TheRechabites (/ˈrɛkəbaɪts/) were aBiblical clan, the descendants ofRechab throughJehonadab.
The Rechabites adhered to the law laid down by their ancestorJehonadab, forbidding them to drink wine, to own land or vineyards, or to live in cities.[1] They were commanded to always lead a nomadic life. They were noted for their fidelity to the old established custom of their family in the days ofJeremiah;[2] and this feature of their character is referred to by God for the purpose of giving point to his message to theKing of Judah.[3][4] As a reward for their fidelity, God proclaims that there will always be a descendant ofJonadab in his service.
One theory is the Rechabites belonged to theKenites, who accompanied theIsraelites into theHoly Land and dwelt among them; the sources of information are few and unclear. Kenites dwelt in cities and adopted settled habits of life.[5]
TheMekhilta tells a story—presumably dating to the lateSecond Temple period—of Rechabites, known as "sons of water drinkers" due to their abstention from wine.[6]
RabbiHalafta (1st–2nd centuries) was a descendant of the Rechabites.[7]
The apocryphalStory of Zosimus, from late antiquity, details the journey of a monk named Zosimus to the "Land of the Rechabites".
In 1839 the ReverendJoseph Wolff found inYemen, nearSanaa, a tribe claiming to be descendants of Jehonadab; and in the late nineteenth century aBedouin tribe was found near theDead Sea who also professed to be descendants of Jehonadab.[8]
Many Muslims still claim descent from Rechab, along with the nearly-universal claim ofArabs to be descended fromAbraham throughIshmael (Ismail).
The termRechabites also refers to a religious order, similar in some ways to theNazirites, and they are mentioned byEusebius of Emesa.[9]
In more recent times, the name has been used byChristian groups keen to promotetotal abstinence from alcohol, such as theIndependent Order of Rechabites.[10]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897)."Rechabites".Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.