Semite
Hebrew or Arab
A Semite is a member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language—including Arabs, Hebrews, Assyrians, and Phoenicians.
The term derives from Shem, a son of Noah in the Hebrew Bible.
In practice, Semite appears most often in the compound *anti-Semite*, which refers specifically to hostility toward Jews rather than Semitic peoples broadly.
Semitic language of Israel
Semitic language of Israel
- PhoenicianAncient Lebanese seafarer
- AssyrianAncient Mesopotamian people
- BabylonianOf ancient Mesopotamian empire
- CanaaniteAncient Levantine people
Akkadian · Chaldean · Moabite · Maltese · Arab · Carthaginian · Samaritan · Israelite
Mideast arc where civilization began
- LevantEastern Mediterranean coastal region
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
- CanaanAncient Palestinian region
- AssyriaAncient Mesopotamian empire
Babylon · Phoenicia · Arabia · Ethiopia · Eritrea · Anatolia · Sumer · Palmyra
Stylus-impressed ancient script
- Assyrian EmpireAncient Tigris valley state
- Babylonian captivityJudean deportation to Mesopotamia
- Bronze AgeEarly metalworking civilization period
- Iron AgePost-bronze historical period
city-states · maritime trade · Punic Wars · caravan routes · Hammurabi · Sargon · Nebuchadnezzar · Hannibal
Study of ancient inscriptions
- philologyStudy of historical texts
- ethnographySystematic study of peoples
- ancient inscriptionsOld carved or etched writing
- orientalismInterest in Eastern aesthetics
Hebrew
Semitic language of Israel
- ArabicSemitic language family member
- AramaicAncient Semitic language
- AkkadianAncient Semitic Mesopotamian language
Amharic · Phoenician · Maltese · cognates · Modern Hebrew
Hebrew
Semitic language of Israel
- PhoenicianAncient Lebanese seafarer
- AssyrianAncient Mesopotamian people
- BabylonianOf ancient Mesopotamian empire
Canaanite · Akkadian · Chaldean · Moabite · Maltese · Arab · Carthaginian · Samaritan · Israelite
Fertile Crescent
Mideast arc where civilization began
- LevantEastern Mediterranean coastal region
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
- CanaanAncient Palestinian region
Assyria · Babylon · Phoenicia · Arabia · Ethiopia · Eritrea · Anatolia · Sumer · Palmyra · Petra
cuneiform
Stylus-impressed ancient script
- Assyrian EmpireAncient Tigris valley state
- Babylonian captivityJudean deportation to Mesopotamia
- Bronze AgeEarly metalworking civilization period
Iron Age · city-states · maritime trade · Punic Wars · caravan routes · Hammurabi · Sargon · Nebuchadnezzar · Hannibal
epigraphy
Study of ancient inscriptions
- philologyStudy of historical texts
- ethnographySystematic study of peoples
- ancient inscriptionsOld carved or etched writing
SemiteIndo-European
Vast language family
Aryan · Indo-Aryan · Indo-Iranian · Hellene
- Northwest SemiticAncient Levantine language branch