Israel (name)


Israel is a masculine Hebrew name.

Etymology

In Hebrew, the name Israel comes from sara and el. After Jacob wrestles with the angel in the Book of Genesis, the Angel of the Lord tells him that his name is now Israel, because he has "struggled with God and man and prevailed". The Hebrew verb sarita, used in the passage, has also been translated into English as "striven," "wrestled," and "contended." The general consensus is the name is a reference to the Jewish people's ongoing struggle with God and the obligation they have to explore their faith. According to John Day, the name Israel means 'El rules' or 'he who struggles with El', which is a clear indication of the Canaanite deity's influence on the early Israelite religion, by these preserved names and epithets. It was considered to be in line with the evidence from the Ugaritic texts, where El is the supreme god.
The word "wrestlers" in Ancient Greek is "," which may be related to "Palaistinê" used by Herodotus. Palaistinê would then mean "Land of the wrestlers" or "Land of Israel."

History

The given name is attested during the Bronze Age in Eblaite and Ugaritic languages. appears on the Merneptah Stele of Egypt, where it refers to a foreign people, likely the Israelites.
The word Israel has a strong association with Judaism. In the Book of Genesis, after God renames the patriarch Jacob as Israel, his twelve sons become the heads of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The Land of Israel is mentioned throughout the Hebrew Bible as the home of nations such as Israel and Judah. Today, Israel also refers to the State of Israel, which is home to almost half of the world's Jewish population.

Usage

The name is popular among modern Jews, especially those from an Orthodox Jewish background, and, to a lesser extent, Christians. Its Hebrew form is Yisra'el, which is romanized as Israel in English and Spanish and as Yisroel in Yiddish or Ladino. Diminutive forms include Izzy, Israelito, Isser, Srul, Sruli, Srulik and Srulke.

Given name

Surname

Fictional characters

  • Israel Boone, son of title character in TV series Daniel Boone