ORIENTALS

(Ori·enʹtals) [Heb., literally, “sons of the East”].

The populace of those lands viewed by Hebrew writers as “the East.” This area was beyond the boundary of Israel not only to the E but also well up to the N and southward into Arabia. (Gen. 25:6; Jer. 49:28) Thus, when Jacob went to Laban’s household at Haran, he went “to the land of the Orientals,” NE of Canaan.—Gen. 29:1.

Job is called “the greatest of all the Orientals.” (Job 1:3) The forces that oppressed Israel before Gideon rose up and vanquished them were comprised of Amalekites and the Midianites in addition to “the Easterners,” otherwise unidentified. (Judg. 6:3, 33; 7:12; 8:10) The Orientals, noted for their wisdom, were, however, surpassed in this respect by Solomon. (1 Ki. 4:30) The so-called “wise men” or Magi who visited the young child Jesus were “astrologers from eastern parts.”—Matt. 2:1, 2, 11.