Jewish people originate as an ethnic and religious group from the ancient Israelites and Hebrews who lived in the land of Canaan, in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean known today as Israel/Palestine and surrounding areas. Over time, through migrations, exiles, and dispersion (the “diaspora”), Jewish communities formed across the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and later the Americas and beyond, but they trace their historical roots back to this ancient Near Eastern homeland.

Ancient roots in the Near East

Most historians describe Jews as descended from the ancient Israelites, a Semitic people who emerged in the highlands of Canaan during the Iron Age (over 3,000 years ago). These Israelites formed the biblical kingdoms of Israel and Judah in what is now Israel/Palestine and parts of Jordan and Lebanon. In religious tradition, Jewish history begins with figures like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (also called Israel), and the twelve tribes, all associated with this same region.

From “Israelites” to “Jews”

Originally, “Israelites” referred to the people of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, but after the northern kingdom of Israel fell (c. 8th century BCE) and later the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered (6th century BCE), the surviving people from Judah became known as “Judeans,” then “Jews.” In this sense, Jewish identity is both a continuation of the broader Israelite people and a more specific community centered on Judah and its traditions.

Diaspora and global communities

Following conquests and exiles—especially the Babylonian exile and later Roman rule—Jews spread widely beyond their homeland, creating diasporic communities in places like Babylonia (Iraq), Egypt, North Africa, and eventually Europe and Asia. Over centuries, distinct Jewish groups developed, such as Ashkenazi Jews in Central and Eastern Europe, Sephardi Jews from Iberia and the Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern (Mizrahi) Jews, but all see themselves as part of the same historic people with origins in ancient Israel.

Religious and ethnic dimensions

“Jewish” can describe a person’s religion (Judaism), their peoplehood/ethnicity, or both, depending on context. A Jew can be someone born into the Jewish people (by descent) or someone who joins through religious conversion, with both understood as belonging to the same historic community rooted in the ancient Israelites of the Near East.

Today’s perspective

Modern scholarship, archaeology, and genetics generally support a strong historical link between contemporary Jews and populations from the Levant, even though Jewish communities have mixed to varying degrees with local populations over many centuries. At the same time, religious narratives about figures like Abraham and the patriarchs remain central to how many Jews themselves understand where they “come from,” combining historical memory with faith and tradition.