Land of Israel

The Land of Israel ( Eretz Yisrael ) refers to the land in the southern Levant which the Jewish people have since Biblical times regarded as their God-given homeland. Over 3,500 years ago, according to the Bible, the land was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and to the Israelites , descendants of Jacob , Abraham's grandson. This land forms part of the Biblical covenant between God and the Jewish people. The most precise geographical borders of the promised land are given in Exodus 23:31 , which describes the borders as the Red Sea, the "Sea of the Philistines" i.e the Mediterranean , and the "River" (the Euphrates ). References to the land of Israel are also made in the New Testament , for example in Matthew 2:19–21 . The actual political boundaries of the land have fluctuated from time to time and the land has been referred to by other names over time. At its maximum extent, during the height of David 's united Kingdom of Israel , it corresponded approximately to present-day Israel , the Palestinian territories , the western part of Jordan and the southern part of Lebanon ; at other times it embraced only the area around Jerusalem.

The Valley of Elah, near Adullam The Land of Israel ( ʼÉreṣ Yiśrāʼēl , Eretz Yisrael ) is one of several names for an area of indefinite geographical extension in the Southern Levant . Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan , the Promised Land , the Holy Land , and Palestine . The definitions of the limits of this territory vary between biblical passages, with these specifically in Genesis 15, Exodus 23, Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47. Nine times elsewhere in the Bible, the settled land is referred as " from Dan to Beersheba ". These biblical limits for the land differ from the borders of established historical Israelite and later Jewish kingdoms; over time these have included the United Kingdom of Israel , the Hasmonean Kingdom , and the Herodian Kingdom , which at their heights ruled lands with similar but not identical boundaries. The Jewish religious belief that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people is based on the Torah , particularly in the books of Genesis and Exodus , as well as in the later Prophets . According to the Book of Genesis, the land was first promised by God to the descendants of Abram ; the text is explicit that this is a covenant between God and Abram for his descendants. Abram's name was later changed to Abraham, with the promise refined to pass through his son Isaac and to the Israelites , descendants of Jacob , Abraham's grandson. This belief is not shared by most adherents of replacement theology (or supersessionism ), who hold the view that the Old Testament prophecies were superseded by the coming of Jesus, a view often repudiated by Christian Zionists as a theological error. Evangelical Zionists variously claim that Israel has title to the land by divine right, or by a theological, historical and moral grounding of attachment to the land unique to Judaism ( James Parkes ), The idea that ancient religious texts can be warrant or divine right for a modern claim has often been challenged, and Israeli courts have rejected land claims based on religious motivations. During the mandatory period (1920-1948) the term "Eretz Yisrael" or the "Land of Israel" was part of the official Hebrew name of Mandatory Palestine . Official Hebrew documents used the Hebrew transliteration of the word “Palestine” פלשתינה (Palestina) followed always by the two initial letters of "Eretz Yisrael", א״י Aleph-Yod. The Land of Israel concept has been evoked by the founders of the State of Israel . It often surfaces in political debates on the status of the West Bank , which is referred to in official Israeli discourse as Judea and Samaria , from the names of the two historical Jewish kingdoms . "Exodus 6:4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners" . On 17 December 1967, the Israeli military government issued an order stating that "the term 'Judea and Samaria region' shall be identical in meaning for all purposes . .to the term 'the West Bank Region'". This change in terminology, which has been followed in Israeli official statements since that time, reflected a historic attachment to these areas and rejection of a name that was seen as implying Jordanian sovereignty over them.

Traditional Jewish name for an area of indefinite geographical extension in the Southern Levant "Eretz Yisrael" redirects here. The Valley of Elah, near Adullam A verdant hill near Moshav Tzafririm Sunrise over the Elah Valley Second Temple period Timeline Rabbinic period and the Middle Ages Modern era Timeline 1517–1948: Ottoman rule Old Yishuv Zionism Yishuv OETA British Mandate Balfour Declaration 1948–present : State of Israel years Independence Arab–Israeli conflict Iran–Israel proxy conflict By topic Demographics Judaism Leaders Warfare Zionism Jerusalem Related Jewish history Hebrew calendar Archaeology Museums Maps Travelogues Israel portal v t e The Land of Israel ( Hebrew : אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל , Modern : Eretz Yisrael , Tiberian : ʼÉreṣ Yiśrāʼēl ) is the traditional Jewish name for an area of indefinite geographical extension in the Southern Levant . Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan , the Promised Land , the Holy Land , and Palestine (see also Israel (disambiguation) ). The definitions of the limits of this territory vary between passages in the Hebrew Bible , with specific mentions in Genesis 15, Exodus 23, Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47. Nine times elsewhere in the Bible, the settled land is referred as " from Dan to Beersheba ", and three times it is referred as "from the entrance of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt" (1 Kings 8:65, 1 Chronicles 13:5 and 2 Chronicles 7:8). These biblical limits for the land differ from the borders of established historical Israelite and later Jewish kingdoms; over time these have included the United Kingdom of Israel , the two separated kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah , the Hasmonean Kingdom , and the Herodian kingdom , which at their heights ruled lands with similar but not identical boundaries. Jewish religious belief defines the land as where Jewish religious law prevailed and excludes territory where it was not applied. It holds that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people based on the Torah , particularly the books of Genesis and Exodus , as well as on the later Prophets . According to the Book of Genesis, the land was first promised by God to the descendants of Abram ; the text is explicit that this is a covenant between God and Abram for his descendants. Abram's name was later changed to Abraham, with the promise refined to pass through his son Isaac and to the Israelites , descendants of Jacob , Abraham's grandson. This belief is not shared by most adherents of replacement theology (or supersessionism ), who hold the view that the Old Testament prophecies were superseded by the coming of Jesus, a view often repudiated by Christian Zionists as a theological error. Evangelical Zionists variously claim that Israel has title to the land by divine right, or by a theological, historical and moral grounding of attachment to the land unique to Jews ( James Parkes ). The idea that ancient religious texts can be warrant or divine right for a modern claim has often been challenged, and Israeli courts have rejected land claims based on religious motivations. During the League of Nations mandatory period (1920–1948 ) the term "Eretz Yisrael" or the "Land of Israel" was part of the official Hebrew name of Mandatory Palestine . Official Hebrew documents used the Hebrew transliteration of the word "Palestine" פלשתינה (Palestina) followed always by the two initial letters of "Eretz Yisrael", א״י Aleph-Yod. The Land of Israel concept has been evoked by the founders of the State of Israel . It often surfaces in political debates on the status of the West Bank , which is referred to in official Israeli discourse as the Judea and Samaria Area , from the names of the two historical Jewish kingdoms . "Exodus 6:4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners" . On 17 December 1967, the Israeli military government issued an order stating that "the term 'Judea and Samaria region' shall be identical in meaning for all purposes . .to the term 'the West Bank Region'". This change in terminology, which has been followed in Israeli official statements since that time, reflected a historic attachment to these areas and rejection of a name that was seen as implying Jordanian sovereignty over them.

Name for an area of the Southern Levant "Eretz Yisrael" redirects here. The Valley of Elah, near Adullam A verdant hill near Moshav Tzafririm Sunrise over the Elah Valley Second Temple period Timeline Rabbinic period and the Middle Ages Modern era Timeline 1517–1948: Ottoman rule Old Yishuv Zionism Yishuv OETA British Mandate Balfour Declaration 1948–present : State of Israel years Independence Arab–Israeli conflict Iran–Israel proxy conflict By topic Demographics Judaism Leaders Warfare Zionism Jerusalem Related Jewish history Hebrew calendar Archaeology Museums Maps Travelogues Israel portal v t e The Land of Israel ( Hebrew : אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל , Modern : ʾEreṣ Yīsraʾel , Tiberian : ʾEreṣ Yīsrāʾēl ) is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant . Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan , the Promised Land , the Holy Land , and Palestine . The definitions of the limits of this territory vary between passages in the Hebrew Bible , with specific mentions in Genesis 15, Exodus 23, Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47. Nine times elsewhere in the Bible, the settled land is referred as " from Dan to Beersheba ", and three times it is referred as "from the entrance of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt" (1 Kings 8:65, 1 Chronicles 13:5 and 2 Chronicles 7:8). These biblical limits for the land differ from the borders of established historical Israelite and later Jewish kingdoms , including the United Kingdom of Israel , the two kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah , the Hasmonean Kingdom , and the Herodian kingdom . At their heights, these realms ruled lands with similar but not identical boundaries. Jewish religious belief defines the land as where Jewish religious law prevailed and excludes territory where it was not applied. It holds that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people based on the Torah , particularly the books of Genesis and Exodus , as well as on the later Prophets . According to the Book of Genesis, the land was first promised by God to Abram's descendants; the text is explicit that this is a covenant between God and Abram for his descendants. Abram's name was later changed to Abraham, with the promise refined to pass through his son Isaac and to the Israelites , descendants of Jacob , Abraham's grandson. This belief is not shared by most adherents of replacement theology (or supersessionism ), who hold the view that the Old Testament prophecies were superseded by the coming of Jesus, a view often repudiated by Christian Zionists as a theological error. Evangelical Zionists variously claim that Israel has title to the land by divine right, or by a theological, historical and moral grounding of attachment to the land unique to Jews ( James Parkes ). The idea that ancient religious texts can be warrant or divine right for a modern claim has often been challenged, and Israeli courts have rejected land claims based on religious motivations. During the League of Nations mandate period (1920–1948 ) the term "Eretz Yisrael" or the "Land of Israel" was part of the official Hebrew name of Mandatory Palestine . Official Hebrew documents used the Hebrew transliteration of the word "Palestine" פלשתינה (Palestina) followed always by the two initial letters of "Eretz Yisrael", א״י Aleph-Yod. The Land of Israel concept has been evoked by the founders of the State of Israel . It often surfaces in political debates on the status of the West Bank , referred to in official Israeli discourse as the Judea and Samaria Area , from the names of the two historical Jewish kingdoms . "Exodus 6:4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners" . On 17 December 1967, the Israeli military government issued an order stating that "the term 'Judea and Samaria region' shall be identical in meaning for all purposes . .to the term 'the West Bank Region'". This change in terminology, which has been followed in Israeli official statements since that time, reflected a historic attachment to these areas and rejection of a name that was seen as implying Jordanian sovereignty over them.

Name for an area of the Southern Levant This article is about the historical region. The Land of Israel ( Hebrew : אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל , Modern : Éretz Yisra'él , Tiberian : ʾEreṣ Yīsrāʾēl ) is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant . Related biblical, religious, and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan , the Promised Land , the Holy Land , and Palestine . The definitions of the limits of this territory vary between passages in the Hebrew Bible , with specific mentions in Genesis 15 , Exodus 23 , Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47 . Nine times elsewhere in the Bible, the settled land is referred as " from Dan to Beersheba ", and three times it is referred as "from the entrance of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt " ( 1 Kings 8:65 , 1 Chronicles 13:5 and 2 Chronicles 7:8 ). These biblical limits for the land differ from the borders of established historical Israelite and later Jewish kingdoms , including the United Kingdom of Israel , the two kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah , the Hasmonean kingdom , and the Herodian kingdom . At their heights, these realms ruled lands with similar but not identical boundaries. Jewish religious belief defines the land as where Jewish religious law prevailed and excludes territory where it was not applied. It holds that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people based on the Torah , particularly the books of Genesis , Exodus , Numbers and Deuteronomy , as well as Joshua and the later Prophets ( Exodus 6:4 : "I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners"). According to the Book of Genesis, the land was first promised by God to Abram 's descendants; the text is explicit that this is a covenant between God and Abram for his descendants ( Gen 15:18–21 (NIV) : "On that day the LORD made a covenant"). Abram's name was later changed to Abraham, with the promise refined to pass through his son Isaac and to the Israelites , descendants of Jacob , Abraham's grandson. This belief is not shared by most adherents of replacement theology (or supersessionism ), who hold the view that the Old Testament prophecies were superseded by the coming of Jesus, a view often repudiated by Christian Zionists as a theological error. Evangelical Zionists variously claim that Israel has title to the land by divine right, or by a theological, historical and moral grounding of attachment to the land unique to Jews ( Parkes, James ). The idea that ancient religious texts can be warrant or divine right for a modern claim has often been challenged, and Israeli courts have rejected land claims based on religious motivations. During the League of Nations mandate period (1920–1948 ) the term "Eretz Yisrael" or the "Land of Israel" was part of the official Hebrew name of Mandatory Palestine . Official Hebrew documents used the Hebrew transliteration of the word "Palestine" פלשתינה (Palestina) followed always by the two initial letters of "Eretz Yisrael", א״י Aleph-Yod. The Land of Israel concept has been evoked by the founders of the State of Israel . It often surfaces in political debates on the status of the West Bank , referred to in official Israeli discourse as the Judea and Samaria Area . On 17 December 1967, the Israeli military government issued an order stating that, "the term 'Judea and Samaria region' shall be identical in meaning for all purposes to the term 'the West Bank Region'". This change in terminology, which has been followed in Israeli official statements since that time, reflected a historic attachment to these areas and rejection of a name that was seen as implying Jordanian sovereignty over them.