When were the Israelites first called Jews?

Answer 1

It is appropriate to use the term Jews to refer to the Israelite community begining in 722 B.C.E. Prior to this date, the term had a more narrow meaning (first refering to members of the tribe of Judah, then to inhabitants of the Israelite Kingdom of Judah).

Following the death of King Solomon in the 10th century, the Israelite kingdom split into two. Israel was in the north; Judah was in the south. In 722, Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom and deported the population. As a result, the community descends from the Israelites who loved in the Kingdom of Judah. This is why members of the community are called Jews and the religion is called Judaism.

Israelite is a reference to a descendant of the man Israel/Jacob. Any one can become a Jew regardless of earlier heritage.

Nine of the tribes of the Israelites were not Judean in the narrow sense, but in the divided kingdom, the 9 tribes of the north were identified as Israel and they were the enemy of the tribes of the kingdom of Judah.

The word Jew entered English from the latin iūdēas which was drawn from the Hebrew Yəhūdhī. It refers to an adherent of the Jewish religion or the descendent of Jews. The Jewish people include some individuals of other racial/ethnic backgrounds becausue of individuals who converted.

YHUWDIY

Strong's Ref. # 3064 Romanized Yhuwdiy, Pronounced yeh-hoo-dee'

patronymically from HSN3063; a Jehudite (part of the kingdom of Judah), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah):

2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

Yhuwdiy is a reference to a resident of the southern split in the divided kingdom, composed of the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Benjamin and parts of the tribe of Levi.

You must look at the actual words. The European word 'Jew' is not a word that gives the same meaning that it replaces in the European text.

Esther 8:17 ... the Jews

* a Judaite one who came from the kingdom of Judah or a Descendants of Judah had joy

And many of the people (non Israelites) of the land became

* Jews (yaw-had.. to become Jewish)

Do you think these non Israelite/Persians made Israel/Jacob their ancestor by "conversion"

An Israelite is always a physical descendant of the man Israel. Non Israelites can make themselves Jews through conversion.

No scripture word translated to the European word Jew, identifies the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun or Joseph, who are anyway lost today.

• Answer 2

In the broader sense, all Israelites from the beginning, may also be called Jews. This is because "Anyone who repudiates idolatry is [spiritually] called a Yehudi" [Talmud, Megillah 13a]). Claiming otherwise is disingenuous.

The first answer is a thinly-disguised anti-Semitic rant, despite its innocent-seeming technicality. It attempts to fabricate a wedge between the Jews and the Israelites, despite the clear and well-known DNA evidence. The people of Judah and of Israel were cousins; and, despite the presence of a border between them, there were some marriages between them. Moreover, on some specific occasions, large groups of the Israelites moved into Judah permanently (for example, 2 Chronicles 15:9).

To address the Question: the remaining Israelites were first called Jews in the narrow sense after the Ten Tribes were exiled (some 2600 years ago).

Background:

In Ur, Abraham first repudiated idolatry.

Abraham's chosen son was Isaac (Genesis ch.21). Isaac's son Jacob was blessed by God, who renamed him, calling him Israel (Genesis ch.35), which is why Jews have also been called Israelites.

Jacob had 12 sons, who fathered the 12 Israelite tribes. The Israelites worshiped One God.

One thousand years after Jacob, ten of the tribes were exiled by the Assyrians to points unknown. The only complete tribes left were Judah and Benjamin; plus part of Levi. The few thousands who remained from the other tribes joined the Tribe of Judah; and modern Jews are mostly descendants of Judah (hence the word "Jew"), but contain some from the other eleven tribes. The Hebrew word for "Jew" (Yehudi) occurs, in this context, in Esther 8:1 and elsewhere.

This tradition has been substantiated by DNA analysis of Jewish communities all over the world, showing them to be inter-related and of Middle Eastern origin. The Cohanim, a family of the tribe of Levi, also share common genetics.

We possess the names and dates of our ancestors and leaders in an unbroken chain for 3800 years.

• In 2000, Nicholas Wade concluded that his DNA study "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

Answer 2

The word Jews goes back to the Greek and Latin, referring to the Israelites of the Second Temple and afterwards. During the First Temple, most of the twelve Israelite tribes were exiled by Shalmanesser and didn't return. In the Second Temple, some 80% of the Israelites were of the tribe of Judah; so the land became known as Judea instead of Israel, and the inhabitants were called Judeans, which in European languages was Juifs, Juden, Zhid, Judios, Jews.

Answer 3

The first time "Jews" is used in The Bible... Israel is allied with Syria against them:

"Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israelcame up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz [the king of Judah; the Jews; emphasis, mine], but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the JEWS from Elath..." (II Kings 16:5-6).

Answer 4

After the Ten Tribes were exiled (some 2600 years ago).

Background:

In Ur, Abraham first repudiated idolatry. He then sojourned in Harran (Syria) for several years, and then lived in Canaan (Israel). It was in Canaan that Abraham made a covenant with God (Genesis ch.15), and raised a family to be the center of carrying on his traditions (Genesis 18:19).

• Link: Abraham's biography
  

Abraham's chosen son was Isaac (Genesis ch.21). Isaac's son Jacob was blessed by God, who renamed him, calling him Israel (Genesis ch.35), which is why Jews have also been called Israelites.

Jacob had 12 sons, who fathered the 12 Israelite tribes. The Israelites worshiped One God.

One thousand years after Jacob, ten of the tribes were exiled by the Assyrians, to points unknown. The only complete tribes left were Judah and Benjamin; plus part of Levi. The few thousands who remained from the other tribes joined the Tribe of Judah; and modern Jews are mostly descendants of Judah (hence the word "Jew"). The Hebrew word for "Jew" (Yehudi) occurs, in this context, in Esther 8:1 and elsewhere.

This tradition has been substantiated by DNA analysis of Jewish communities all over the world, showing them to be inter-related and of Middle Eastern origin. The Cohanim, a family of the tribe of Levi, also share common genetics.

We possess the names and dates of our ancestors and leaders in an unbroken chain for 3800 years.

In 2000, Nicholas Wade concluded that his DNA study "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

(Note that in the broader sense, the pre-exilic Israelites are also called "Jews." This is because "Anyone who repudiates idolatry is [spiritually] called a Yehudi" [Talmud, Megillah 13a]). Claiming otherwise would be disingenuous.

See also the other Related Links.

Link: What race were the Israelites?

Link: Jewish ancestry

Answer 5

Probably after the establishment of the unified kingdom of Judea.