In the Hebrew Bible, the term "Israelites" is used interchangeably with the term "Twelve Tribes of Israel". Although related, the terms Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews are not interchangeable in all instances. "Israelites" ("Yisraelim") refers to the people whom the Hebrew Bible describes specifically as the direct descendants of any of the sons of the patriarch Jacob (later called Israel), and his descendants as a people are also collectively called "Israel", including converts to their faith in worship of the national god of Israel, Yahweh. "Hebrews" ("ʿIvrim"), on the contrary, is used to denote the Israelites' immediate forebears who dwelt in the land of Canaan, the Israelites themselves, and the Israelites' ancient and modern descendants (including Jews and Samaritans). "Jews" ("Yehudim") is used to denote the descendants of the Israelites who coalesced when the Tribe of Judah absorbed the remnants of various other Israelite tribes.