Terminology for Judaism

• Judaism is the name of this religion, as in, "We call the religion of the people Israel Judaism."
• The adjective for Judaism is "jewish." For example, "The center of Jewish worship was once the Jerusalem Temple."
• There are several terms used to designate the people who follow this religion.
  • The "Children of Israel," the "people Israel," or just plain "Israel" has perhaps longest history, having been first used some three thousand years ago and still remains in use today. It is usually figures in a more formal, religious setting or in reference to the people during the layer of Ancient Israel. "The people Israel left the wilderness and entered the land of Canaan."
  • The English term "Israelite" derives from the "people Israel." It is simply a one-word name for "the people Israel." "Moses led the Israelites in the Wilderness." It also is used primarily with regard to Ancient Israel. Israelite is used only to designate the Jews during the period of Ancient Israel. "Israeli" is not correct; it refers to the citizens of the modern state of Israel
  • Another term from the layer of Ancient Israel is "Hebrew." For example, "the Hebrews believe in one god."
  • The previous two terms are not used to speak of the people Israel in any period after that of Ancient Israel. Instead, the word "Jew" is used, as in, "The Jews read the Torah in their synagogues twice a week." It derives from the Greek terms "Ioudaios," which means "inhabitant of Judea." In a collective sense, "Jews" can be used to refer to the people Israel throughout their history. For instance, "Since the time of Moses, Jews have believed in their covenant with God."
  • Because of the Covenant with God that the Jews signed under Moses, another term developed, the "Chosen People." This term in particular was picked up by the later Christians and used to refer to themselves. (Note the spelling of "chosen.")
• According to the Exodus story, the Jews settled on a thin strip of land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, probably sometime in the thirteenth century bce. The land has a history of being named after the people who live in it.
  • When the Israelites entered the land, it was called the "Land of Canaan" and the people who lived there were called "Canaanites."
  • After the Israelites settled there, it became known as the Land of Israel, which is short for "The Land of the People Israel."
  • In modern times, the strip of land in question is referred to by two names. The "Land of Israel" is typically used to indicate the territory of the nation of Israel which was established by Jews.
  • The "Land of Palestine," or "Palestine" for short, is used by the Palestinian Arabs who view the land as theirs. Not surprisingly, this is a hot political issue. (In this class, we will use the last two terms interchangeably.)
• The "Nation of Israel." At several times over the past three millennia, there has been a political entity--a state--called the Nation of Israel. The first was under King David and King Solomon. The second was founded in the northern part of the country by Solomon's successors and lasted until 721 bce. The third was under the Maccabean dynasty in the second and 1st centuries bce. And the fourth is in the modern period, established in 1948.
• The citizens of the modern nation of Israel are called "Israeli." They are not called "Israelites," which refers only to the Jews in Ancient Israel. Do NOT confuse these two words: "Israeli" applies only in the modern world, and "Israelite" only in the ancient world. For example, "The Israelis built the modern city of Lod."
• **Spelling Caution: Israel is spelled I-S-R-A-E-L. The "A" is always before the "E." It is NOT spelled "Isreal."