Is it true that the Hebrews descended from a lesser Canaanite tribe?

Answer 1

No, The Bible says that Abraham, the original ancestor of the Hebrews, came from Ur of the Chaldees.

Genesis 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Answer:

The previous answer is traditional, but probably not factual. There was a relationship because the language of Old Canaanite is just a dialect of Hebrew. New scholarship suggests that the Hebrew may in fact have been Canaanites.

Answer 2

It depends upon whom you ask. There is a growing theory among scholars that the Hebrews did originate from the Canaanites. (In fact, the Canaanite language is just a dialect of Hebrew).

Jewish answer

The Jewish tradition, which goes back unbroken for 3800 years, is that the Hebrews (Israelites) are Western Semites, whose lineage is spelled out in Genesis ch.10-11 and are unrelated to the Canaanites (who are Hamitic).

Answer 3

There is debate among historians and scholars about the exact origins of the Hebrew people. Some theories propose that the Hebrews may have originated from different Canaanite tribes, while others argue for a distinct origin. Genetic and archaeological research continues to shed light on this topic, but conclusive evidence is still lacking.