Jews today use the term Israelite and Children of Israel to refer to themselves. In The Bible, the terms Hebrew and Children of Israel are commonly used for the descendants of Jacob (known as Israel later in life) all the way up until the Babylonian Exile. After that time, the term Jews comes to dominate (the book of Esther, set during the Babylonian Exile, marks the transition. Before the Exile, the term Jews (or more accurately, Yehudi) refers specifically to members of the tribe of Judah. After the Exile, the term refers to any Jew, regardless of former tribal affiliation. For example, in the book of Esther, it says that Mordechai, Esther's uncle, was a Jew, while it also identifies him as a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Today's Jewish community can trace its development back to the