Rechabite

Rechabites - the descendants of Rechab through Jonadab or Jehonadab. They belonged to the Kenites, who accompanied the children of Israel into the holy land, and dwelt among them. Moses married a Kenite wife, [Judges 1:16] and Jael was the wife of "Heber the Kenite". [Judges 4:17] Saul also showed kindness to the Kenites. [1 Sam. 15:6] The main body of the Kenites dwelt in cities, and adopted settled habits of life; [1 Sam. 30:29] but Jehonadab forbade his descendants to drink wine or to live in cities. [CathEncy|wstitle=Rechab and the Rechabites] They were commanded to lead always a nomad life. They adhered to the law laid down by Jonadab, and were noted for their fidelity to the old-established custom of their family in the days of Jeremiah (35); and this feature of their character is referred to by the prophet for the purpose of giving point to his own exhortation. [They are referred to in Neh. 3:14 and 1 Chr. 2:55]

In 1839 the Reverend Joseph Wolff, who later went to Bokhara to attempt to save Conolly and Stoddart, found in the Yemen, near Sanaa, a tribe claiming to be descendants of Jehonadab; and in the late nineteenth century a Bedouin tribe was found near the Dead Sea who also professed to be descendants of Jehonadab. [ [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=Rechabites Rechabites] - Easton's Bible Dictionary]

The term Rechabites also refers to a religious order, similar in some ways to the Nazarites, and are mentioned by Eusebius of Emesa. [H. E. ii. 23] In more recent times the name has been used by Christian groups keen to promote total abstinence from alcohol, such as the Independent Order of Rechabites.

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