NEBAIOTH nĭ bā’ yŏth (Heb. נְבָיֹ֛ות, variant in Gen 25:13 נְבָיֹ֔ת; LXX transcribes as Gr. Ναβαίωθ, and later cuneiform sources read Nabajāti / Niba’āti). The name of the eldest son of Ishmael, the grandson of Abraham and Hagar (Gen 25:13; 28:9; 36:3). The name is used also of his descendants, an E Sem. tribal people of the Arabian desert. The tribes are mentioned in the annals of Tiglathpileser III (745-727 b.c.) in the context of a campaign against the N Arabs, their allies and the tribute lists thereafter. The Nebaiothites are mentioned also by Aššurbanipal (668-633 b.c.) in his annals of campaigns in Egypt, Syria and Palestine. Just as in the Biblical record they are mentioned in the context of Kedar (cf. ANET 298-300). The later references to them are found in 1 Chronicles 1:29 and Isaiah 60:7. Attempts to equate them with the historical Nabateans has been rejected largely on philological grounds.

Bibliography H. Rawlinson (V, R) pls. 1-10 (1880); P. Rost, Die Keilschrifttexte Tiglatpilesers III (1893) comm. ad loc.