Land of Israel - Etymology and Biblical Roots

Etymology and Biblical Roots

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

The name "Israel" first appears in the Hebrew Bible as the name given by God to the patriarch Jacob (Genesis 32:28). From the name "Israel" other designations that came to be associated with the Jewish people have included the "Children of Israel" or "Israelite".

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

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, 1 Samuel 13:19. It is used often in the Book of Ezekiel and also by the Gospel of Matthew.