In the Bible, the name Israel (Hebr. Yisraʾel) designates both the nation or community and the Promised Land (erets Yisraʾel). From its first attestations in biblical and ancient Near Eastern sources to the naming of the modern state, the meaning of the concept shifted several times.
1. Origin and meaning
1.1 Etymology
The Hebrew word for Israel – Yisraʾel – is composed of the suffix “ʾel” and a predicate. The appended “ʾel” is the personal name of the venerated Go…