Nebaioth

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Nebaioth (Hebrew: נְבָיוֹת, Nevayot), (also written in English as Nebajoth or Nbioth), is mentioned at least five times in the Hebrew Bible according to which he was the firstborn son of Ishmael, and the name is among the eponyms of tribes mentioned in the Book of Genesis 25:13, and in the Book of Isaiah 60:7.

Contents 1 Book of Genesis 2 Book of Isaiah 3 Books Of Chronicles 4 Book of Jasher 5 Comments

[edit] Book of Genesis

Nebaioth is listed as the firstborn son of Ishmael:

...Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; 15 Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedem; these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations... (Book of Genesis 25:12-16) [1]

Nebaioth is mentioned as the brother of Mahalath:

(1): ...and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; so Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife... (Book of Genesis 28:8-9) [2]

(2): ...Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth... (Book of Genesis 36:2-3) [3]

[edit] Book of Isaiah

The name Nebaioth is enunciated as an esoteric symbol and metaphor for a nation or people as expressed by the prophet Isaiah:

...All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house... (Book of Isaiah 60:7) [4]

[edit] Books Of Chronicles

In the early part of the first chapter in the Books of Chronicles Nebaioth is listed with the various "generations of mankind" commencing from Adam and confirmed again as Ishmael's firstborn:

...These are their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedem. These are the sons of Ishmael... (1 Chronicles 1:29-31) [5]

[edit] Book of Jasher

[edit] Comments

The King James Version rendered their name "Nebajoth". There is no further mention of them, and the Jewish Encyclopedia does not provide them a separate entry.

Based on similarity of sounds, Josephus, the Jewish historian of the Roman era, suggested that there was a connection with the historical Nabataeans of Hellenistic and Roman times (Jewish Antiquities 1.12.4). Though Jerome followed him and Bible historians have followed Jerome, modern historians do not find any evidence of a connection of Nabataeans with the "tribe of Nbioth".

In Islam, Muhammad is said to be descendant from Ishmael via Nebaioth.