People of Israel

See also: Israel (disambiguation)

The people of Israel, or Israelites (Hebrew: ישראל, Yisrāʼēl; Greek: Ἰσραήλ, Israēl; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيلُ, Isrā'īl) trace their ancestry through Jacob ultimately to Abraham, who established the belief that there is only one God, the creator of the universe. Abraham, his son Isaac, and grandson Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel), are referred to as the patriarchs of the Israelites. All three patriarchs lived in the Land of Canaan, that later came to be known as the Land of Israel. They and their wives are buried in the Ma'arat HaMachpela, the Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron.

Jewish Heritage

Main Article: Judaism

The people of modern day Israel share the same language and culture shaped by the Jewish heritage and religion passed through generations starting with the founding father Abraham (ca. 1800 BC). Thus, Jews have had continuous presence in the land of Israel for the past 3,300 years.

After the exile by the Romans, the Jewish people migrated to Europe and North Africa. In the Diaspora (scattered outside of the Land of Israel), they established rich cultural and economic lives, and contributed greatly to the societies where they lived. Yet, they continued their national attachments and prayed to return to Israel through centuries. In the first half of the 20th century there were major waves of immigration of Jews back to Israel from Arab countries and from Europe. During the British rule in Palestine, the Jewish people were subject to great violence and massacres directed by Arab civilians or forces of the neighboring Arab states. During World War II, the Nazi regime in Germany decimated about 6 million Jews creating the great tragedy of The Holocaust.

Modern Israelis

Devout Jews still hold to their belief that Jesus was not the Son of God, and that their king is still to come. The country is torn with war, and their enemies have persecuted them for centuries. Over the last century, they have been attacked by multiple nationalities, such as England and Germany. The Germans targeted the Jews for eradication, leading to one of the worst acts of genocide in history, known as the holocaust.

See Also

• Judaism
• Israel

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External Links

• Israel Science and Technology - Brief History of Israel and the Jewish People
• History of Israel
• Ancient Israelites