Land of Israel

For other uses, see Israel (disambiguation)

Map showing one interpretation of the borders of the Promised Land, based on God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 15).

Map showing one interpretation of the borders of the Promised Land, based on God's promise to Moses (Numbers 34) and to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47).

Map of Eretz Israel in 1695 Amsterdam Haggada by Abraham Bar-Jacob.

The Land of Israel (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, Eretz Yisrael,) is the region which, according to the Hebrew Bible, was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac^[1][2] and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, Abraham's grandson. It constitutes the Promised Land and forms part of the Abrahamic, Jacob and Israel covenants. Mainstream Jewish tradition regards the promise as applying to all Jews, including descendants of converts.

The term should not be confused officially with the State of Israel, which is a smaller modern political state within its Biblical and historical limits. Since the Six Day War in 1967 however, the term and concept have been politicized and used to justify the policies of right wing Israeli political parties like the Likud.^{[3] [4]} These groups have had more influence in Israeli governments since the 1977 elections.

Etymology and biblical roots

The term "Land of Israel" is a direct translation of the Hebrew phrase "ארץ ישראל" (Eretz Yisrael), which is found in the Hebrew Bible. According to Anita Shapira, the term "Eretz Israel" was a holy term, vague as far as the exact boundaries of the territories are concerned but clearly defining ownership.^[5]

The name "Israel" first appears in the Bible as the name given by God to the patriarch Jacob (Genesis 32:28), which can be translated as "God contended" ^[6]. The name already occurs in Eblaite and Ugaritic texts as a common name^[7]. Commentators differ on the original literal meaning. Some say the name comes from the verb śarar ("to rule, be strong, have authority over"), thereby making the name mean "God rules" or "God judges".^[8] Other possible meanings include "the prince of God" (from the King James Version) or "El fights/struggles".^[9] Regardless of the precise meaning of the name, the biblical nation fathered by Jacob thus became the "Children of Israel" or the "Israelites".

The first definition of the promised land (Genesis 15:13-21) calls it "this land". In Genesis 15, this land is promised to Abraham's "descendants", through his son Isaac, while in Deuteronomy 1:8, it is promised explicitly to the Israelites, Abrahams descendants through Jacob.

A more detailed definition is given in Numbers 34:1-15 for the land explicitly allocated to nine and half of the Israelite tribes after the exodus. In this passage, the land is called "Land of Canaan". The expression "Land of Israel" is first used in a later book, Samuel 13:19. It is used often in the book of Ezekiel and also by Matthew.

Dimensions according to the Bible

The Hebrew Bible provides three different sets of borders each with a different purpose. The passages where these are defined are Genesis 15:18-21, Numbers 34:1-15 and Ezekiel 47:13-20.

Genesis 15

Genesis 15:18-21 describes what are known as Gevulot Ha-aretz ("Borders of the Land")^[10] in Jewish tradition which define the full extent of the land promised to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob.^[11] The passage describes the land in terms of the extent of territories of various ancient peoples. More precise geographical borders are given Exodus 23:31 which describes borders as marked by the Red Sea (see debate below), the "Sea of the Philistines" i.e the Mediterranean, and the "River," i.e. the Euphrates the traditional furthest extent of the Kingdom of David. ^[12][13]

Numbers 34

Numbers 34:1-15 describes the land allocated to the Israelite tribes after the Exodus. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh received land east of the Jordan as explained in Numbers 34:14-15. Numbers 34:1-13 provides a detailed description of the borders of the land to be conquered west of the Jordan for the remaining tribes. The region is called "the Land of Canaan" (Eretz Kna'an) in Numbers 34:2 and the borders are known in Jewish tradition as the "borders for those coming out of Egypt". These borders are again mentioned in Deuteronomy 1:6-8,Deuteronomy 11:24 and Joshua 1:4.

In Jewish tradition, Canaan was the son of Ham who with his descendents had seized the land from the descendents of Shem according to the Book of Jubilees. Jewish tradition thus refers to the region as Canaan during the period between the Flood and the Israelite settlement. Schweid sees Canaan as a geographical name, and Israel the spiritual name of the land: The uniqueness of the Land of Israel is thus "geo-theological" and not merely climatic. This is the land which faces the entrance of the spiritual world, that sphere of existence that lies beyond the physical world known to us through our senses. This is the key to the land's unique status with regard to prophecy and prayer, and also with regard to the commandments ^[14]. Thus, the re-naming of this land marks a change in religious status, the origin of the Holy Land concept. Numbers 34:1-13 uses the term Canaan strictly for the land west of the Jordan but Land of Israel is used in Jewish tradition to denote the entire land of the Israelites. The English expression "Promised Land" can denote either the land promised to Abraham in Genesis or the land of Canaan, although the latter meaning is more common.

Ezekiel 47

Ezekiel 47:13-20 provides a definition of borders of land in which the twelve tribes of Israel will live in end times. The borders of the land described by the text in Ezekiel include the northern border of modern Lebanon, eastwards (the way of Hethlon) to Zedad and Hazar-enan in modern Syria; south by southwest to the area of Busra on the Syrian border (area of Hauran in Ezekiel); follows the Jordan River between the West Bank and the land of Gilead to Tamar (Ein Gedi) on the western shore of the Dead Sea; From Tamar to Meribah Kadesh (Kadesh Barnea), then along the Brook of Egypt (see debate below) to the Mediterranean Sea. The territory defined by these borders are divided into twelve strips one for each of the twelve tribes.

Hence, Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47 define different but similar borders which include the whole of contemporary Lebanon, both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and Israel except for the South Negev and Eilat. Small parts of Syria are also included.

From Dan to Beersheba

The common Biblical phrase used to refer to the territories actually settled by Israelites (as opposed to military expansions) is "from Dan to Beersheba" (or its variant "from Beersheba to Dan"), which occurs in the Biblical verses Judges 20:1, 1 Samuel 3:20, 2 Samuel 3:10, 2 Samuel 17:11, 2 Samuel 24:2, 2 Samuel 24:15, 1 Kings 4:25, 1 Chronicles 21:2, and 2 Chronicles 30:5.

Points of debate

Brook of Egypt

The border with Egypt is given as the Nachal Mitzrayim (Brook of Egypt) in Numbers and Deuteronomy, as well as in Ezekiel. Jewish tradition (as expressed in the commentaries of Rashi and Yehuda Halevi, as well as the Aramaic Targums) understand this as referring to the Nile, more precisely the Pelusian branch of the Nile Delta according to Halevi, a view supported by Egyptian and Assyrian texts. Saadia Gaon identified it as the "Wadi of El-Arish" referring to the Biblical Sukkot near Faiyum. Kaftor Vaferech placed it in the same region which approximates the location of the former Pelusian branch of the Nile. 19th century Bible commentaries understood the identification as a reference to the Wadi of the coastal locality called El-Arish. Easton's however notes a local tradition that the course of the river had changed and there was once a branch of Nile where today there is a wadi. Biblical minimalists have suggested that the Besor is intended.

Genesis gives the border with Egypt as Nahar Miztrayim - nahar denotes a large river in Hebrew never a wadi.

Southern and Eastern border

Only the "Red Sea" (Exodus 23:31) and Euphrates are mentioned for the southern and eastern borders of the full land promised to the Israelites. The "Red Sea" corresponding to Hebrew Yam Suf was understood in ancient times to be the Erythraean Sea as reflected in the Septuagint translation. Although the English name "Red Sea" is derived from this name ("Erythraean" derives from the Greek for red) the term denoted all the waters surrounding Arabia including the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf not merely the sea bearing this name in modern English lying to the west of Arabia. Thus the entire Arabian peninsula lies within the borders described. Modern maps depicting the region take a reticent view and often leave the southern and eastern borders vague. The borders of the land to be conquered given in Numbers have a precisely defined eastern border which included the Arabah and Jordan.

Variability of the boundaries

Deuteronomy 19:8 indicates a certain fluidity of the borders of the promised land when it refers to the possibility that God would "enlarge your borders." This expansion of territory means that Israel would receive "all the land he promised to give to your fathers," which implies that the settlement actually fell short of what was promised. According to Jacob Milgrom, Deuteronomy refers to a more utopian map of the promised land, whose eastern border is the wilderness rather than the Jordan.^[15]

Paul R. Williamson notes that a "close examination of the relevant promissory texts" supports a "wider interpretation of the promised land" in which it is not "restricted absolutely to one geographical locale." He argues that "the map of the promised land was never seen permanently fixed, but was subject to at least some degree of expansion and redefinition."^[16]

Land of Israel and historical Kingdoms

Different interpretations of what the Bible says about the extent of king David's empire.

Another map of the Kingdom of Israel. The pink area indicating the lands that were inhabited by Israelites or under direct central royal administration during the United Monarchy (according to the Bible).

Of the many historical kingdoms in the region, the United Monarchy of King David and Solomon is the period when Israelites ruled a land that can be compared to the Genesis 15 definition.

Land of Israel in Jewish law

Main article: Laws and customs of the Land of Israel in Judaism

According to Jewish law (halakha), some religious laws only apply to Jews living in the Land of Israel and some areas in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria (which are thought to be part of Biblical Israel). These include agricultural laws such as the Shmita (Sabbatical year); tithing laws such as the Maaser Rishon (Levite tithe), Maaser sheni, and Maaser ani (poor tithe); charitable practices during farming, such as pe'ah; and laws regarding taxation. One popular source lists 26 of the 613 mitzvot as contingent upon the Land of Israel.^[17]

Many of the laws which applied in ancient times are applied in the modern State of Israel; others have not been revived, since the State of Israel does not adhere to traditional Jewish law. However, certain parts of the current territory of the State of Israel, such as the Arabah, are considered by some authorities to be outside the Land of Israel for purposes of Jewish law. According to these authorities, the religious laws do not apply there. ^[18]

Additionally according to some Jewish religious authorities, every Jew has an obligation to dwell in the Land of Israel, and may not leave except for specifically permitted reasons (e.g., to get married).^[19] There are also many laws dealing with how to treat the Land itself.

Land of Israel in modern history

Use of the name during the British Mandate

This 1920 stamp, issued by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, set a precedent for the wording of subsequent Mandate stamps.

During the British Mandate of Palestine, the name Eretz Yisrael (abbreviated א״י Aleph-Yod), was part of the official name of the territory, when written in Hebrew. The official name "(פלשתינה (א״י" (Palestina E"Y) was also minted on the mandate coins and early stamps (pictured). Some in the government of the British Mandate of Palestine wanted the name to be פלשתינה (Palestina) while the Yishuv wanted ארץ ישראל (Eretz Yisrael). The compromise eventually achieved was that the initials א"י would be written in brackets whenever פלשתינה is written. Consequently, in 20th century political usage, the term "Land of Israel" usually denotes only those parts of the land which came under the British mandate, i.e. the land currently controlled by the State of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, and sometimes also Transjordan (now the Kingdom of Jordan).

Use of the name in the Declaration of Independence of Israel

The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel commences by drawing a direct line from Biblical times to the present:

On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel; the General Assembly required the inhabitants of Eretz-Israel to take such steps as were necessary on their part for the implementation of that resolution. This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their State is irrevocable.

The laws of the State of Israel make it the homeland of all people of Jewish faith, regardless of their ancestry.

Use of the concept as a political platform by Israeli parties

Herut and Gush Emunim were amongst the first Israeli political parties basing their land policies on the Biblical narrative discussed above. They attracted attention following the capture of additional territory in the 1967 Six-Day War. They argue that the West Bank should be annexed permanently to Israel for both ideological and religious reasons. This position is in conflict with the basic “land for peace” settlement formula included in UN242. The Likud party has, in its platform, support to for maintaining Jewish settlement communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza as the territory is considered part of the historical land of Israel.^[20]

Books on the subject

• Keith, Alexander. The Land of Israel: According to the Covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and Jacob, W. Whyte & Co, 1844.
• Schweid, Eliezer. The Land of Israel: National Home Or Land of Destiny, translated by Deborah Greniman, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1985. ISBN 0838632343
• Sedykh, Andreĭ. This Land of Israel, Macmillan, 1967.
• Stewart, Robert Laird. The Land of Israel, Revell, 1899.

See also

• History of the Middle East
• Palestine and History of Palestine
• Israel and History of Israel
• Holy Land
• Promised land
• Canaan
• Greater Israel
• Jewish history
• Masoretic text

Notes

Geography of Israel Historical  · Land of Israel  · Kingdom of Israel  · Kingdom of Judah  · Iudaea Province  · Israel Districts  · List of districts  · Jerusalem District  · North District  · Haifa District  · Center District  · Tel Aviv District  · South District  · Judea and Samaria Bodies of water  · Sea of Galilee  · Jordan River  · Mediterranean Sea  · Gulf of Eilat / Red Sea  · Dead Sea Disputed territories  · Judea and Samaria  · Gaza Strip  · Golan Heights Cities  · List of cities  · Jerusalem  · Tel Aviv-Yafo  · Haifa  · Beersheba Regions  · Arabah  · Bet Shean Valley  · Galilee  · Judea  · Judean Mountains  · Hulah Valley  · Jezreel Valley  · Jordan Valley  · Negev  · Samaria  · Shephelah  · Brook of Sorek Bordering nations  · Lebanon  · Syria  · Jordan  · Egypt Archaeology  · Archaeology of Israel

Holy sites in Judaism Locations: Foundation Stone • Temple Mount • Western Wall • Land of Israel Tombs: Cave of the Patriarchs • David's Tomb • Joseph's Tomb • Tomb of the Matriarchs • Rachel's Tomb See also: List of burial places of Biblical figures Four Holy Cities: Jerusalem • Hebron • Safed • Tiberias