The Kadmonites (Hebrew: קַדְמֹנִי Qaḏmōnī) were, according to the Hebrew Bible, a tribe mentioned as inhabiting the land promised by God in a covenant to Abraham in Genesis 15:19.
The tribe's identity is unknown. According to M.G. Eastons Bible Dictionary, the Kadmonites inhabited the northeastern part of Palestine, and it is supposed that they are identical to the "children of the east", which inhabited the land between Palestine and the Euphrat.
According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, R. Judah b. Hai identified the Kadmonites with the Nabateans. Encyclopaedia Judaica writes that opinions diverge as to the identity of the tribes of the Kenites, Kenizzites and Kadmonites: a plausible interpretation laid forward by R. Judah is that they were Arab tribes bordering Canaan; another interpretation by R. Eliezer is that the tribes refer to Asia Minor, Thrace and Carthage. Jewish tradition regards the term as being identical to Bnei Kedem ("Children of the East") a designation of the relatives of the Hebrews who lived east of them.
References
- For various sources that discuss the identity of the Kadmonites, see Klein, Reuven Chaim (Rudolph) (April 2018). "Nations and Super-Nations of Canaan" (PDF). Jewish Bible Quarterly. 46 (2): 73–85. ISSN 0792-3910.
- Easton, M. G. "Kadmonites". Easton's Bible Dictionary. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
- Barton, George A. "Nabataeans". Jewish Encyclopedia. The Kopelman Foundantion. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
- Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 7 (2 ed.). p. 488. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
- Encyclopedia Judaica 1997 CD-ROM Edition, article Kedemites or Easterners