You Tube Theology

In this episode, Dr. Jason Staples joins Dru Johnson for a detailed and historically grounded exploration of the terms “Israelite,” “Jew,” and “Hebrew” in the biblical and Second Temple periods. Staples unpacks the messy and often misunderstood evolution of these identity markers, explaining that “Jew” originally referred to those from the southern kingdom of Judah—including the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi—especially after the Babylonian exile.

The conversation reveals that “Jew” (Ioudaios) wasn’t originally a slur or outsider term, as popularized by problematic 1930s German scholarship. In fact, ancient usage shows no evidence of such derogatory meaning . Instead, Staples shows how terms like “Israelite” continued to be used for northern tribes (e.g., Samaritans or figures like Tobit), while “Jew” referred to returning exiles from Judah.

They also tackle Pauline texts—why Paul calls himself an “Israelite” and “Benjaminite,” but not “Jew,” and what “Hebrew of Hebrews” actually signals (hint: native Semitic speaker, not religious zeal) . The episode challenges casual anachronisms, like calling Moses a Jew, and explains why Jesus’ Jewish identity is essential to his Davidic kingship and role in restoring all Israel.

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Chapters:
0:00 The history of the word "Jew"
3:54 "Jew" versus "Israelite" in Scripture and beyond
9:12 Jewish nationality and ethnicity after the exile
14:33 What happened to the other tribes?
15:50 Jesus was a Jew
20:23 "King of the Jews" and King of the universe
21:58 "The Israel of God"
26:09 Paul as an Israelite and a Hebrew