Who is considered to be the very first Jew and what event made him so?

marsgirlly

Abraham was considered to be the first jew because he was the first to make a monotheistic covenant with god. He had a circumciscion performed even though he was already middle-aged at the time of the surgery. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/02-Who-We-Are/section-24.html Nov 08 08, 8:41 PM

star_gazer

Abraham is correct, I always thought that when the Angel stops Abraham from stabbing his young boy Isaac is when he became the first Jew. God was so pleased with Abraham's faith and loyalty that he is rewarded with the honor of being made the first Jew. However I am not Jewish and might be wrong in thinking that this event was what made Abraham the first Jew. Nov 08 08, 11:36 PM

zbeckabee

Abraham was Eber's descendant. Abraham was a Shemite and a Hebrew, but not an Israelite or a Jew because neither existed yet. Isaac was Abraham's son. Isaac was a Shemite and a Hebrew, but not an Israelite or a Jew because neither existed yet. Jacob, who God renamed Israel, was Isaac's son. Jacob was a Shemite and a Hebrew, but not a Jew because Jews originated with his son Judah. The first Israelites were the children of Jacob. Judah was one of Jacob's twelve sons (see Children of Jacob and The Tribes Of Israel). Judah was a Shemite, a Hebrew, and an Israelite. The first Jews were the children of Judah. The descendants of the other eleven of Jacob's sons were not Jews, but were themselves named accordingly e.g. from Levi came the Levites, from Benjamin came the Benjamites and so on. http://www.keyway.ca/htm2005/20050219.htm Nov 08 08, 11:47 PM

author

Is Jew and Israelite the same thing? Judah was the first Israelite. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israelites Nov 09 08, 4:35 PM