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According to the Hebrew Bible, the Kenites (; , (:qeˈnim)) were a nomadic clan in the ancient Levant. One of the most recognized Kenites is Jethro, a priest in the land of Midian.〔Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.〕 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,〔(Catholic Encyclopedia )〕 although the Kenites descended from Rechab maintained a distinct, nomadic lifestyle for some time. Kenite is a rendition of Hebrew קֵינִי ''Qeyniy''. According to Gesenius, the name is derived from the name Cain (קַיִן ''Qayin'').〔Strong's Concordance (#7014 ) (#7017 )〕 According to A. H. Sayce, the name ‘Kenite’ or ''Qéní'', is identical to an Aramaic word meaning a smith, which in its turn is a cognate of Hebrew ''Qayin'', with the meaning ‘a lance’.〔 According to the Kenite hypothesis, Yahweh was historically a Midian deity, and the association of Moses' father-in-law with Midian reflects the historical adoption of the Midianite cult by the Hebrews.〔〔"Some scholars, on the strength of Ex., xviii, go even so far as to assert that it was from Jethro that the Israelites received a great portion of their monotheistic theology." (Catholic Encyclopedia )〕〔Joseph Blenkinsopp, (The Midianite-Kenite Hypothesis Revisited and the Origins of Judah ), ''Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', 33(2) 131-153 (2008). 〕 Moses apparently identified Jethro's concept of God, El Shaddai, with Yahweh, the Israelites' God.〔 ==In the Bible== The Bible mentions the Kenites as living in or around Canaan as early as the time of Abraham. () At the Exodus, Jethro and his clan inhabited the vicinity of Mount Sinai and Horeb. () Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, was a Kenite () resident in the land of Midian. says that his descendants "went up from the City of Palms (Jericho ) with the men of Judah to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad." However, in Jethro is said to have been a "priest in the land of Midian" and a resident of Midian (). This has led many scholars to believe that the terms are intended (at least in parts of the Bible) to be used interchangeably, or that the Kenites formed a part of the Midianite tribal grouping. The Kenites journeyed with the Israelites to Canaan (); and their encampment, apart from the latter's, was noticed by Balaam. () At a later period, some of the Kenites separated from their brethren in the south, and went to live in northern Canaan () where they lived in the time of King Saul. The kindness which they had shown to Israel in the wilderness was gratefully remembered. "Ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt," said Saul to them (); and so not only were they spared by him, but David allowed them to share in the spoil that he took from the Amalekites. () Other well-known Kenites were Heber, the husband of Jael, and Rechab, the ancestor of the Rechabites. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kenite」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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