Ishmaels

Ishmaels is a term used to refer to the descendants or adherents of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, within Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The phrase is largely historical and literary rather than a designation for a modern political or ethnic group.

Etymology and scope. The given name Ishmael means “God will hear” in Hebrew. In English, Ishmaels or Ishmaelites can appear in translations as a way to refer to the people descended from Ishmael or to groups associated with him, though the more common biblical ethnonym is Ishmaelites.

Biblical context. In the Hebrew Bible, Ishmael’s line is described as having twelve princes, and his descendants are sometimes grouped with other Semitic tribes. The Ishmaelites are depicted as caravan traders, traveling from regions such as Gilead and the northern Arabian desert to Egypt, bearing goods like spices, balm, and myrrh. A notable biblical episode involves Ishmaelite merchants who purchase Joseph from his brothers (Genesis 37:25–28). The term often serves as a label for a broader Arab or desert-dwelling population in biblical narratives.

Islamic tradition. In the Qur’an and later Islamic literature, Ishmael (Ishma’il) is regarded as a prophet and an ancestral figure of various Arab tribes. He is associated with the lineage of the Arabs and with the building or restoration of the Kaaba, depending on the tradition. The term Ishmaelite appears less frequently in Islamic sources but can function as a historical or genealogical reference analogous to the biblical Ishmaelites.

Historical interpretation. There is no single, clearly defined political entity known as “Ishmaels.” Instead, the term reflects a biblical and later historical label for Semitic desert peoples and caravan networks tied to Ishmael’s imagined or genealogical line. Modern usage is chiefly literary or scholarly.

See also: Ishmael, Ishmaelites, Hagar, Abraham.