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ISHMAELITES

(Heb. yišmĕʿēʾlîm)

A people most readily identified with their eponymous ancestor Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar (Gen. 16, 21). They are named as the 12 “sons of Ishmael” (Gen. 25:13-16 = 1 Chr. 1:28-31), settled primarily in northern Arabia ranging from the “River of Egypt” to the Euphrates. Tradition links them with Arab peoples.

Though they are listed in Ps. 83:6(MT 7) among the hostile neighbors of Israel (Edomites, Moabites, Hagarites, and Amalekites) competing for land and grazing rights, such striving was not unknown even among tribes within Israel. Ishmaelites held high office in David’s army, including Amasa who served as commander-in-chief (2 Sam. 17:25). Another Ishmaelite, Obil, served as superintendent of David’s camels (1 Chr. 27:30).

In the story of Joseph, a caravan of Ishmaelites (also called Midianites) rescued Joseph from the dry well, selling him to Egypt (Gen. 37:25-28; 39:1). Later, the defeated Ishmaelites, again associated with the kings of Midian, provided Gideon a booty of golden earrings to make an ephod for the town square of Ophrah (Judg. 8:24-26). Allusions to crescents, pendants, purple garments and collars on the necks of the defeated king’s camels, suggest a stereotypical description of nomadic merchants from Arabia.

The Qurʾan describes Mohammed as an Arab prophet, a descendant of the Ishmaelites through a figure known as ʿAdan. It was Mohammed’s intention to return Arabs to the undefiled religion of their forefather Abraham, understanding Ishmael as the historical conjunction between Muslims and ancient Semitic monotheism. Muslims since have known their spiritual heritage to be Ishmaelite.

Bibliography. I. Ephʿal, “ ‘Ishmael’ and ‘Arabs’: A Transformation of Ethnological Terms,” JNES 35 (1976): 225-35; L. R. Scudder, Jr., “Ishmael and Isaac and Muslim-Christian Dialogue, Dialog 29 (1990): 29-32.

James E. Brenneman

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ISHMAELITES

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)