This name first appears in Genesis 14:13, which refers to Abraham as a “Hebrew.” Though the origin of the name is not certain, Eber, descendant of Shem, is one of Abraham’s ancestors, and the similar word “Hebrew” may therefore be a term used to refer to the descendants of Eber. Later Jacob’s children are referred to in several instances as Hebrews, and the term becomes essentially synonymous with Israelites.