Eretz Israel
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Der moderne Staat Israel |
Eretz Israel, literally translated: Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל "Land of the God-fighters", from ארץ eretz "land", שרה sarah "to wrestle, fight" or שרר sarar "to rule" and the Semitic name of God אל EL), is a traditional Hebrew name for the land, usually called the Land of Canaan in the Bible, where, according to the biblical account, the Israelites settled and lived for several centuries alongside Canaanites, Philistines and other peoples. The name Israel was originally given to Jacob, the progenitor of the twelve tribes of Israel, after he had wrestled victoriously with his divine adversary at the river Jabbok and was blessed by the latter:
