Who and what is…
Israel

Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל —transliteration: Yisrael —meaning: God strives —occurrences: 2506

This is the name of a patriarch, his descendants, 2 ancient kingdoms, and a modern nation.

  1. Israel, the man

    This is the name conferred on Hebrew patriarch Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Genesis 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed”

    Israel had 12 sons: Judah, Dan, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Levi, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin

    See: Who is Jacob?

  2. Israel, the people

    Israel and Israelites are the common names given to the man Israel/Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the 12 tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Joshua 3:17; 7:25; Judges 8:27; Jeremiah 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Exodus 16:31; 40:38).

    Tribes of Israel

    1. Asher
    2. Benjamin
    3. Dan
    4. Ephraim
    5. Gad
    6. Issachar
    7. Judah
    8. Levi (excluded from land division)
    9. Manasseh
    10. Naphtali
    11. Reuben
    12. Simeon
    13. Zebulun

  3. Israel, the nation

    During the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan, the time of the Judges, and the time of Kings Saul, David and Solomon, “Israel” was a unified single nation.

    This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Psalm 73:1; Isaiah 45:17; 49:3; John 1:47; Romans 9:6; 11:26).

  4. Kingdom of Israel

    After the death of King Saul the ten tribes arrogated to themselves this name, as if they were the whole nation (2 Samuel 2:9, 10, 17, 28; 3:10, 17; 19:40, 41, 42, 43), and the kings of the 10 tribes were called “kings of Israel,” while the kings of the two tribes were called “kings of Judah.”

    See: What is The Kingdom of Israel?

    Tribes of the Kingdom of Israel

    1. Asher
    2. Dan
    3. Ephraim
    4. Gad
    5. Issachar
    6. Levi (excluded from land division)
    7. Manasseh
    8. Naphtali
    9. Reuben
    10. Simeon
    11. Zebulun

  5. Israel, the post-Exile people

    After the Exile the name Israel was no longer assumed to apply to just the former Kingdom of Israel, but was generally assumed to designate the whole former nation of Israel and its peoples.

  6. Modern Israel

    The official language is Israeli Hebrew which is based on ancient Hebrew. Most Israelis speak English as a 2nd language, and it is taught schools. Other languages spoken reportedly include Yiddish, Russian, Spanish, Ladino, Amharic, Armenian, Romanian, and French.

    The modern nation is called the State of Israel. It strongly encourages the return of the Jewish descendants of the diaspora of ancient Israel, giving them right to immigrate to the State of Israel and obtain Israeli citizenship.

    “Under Israel’s Law of Return (1950) as amended in 1970, all non-Israeli Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism are entitled to settle in Israel and receive full Israeli citizenship. However, converts who wish to marry in Israel must demonstrate that they were converted under the supervision of an Orthodox rabbi approved by the country’s chief rabbinate, which is authorized to settle questions of personal status regarding marriage and divorce. The Supreme Court of Israel has made incursions into rabbinic interpretations of personal status.” “Jew, the people,” Encyclopedia Britannica (online version January 12, 2026)

    According to official Israeli records, less than half of the Israeli Jews are descendants of European Jewish diaspora. Many are from the diaspora in Arab countries, Persia (Iran), Turkey, Central Asia, Ethiopia, India and elsewhere.

    Modern Israel’s people are generally called Israelis. Israelis “are the citizens, nationals, and permanent residents of the State of Israel.” However, “Israeli law defines Jewish nationality as distinct from Israeli nationality, and the Supreme Court of Israel has ruled that an Israeli nationality does not exist. A Jewish national is defined as any person practicing Judaism and their descendants.”1

    Religions

    The State of Israel contains people of various religions, including Judaism (the majority), Islam, Christianity, Druzism, Samaritanism, Baháʼí Faith, Atheism, and probably others.

    More information

  1. Roselle Tekiner, “Race and the Issue of National Identity in Israel,” International Journal of Middle East Studies, Volume 23, No. 1. (Cambridge University Press: 1991), pp. 39–55.

More information

Article Version: January 13, 2026