According to the
Hebrew Bible, the
Kenites (; , ) were a nomadic clan in the ancient
Levant. One of the most recognized Kenites is
Jethro, a priest in the land of
Midian. They played an important role in the history of ancient
Israel. The Kenites were coppersmiths and metalworkers.
Moses' father-in-law,
Jethro, was a shepherd and a priest in the land of
Midian. says that Moses had a father-in-law who was a Kenite, but it is not clear from the passage if this refers to Jethro. Certain groups of Kenites settled among the
Israelite population, including the descendants of Moses' brother-in-law, although the
Kenites descended from Rechab maintained a distinct, nomadic lifestyle for some time.