RECHABITE

member of a conservative, ascetic Israelite sect that was named for Rechab, the father of Jehonadab. Jehonadab was an ally of Jehu, a 9th-century-BC king of Israel, and a zealous antagonist against the worshippers of Baal, a Canaanite fertility deity. Though of obscure origin, the Rechabites apparently were related to the Kenites, according to I Chron. 2:55, a tribe eventually absorbed into Judah in the 10th century BC. The Rechabites were separatists who refused to participate in agricultural pursuits, drink wine, or engage in other practices associated with the Canaanites. Believing that the semi-nomadic way of life was a religious obligation, they herded their flocks over much of Israel and Judah. They were fervent followers of Yahweh, the God of Israel, and are best known for their connection with the slaughter of the worshippers of Baal during the revolt led by Jehu. According to later Jewish tradition, the Rechabites intermarried with the Levites, the priestly class.