Hebrews (or Hebertes, Eberites, Hebreians; Hebrew: עברים or עבריים, Standard ʿIvrim, ʿIvriyyim Tiberian ʿIḇrîm, ʿIḇriyyîm, "traverse or pass over") is a term used in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and is regarded by many scholars as being synonymous with the Israelites. The Hebrews are generally regarded as either the same people or as ancestors of the Israelites, but some regard the use of the term by the Egyptians as referring to all peoples who came "across the river" (meaning a category of foreigner) of which the Israelites were a small part.