Question: who are ishmaelites in the bible?
Answer: According to the Book of Genesis, Ishmaelites (Hebrew: Bnai Yishma'el Arabic: Bani Isma'il, ) are the descendants of Ishmael, the elder son of Abraham and the descendants of the twelve sons and princes of Ishmael. Throughout history, the Ishmaelites have been associated with Arabs (more specifically, North Arabians).