Hebrews (
Hebrew: עברים or עבריים,
Tiberian , ;
Modern Hebrew , ;
ISO 259-3 , ) is a term appearing 34 times within 32 verses of the
Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). While the term was not an
ethnonym, it is mostly taken as synonymous with the
Semitic Israelites, especially in the pre-
monarchic period when they were still
nomadic, but in some instances it may also be used in a wider sense, referring to the
Phoenicians, or to other ancient groups, such as the group known as
Shasu of Yhw on the eve of the
Bronze Age collapse.