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閱讀希伯來人 Hebrews在诗海的作品!!! |
《舊約》中曾把族長亞伯拉罕說成是同ivri處於同一個時代。ivri一詞在希伯來語中即指希伯來人，其復數形式是ivrim或ibrim. 但是，希伯來這個名稱在《舊約》中幾乎總是其他民族對以色列人的稱呼，而不是希伯來人的自稱。基於這一原因，希伯來這個稱謂的來源本身是不易確定的。希伯來一詞也可能源於希伯來語eber或ever,其義為「另一方面」，想來這仍是指亞伯拉罕，因為他進入迦南是從幼發拉底河或約旦河的「彼岸」出發的。「希伯來人」這一名字還可同半遊牧的哈比魯人(Habiru)相聯繫起來，據前13和前12世紀的古埃及銘刻記載，哈比魯人曾在埃及定居。
希伯來人(Hebrews)自稱是以色列人。他們在紀元前11世紀建立了王國，初代國王是掃羅，第二代是大衛王，第三代所羅門王在位的時候國力鼎盛，呈現前所未有的繁榮景象，所羅門王死後，分裂成以色列和猶大兩個國傢。
你知道“以色列人”的來歷嗎?這還得從上古時代的希伯來人說起。 據《聖經》記載，希伯來人的先祖亞伯拉罕傢族起源於蘇美爾。他們是閃族語係的一支，他們最早出現於美索不達米亞。
希伯來人原來是一遊牧民族，大致在公元前1900年至前1500年之間，他們逐漸由美索不達米亞遷入敘利亞，隨後遷入埃及。就在這幾百年間，有一個自稱是亞伯拉罕的孫子雅各的後裔的希伯來部落開始用雅各的別名稱呼自己為“以色列人”。據《世紀》的記載，在雅各與一位天使角鬥了整整一個通宵之後，他得到了“以色列”這一稱號，意為“神的勇士”。《聖經》中記載了這則故事：天使對那位希伯來人說：“你的名不要再叫雅各，要叫以色列，因為你與神與人較力，都得了勝。
在旅居埃及的大約300年間，適逢新王國諸法老正試圖創建一個埃及帝國並尋找空前多的奴隸來維持國內經濟的運轉，希伯來人受到了種種奴役。
正是在那時，在公元前1250年左右，希伯來人終於找到了一位領袖即英勇的摩西，他率領他們擺脫了埃及的束縛，離開埃及到了西奈半島(這是位於埃及和迦南之間的一片沙漠地帶)，並說服他們崇奉雅赫維神，該神的名字後來被寫作耶和華。
也正是在那時，所有希伯來人都成了以色列人，因為他們在摩西的勸說下相信，耶和華是亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的神，結果以色列的神也就成了他們全民族崇奉的神。
希伯來人在西奈沙漠地帶遊蕩了大約一代人時間，其後他們决定遷回比這裏富饒得多的迦南之地；相對於幹旱的西奈荒漠而言，迦南確實太過富饒了，在他們看來是片“流着牛奶和蜜”的地方。
不過這次遷徙並非簡單的搬遷和定居，因為迦南已經為另一個講閃族語係語言的迦南人占領了，後者不願與希伯來人共享他們的土地。因而希伯來人不得不訴諸武力，而事實證明這一歷程進展遲緩且布滿艱辛。
摩西的繼承者約書亞確實奪取了迦南的一些地區，但收穫並不太大，因為遊牧的以色列入裝備較差，無法用圍城戰術攻剋迦南防禦堅固的城池。此外，約書亞死後，以色列各部重又各自為政，無法采取統一的軍事行動，因而攻城掠地工作進展更小。
結果，經過一個世紀的徵戰，以色列人所獲得的衹是迦南的一些丘陵地帶和為數不多的土地較不肥沃的河𠔌。在公元前1025年前後，一位名叫撒母耳的部落士師以其人格力量贏得了以色列各部落的擁戴，他從所有以色列人中挑選出了一位國王掃羅，是他後來使希伯來人成了一個統一的民族。
“猶太人”的古稱。屬閃米特人的一支。公元前21世紀下半期，進入巴勒斯坦。後形成以色列和猶太兩大部落集團，前1000年大衛建立統一的以色列猶太王國。所羅門王在位時(前960-前922)最為強盛。約前935年分裂為以色列王國和猶太王國。前721年以色列王國被亞述帝國滅亡。前586年猶太王國又被迦勒底王國所滅。公元前63年起，兩者均並入羅馬。公元1－2世紀，羅馬帝國統治期間，絶大部分被趕出住地，流散到世界各地。
Other controversial theories hold that the Hebrews were the mysterious Hyksos, a semitic people, who gradually took migrated into Egypt, eventually taking power from the extremely weak pharoah by force, and subsequently being expelled after many years, matching up well with the biblical description of the Hebrews in Egypt. Indeed, it was Ahmose (in Hebrew A-moses), who was from Thebes, down the river from the seat of power – Memphis, who caused the Hyksos to leave, although in contrast to the bible, Ahmose was the enemy of the Hyksos and expelled them by force. A curious feature of the hyksos rulers over Egypt is that the third ruler (of six) is named Yaqob-her which is cognate with Jacob, the name of the biblical forefather of this period, although the name may just be a common one, and this would still be contrary to the bible, as it would denote Jacob as a ruler of Egypt as well as over the Hebrews.
There are many Canaanite and Mesopotamian (via Amorite mythology) themes preserved in Hebrew culture, like the specific biblical version of the story of Noah which is similar to the Sumerian story of Ziusudra/Utnapishtim, the ark, and the deluge unleashed by the angry, jealous god Enlil (Babylonian Ellil, Canaanite El), who was thwarted by the wise god Enki (Babylonian Ea). Also, textual sources appear to indicate that Hebrews lived in villages and raised livestock, seasonally grazing them in drier areas which didn't farm well, a form of subsistence known as transhumance. Consequently many have drawn the conclusion that the Hebrews were merely Canaanites who lived in the more difficult mountanous areas of Canaan, over time becoming separated from other Canaanites, and thus taking separate paths, including favouring El over Hadad.
It is possible for all three of these potentials to be partially true – had a group of Canaanites separated and tried to live in the hills, which were mainly to the eastern side of Canaan, they could have absorbed other migrating groups, such as the Habiru, gaining a differing identity in consequence of the merging of cultures. Subsequently, the combined group, now distinct the Canaanites who remained, could have migrated to Egypt, becoming the Hyksos, and upon their return no longer viewing the Canaanites as related, as they no longer resembled themselves. Thus although each theory has its supporters and detractors, the groups are by no means mutually exclusive.
Tribes
The term refers to all the descendants that the bible alleges were had by a Patriarch Jacob (later renamed Israel, although the documentary hypothesis states that this renaming is an attempt by a redactor). Hebrews are also referred to as the Children of Israel for this reason. According to the bible, Jacob had 11 sons, and partitioned the land between them, except for Joseph, for whom the land was partitioned between his two sons, and thus, biblically, the Hebrews constitute Twelve Tribes.
Today, modern-day Jews are descended from only a few of these Tribes. The Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and parts of Levi (the priestly tribe – who in the period of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel had no land, unlike the other 11 tribes) are seen by Jewish people, and many Christians, as the ancestors of modern-day Jewish people. Some would say the Tribe of Simeon is included in this list, due to the view held by some that the Tribe of Simeon was absorbed into the Tribe of Judah. The remainder of the Twelve Tribes are said to have been exiled by the Assyrian Empire, and have become known as the Lost Tribes of Israel.
Certain Christian groups sometimes use the term Hebrews to distinguish the Jews in ancient times that lived before the birth of Jesus from Jews that lived afterward. This distincion is part of the Christian doctrine that the favor bestowed upon the ancient Jews, as God's chosen people, was removed upon their rejection of Jesus as the messiah, and transferred to Christians. The distinction is not recognized by the Jews.