Hebrew (/ˈhiːbruː/; עִבְרִית, Ivrit [ʔivˈʁit] or [ʕivˈɾit]) is a Northwest Semitic language native to Israel, spoken by over 9 million people worldwide.[7][4] Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites and their ancestors, although the language was not referred to by the name Hebrew in the Tanakh.[note 2] The earliest examples of written Paleo-Hebrew date from the 10th century BCE.[9] Hebrew belongs to the West Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Hebrew is the only living Canaanite language left, and the only truly successful example of a revived dead