaɪt/ or /ˈkɛnaɪt/; Hebrew: קֵינִי‎, romanized: Qēni) were a tribe in the ancient Levant.[1][2] They settled in the towns and cities in the northeastern Negev in an area known as the "Negev of the Kenites" near Arad, and played an important role in the history of ancient Israel. One of the most recognized Kenites is Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, who was a shepherd and a priest in the land of Midian (Judges 1:16).[3] Certain groups of Kenites settled among the Israelite population, including the descendants of Moses's brother-in-law,[1] although the Kenites descended from Rechab maintained a distinct, nomadic lifestyle for some time.

Other well-known Kenites were Heber, husband of Jael, the Biblical heroine who killed General Sisera and Rechab, the ancestor of the Rechabites.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Butin, Romain. "Cinites." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 27 December 2018Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ For a summary of the question about identity of the Kenites (and other names by which they may have been known under in the Bible), see Klein, Reuven Chaim (Rudolph) (April 2018). "Nations and Super-Nations of Canaan" (PDF). Jewish Bible Quarterly. 46 (2): 73–85. ISSN 0792-3910.
  3. ^ Mondriaan, Marlene E. (2011). "Who were the Kenites?". Old Testament Essays. 24 (2): 414–430. hdl:2263/18658. ISSN 1010-9919.