The Land of Israel (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל ʼÉreṣ Yiśrāʼēl, Eretz Yisrael) is a name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant (also known in English as Canaan, Palestine, the Promised Land, or simply the Holy Land). The Jewish religious belief that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people is based on the Torah, especially the books of Genesis and Exodus, as well as the Prophets. According to the Book of Genesis, 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. A literal reading of the text suggests that the land promise is (or was at one time) one of the Biblical covenants between God and the Israelites. This belief is not shared by most Christians for whom the entitlement of any one ethnic or religious group to territory in the Middle East is not supported by Scripture. With the exception of Christian Zionists, it is the position of most Christians that the land promises of the Old Covenant were expanded in the New Testament to show the universal dominion of Jesus Christ.
The definition of the limits of this territory varies between biblical passages, specifically Genesis 15, Exodus 23, Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47. Elsewhere in the Bible, this land is often referred as "from Dan to Beersheba". The Land of Canaan is another biblical name for this region. A reference to the land of Israel is also made in the New Testament at Matthew 2:19–21.
The boundaries of the Land of Israel are different from the borders of historical Israelite kingdoms. The Bar Kokhba state, the Herodian Kingdom, the Hasmonean Kingdom, and possibly the United Kingdom of Israel ruled lands with similar but not identical boundaries. The current State of Israel also has similar but not identical boundaries.
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 Palestinian territories.
Read more about Land Of Israel: Etymology and Biblical Roots, Biblical Interpretations of The Borders, Variability of The Boundaries, Historical Kingdoms, Jewish Beliefs, From The Kingdom of Judah To The Present, Modern History
Famous quotes containing the words land of, land and/or israel:
“I had crossed de line of which I had so long been dreaming. I was free; but dere was no one to welcome me to de land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land, and my home after all was down in de old cabin quarter, wid de ole folks, and my brudders and sisters. But to dis solemn resolution I came; I was free, and dey should be free also; I would make a home for dem in de North, and de Lord helping me, I would bring dem all dere.”
—Harriet Tubman (c. 1820–1913)
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.””
—Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 13:17.
“Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy,
And with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”
—Bible: Hebrew Psalm CXXX (l. CXXX, 7–8)