The Semite concept arose from Enlightenment comparative philology within a biblical frame

Evidence

The concept of the Semite was born when this tradition collided with the Enlightenment; specifically, it was the product of the development of comparative philology. Crucially, however, the aim and the context remained the Bible. — James Renton, Ben Gidley (eds.), Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Europe, 636

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Said’s Orientalism argument about how scholarly categories served broader ideological projects.