ISHMAEL, ( Hch. Fish,nd•ci, God hears). The elder son of Abraham, and reputed founder of the Arab race. His story is given in Genesis xvi. and xxi. Modern critics hold that it is compounded of two sources, and fur nishes a good illustration of the way in which the writers of the Bible gave to tribal likes and dislikes the form of personal history. It is said that Sarah, being barren, gave Hagar, her Egyp tian handmaid, to her husband Abraham. When Hagar saw- that she was with child she began to despise her mistress, and as a result was harshly treated. This compelled her to seek refuge in flight ; but at the advice of an angel, who foretold the birth of a son, and also his character, she returned. The child is born, and at the age of thirteen is circumcised. By this time Isaac was already born, and Hagar is driven out again with her son. The provisions given firer by Abraham did not last long, and she had given up hope when an angel pointed out a well of water. Ishmael grew and dwelt in the wilder ness of l'aran, living by hunting. He married an Egyptian woman.
Scholars of the critical school consider Ish mael. as thus portrayed, the personification of a group of tribes who were akin to the Hebrews. and at one time proved to be serious rivals. In making Ishmael the son of a handmaid the tra dition reflects the Hebrew point of view, and it is noteworthy that among the Arabs, who re gard themselves as descendants of Ishmael, it is Hagar who is the true wife of Abraham, and Ishmael is the favored son. (See HAGAR.) The home of the Ishmaclites was the wilderness to the south of Palestine, as far as the frontier of Egypt. Hebrew tradition accounts for this by having Abraham drive Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness; hut it is interesting to note that, despite the Hebraization of old tribal tradi tions, certain phases favorable to Ishmael could not be entirely obscured. Yahweh is introduced
as the protector of Hagar and Ishmael. Power is promised him and success in war, and his name (`God hears') also points to the excellent terms of his relationship to the deity. In the representations of Hebrew w riters a considerable section of Central and Northern Arabia is occu pied by Ishinaelites. Their spread over this large territory is indicated in tradition by mak ing Ishmael the father of twelve sons (Gen. xxv, 13-H). Hence we find among the Ishmaelites of both types of the Arab—the tierce Bedouin and the Arab on the road to civilization, men engaging in commerce. Ac coriliag to one form 14 the .Toseph story (Gen. xxxvii. 25. Vahwistic. see Jost:mil. Ishmaelitish merchants carrying spices from Gilead bring Jo seph to Egypt. This connection of Ishmaplites with Egypt is also introduced into the uarratice which records that Hagar was an Egyptian and makes Ishmael also marry an Egyptian woman. It should, however, be added that the term Ish maelite, like the term Midianite, conies to lie used vaguely by Old Testament writers, and no conclusions are to be drawn from such usage as to genealogies of Arabic tribes. In a general way it was recognized that the clans of Arabia and the clans of Palestine were closely akin, and this was represented in tradition by tracing them back to the same ancestor, just as in another stratum of tradition Ilebrews and Edomites are traced back to .Tacob and Esau, who unite in the person of Isaac. See Enoxf ; JAcon; ISAAC; EsAr.