You know what, get back to me on the historicity of Hebrews after reading this. I'm not adverse to shifting my priors on that topic; please refer me to a work that does not refer to the Bible as a starting point for its hypotheses, if that's at all possible.
Until I have a Bible-independent framework on how to think of the ethnic conglomerate that claim to be the Descent of Israel, I prefer to assume it is all fiction as a working hypothesis, and start from there.
This is why also why I am reticent to call them Israelites, despite them calling themselves something like that, just the same way I wouldn't call Arabs Ismaelites; I doubt that Israel/Jacob, Isac, Ishmael or Abraham existed, and I doubt either group's direct descent from them. I certainly doubt that any human gained the title of Israel after wrestling with God and winning.
As for them calling themselves Israelites, allow me to be a little pedantic here; they called themselves B'nei Yisrael; Israelites is a greek term.
You know what, get back to me on the historicity of Hebrews after reading this.
I see the point that post is making, but I'm not just blowing air here. I have a degree in near-eastern history, and I studied with an archeologist who works on this period. None of us were theists, or remotely interested in defending or even discussing any modern religion. The historical books of the Hebrew bible are a relatively reliable historical record, so far as we can tell, but the fact is we just don't have that much detail about the period in which it was written, so...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.