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APeople and groupsAbbasidsעבאסיםDynasty of caliphs that overthrew the Umayyads in 750 and ruled from Baghdad. The land was a frontier province, and by the 10th century Egyptian dynasties controlled it, until the Fatimids conquered it in 969.APeople and GroupsAbrahamאברהםFirst of the three patriarchs and the father of the Jewish people. By tradition he lived about 1900 to 1850 BCE, and he is buried with Sarah in the Cave of the Patriarchs at Hebron. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all revere him.AEventsAbraham Accordsהסכמי אברהםNormalization agreements signed in 2020 between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Morocco and Sudan. They were brokered by the United States.
PlacesAbu Ghoshאבו גושArab village west of Jerusalem, known for its Crusader-era church and for its good relations with Jewish neighbors in 1948. It is also known for its music festivals and hummus.APlacesAcreעכוAncient port on the northern coast, also called Akko. It was the main Crusaderstronghold until the Mamluks took it in 1291. Its old city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.APlacesAelia CapitolinaName of the Roman city that Hadrian founded on the ruins of Jerusalem about 130 CE. Jews were barred from entering it after the Bar Kokhba revolt.APeople and GroupsAgam, Yaacovיעקב אגםArtist born in Rishon LeZion in 1928 and a pioneer of kinetic art. His Fire and Water Fountain stands in Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv.APeople and GroupsAgnon, S. Y.ש״י עגנוןHebrew novelist, 1888 to 1970, born in Galicia, who lived in Jerusalem for most of his life. He shared the 1966 Nobel Prize in literature with the German poet Nelly Sachs.APeople and GroupsAhabאחאבKing of Israel from about 874 to 853 BCE, son of Omri and husband of Jezebel. He fought an Assyrian coalition at Battle of Qarqar in 853 BCE.APeople and GroupsAhad Ha'amאחד העםPen name of the essayist Asher Ginsberg, 1856 to 1927, who argued that the land should become a spiritual and cultural center for the Jewish people. His view is called cultural Zionism.AWorksAhavat Zionאהבת ציוןNovel by Abraham Mapu published in 1853, set in Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah. It is considered the first modern Hebrew novel and inspired early Zionists.APlacesAin Jalutאלות ' עין גSpring in the Jezreel Valley where the Mamluks defeated the Mongols in 1260 and stopped their advance toward Egypt.AWorksAleppo Codexכתר ארם צובאManuscript of the Hebrew Bible with vowel signs, written in Tiberias about 920 and long held in Aleppo. Most of it survives and is kept at the Shrine of the Book.APeople and GroupsAlexander Jannaeusאלכסנדר ינאיHasmonean king from 103 to 76 BCE who enlarged the kingdom to near the size of David's. His coins carry Hebrew and Greek inscriptions.APeople and GroupsAlexander the Greatאלכסנדר מוקדוןMacedonian king who conquered the Persian Empire. He took the land in 332 BCE and began the Hellenistic age there, when Greek culture spread through the region.AEventsAliyahעלייהImmigration of Jews to the land of Israel, from the Hebrew word for "ascent." Historians count successive waves from 1882, starting with the First Aliyah.AEventsAliyah, Fifthהעלייה החמישיתWave of Jewish immigration from 1929 to 1939, mostly from Germany and Central Europe, as Nazi persecution grew. It brought about 250,000 people.AEventsAliyah, Firstהעלייה הראשונהWave of Jewish immigration from 1882 to 1903, mostly from Eastern Europe. It founded farming villages such as Rishon LeZion, supported by Edmond de Rothschild.AEventsAliyah, Fourthהעלייה הרביעיתWave of Jewish immigration from 1924 to 1929, about 80,000 people, mostly middle-class families from Poland. Most settled in cities and helped Tel Aviv grow.AEventsAliyah, Secondהעלייה השנייהWave of Jewish immigration from 1904 to 1914, mostly from Russia. It founded the first kibbutz, Degania, and Tel Aviv.AEventsAliyah, Thirdהעלייה השלישיתWave of Jewish immigration from 1919 to 1923, about 35,000 people, mostly young pioneers from Eastern Europe after the First World War. They drained swamps, built roads and founded farming villages in the Jezreel Valley.APeople and GroupsAlkalai, Yehudaיהודה אלקלעיSephardic rabbi, 1798 to 1878, who urged Jews to return to the land as a practical first step toward redemption.APeople and GroupsAlliance Israélite Universelleכל ישראל חבריםParis-based Jewish organization founded in 1860 that ran schools across the Middle East. It founded the Mikveh Israel agricultural school in 1870.APeople and GroupsAlterman, Natanנתן אלתרמןPoet, 1910 to 1970, born in Warsaw, who came to the land in 1925. His poem The Silver Platter, about the cost of statehood, became a classic of the War of Independence years.AWorksAmarna lettersClay tablets of about 1350 BCE from Egypt, letters from Canaanite rulers including the king of Jerusalem asking the pharaoh for help.AVoicesVoicesAmerican Jewish CommitteeThe American Jewish Committee was founded in 1906 and is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations. It publishes policy analysis and hosts the People of the Pod podcast on Israel and Jewish life.APeople and GroupsAmichai, Yehudaיהודה עמיחיPoet, 1924 to 2000, born in Würzburg, who lived in Jerusalem. His first collection, Now and in Other Days, appeared in 1955, and he won the Israel Prize in 1982.APlacesAmmonעמוןKingdom east of the Jordan River with its capital at Rabbath Ammon, today's Amman, the capital of Jordan. The Ammonites fought Israel under Saul and David, and David's general Joab captured their capital. The modern name Amman preserves the ancient one.APeople and GroupsAmosעמוסProphet of the 8th century BCE, a shepherd from Tekoa near Bethlehem, who denounced injustice in the northern kingdom.AVoicesVoicesAnti-Defamation LeagueThe Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to fight antisemitism. It publishes research on hate and extremism, including material on antisemitism connected to debate about Israel.APeople and GroupsAntiochus IIIאנטיוכוס השלישיSeleucid king from 222 to 187 BCE who took Judea from the Ptolemies in 198 BCE and let the Jews live by their ancestral laws.APeople and GroupsAntiochus IVאנטיוכוס הרביעיSeleucid king from 175 to 164 BCE who banned Jewish practice and defiled the Temple. His decrees led to the Maccabean Revolt.ABuildings and SitesApollonia (Arsuf)אפולוניה ארסוףCoastal site north of Herzliya with Crusader fortifications and traces of earlier Persian and Roman towns. The Mamluks destroyed the fortress in 1265.APeople and GroupsArab Leagueהליגה הערביתOrganization of Arab states founded in Cairo in 1945, now with 22 members. The rankings in this book count its members as one bloc.AEventsArab Revoltהמרד הערביArab uprising against British rule and Jewish immigration from 1936 to 1939. It led to the Peel Commission and the White Paper of 1939.APlacesAradערדNegev town founded in 1962 beside the ruins of ancient Arad, a Canaanite city and later a fortress of Judah. The Bible mentions it in Numbers 21.APeople and GroupsArafat, Yasserיאסר ערפאתLeader of the Palestine Liberation Organization from 1969 and first head of the Palestinian Authority. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.APlacesAram-Damascusארם דמשקAramean kingdom centered on Damascus, the main rival of the northern kingdom of Israel from the ninth to the eighth century BCE. Kings such as Hazael pressed Israel hard until Assyria destroyed Damascus in 732 BCE. The Tel Dan inscription, an Aramean victory stele of about 840 BCE, carries the earliest known mention of the House of David outside the Bible.APeople and GroupsArdon, Mordecaiמרדכי ארדוןPainter, 1896 to 1992, born in Galicia, who studied at the Bauhaus under Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. He settled in Jerusalem in 1933 and directed the Bezalel School from 1940 to 1952.APlacesArielאריאלCity in the hills of Samaria founded in 1978, home to Ariel University. It stands on the ridge overlooking the coastal plain.APeople and GroupsAristobulus Iאריסטובולוס הראשוןHasmonean ruler who in about 104 BCE was the first to take the title of king.
PlacesAshdodאשדודPort city south of Tel Aviv, and today Israel's largest port. In the Bible it was a Philistine stronghold that held the captured Ark of the Covenant.
PlacesAshkelonאשקלוןCoastal city that was a major Philistine port and later a Crusader fortress. Its national park holds a Canaanite arched gate about 3,800 years old.APlacesAssyriaאשורEmpire in northern Mesopotamia that dominated the region in the 9th to 7th centuries BCE. It destroyed Samaria in 722 BCE and Lachish in 701 BCE.
PlacesAtlitעתליתCoastal village south of Haifa. The British ran a detention camp there for illegal Jewish immigrants in the 1930s and 1940s. A raid in 1945 freed about 200 detainees.AEventsAttrition, War ofמלחמת ההתשהLow-level war of 1967 to 1970 between Israel and Egypt along the Suez Canal.APeople and GroupsAumann, Robertישראל אומןMathematician born in Frankfurt in 1930 and a professor at the Hebrew University. He shared the 2005 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on game theory and conflict.AWorksAutoemancipationאוטואמנציפציהPamphlet of 1882 by Leo Pinsker that argued Jews must seek independence themselves and not wait for others to grant it.
Buildings and SitesAvdatעבדתNabataean city in the Negev on the Incense Route, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Caravans carried frankincense and spices through it.
PlacesAbu Ghoshאבו גושArab village west of Jerusalem, known for its Crusader-era church and for its good relations with Jewish neighbors in 1948. It is also known for its music festivals and hummus.APlacesAcreעכוAncient port on the northern coast, also called Akko. It was the main Crusaderstronghold until the Mamluks took it in 1291. Its old city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.APlacesAelia CapitolinaName of the Roman city that Hadrian founded on the ruins of Jerusalem about 130 CE. Jews were barred from entering it after the Bar Kokhba revolt.APeople and GroupsAgam, Yaacovיעקב אגםArtist born in Rishon LeZion in 1928 and a pioneer of kinetic art. His Fire and Water Fountain stands in Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv.APeople and GroupsAgnon, S. Y.ש״י עגנוןHebrew novelist, 1888 to 1970, born in Galicia, who lived in Jerusalem for most of his life. He shared the 1966 Nobel Prize in literature with the German poet Nelly Sachs.APeople and GroupsAhabאחאבKing of Israel from about 874 to 853 BCE, son of Omri and husband of Jezebel. He fought an Assyrian coalition at Battle of Qarqar in 853 BCE.APeople and GroupsAhad Ha'amאחד העםPen name of the essayist Asher Ginsberg, 1856 to 1927, who argued that the land should become a spiritual and cultural center for the Jewish people. His view is called cultural Zionism.AWorksAhavat Zionאהבת ציוןNovel by Abraham Mapu published in 1853, set in Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah. It is considered the first modern Hebrew novel and inspired early Zionists.APlacesAin Jalutאלות ' עין גSpring in the Jezreel Valley where the Mamluks defeated the Mongols in 1260 and stopped their advance toward Egypt.AWorksAleppo Codexכתר ארם צובאManuscript of the Hebrew Bible with vowel signs, written in Tiberias about 920 and long held in Aleppo. Most of it survives and is kept at the Shrine of the Book.APeople and GroupsAlexander Jannaeusאלכסנדר ינאיHasmonean king from 103 to 76 BCE who enlarged the kingdom to near the size of David's. His coins carry Hebrew and Greek inscriptions.APeople and GroupsAlexander the Greatאלכסנדר מוקדוןMacedonian king who conquered the Persian Empire. He took the land in 332 BCE and began the Hellenistic age there, when Greek culture spread through the region.AEventsAliyahעלייהImmigration of Jews to the land of Israel, from the Hebrew word for "ascent." Historians count successive waves from 1882, starting with the First Aliyah.AEventsAliyah, Fifthהעלייה החמישיתWave of Jewish immigration from 1929 to 1939, mostly from Germany and Central Europe, as Nazi persecution grew. It brought about 250,000 people.AEventsAliyah, Firstהעלייה הראשונהWave of Jewish immigration from 1882 to 1903, mostly from Eastern Europe. It founded farming villages such as Rishon LeZion, supported by Edmond de Rothschild.AEventsAliyah, Fourthהעלייה הרביעיתWave of Jewish immigration from 1924 to 1929, about 80,000 people, mostly middle-class families from Poland. Most settled in cities and helped Tel Aviv grow.AEventsAliyah, Secondהעלייה השנייהWave of Jewish immigration from 1904 to 1914, mostly from Russia. It founded the first kibbutz, Degania, and Tel Aviv.AEventsAliyah, Thirdהעלייה השלישיתWave of Jewish immigration from 1919 to 1923, about 35,000 people, mostly young pioneers from Eastern Europe after the First World War. They drained swamps, built roads and founded farming villages in the Jezreel Valley.APeople and GroupsAlkalai, Yehudaיהודה אלקלעיSephardic rabbi, 1798 to 1878, who urged Jews to return to the land as a practical first step toward redemption.APeople and GroupsAlliance Israélite Universelleכל ישראל חבריםParis-based Jewish organization founded in 1860 that ran schools across the Middle East. It founded the Mikveh Israel agricultural school in 1870.APeople and GroupsAlterman, Natanנתן אלתרמןPoet, 1910 to 1970, born in Warsaw, who came to the land in 1925. His poem The Silver Platter, about the cost of statehood, became a classic of the War of Independence years.AWorksAmarna lettersClay tablets of about 1350 BCE from Egypt, letters from Canaanite rulers including the king of Jerusalem asking the pharaoh for help.AVoicesVoicesAmerican Jewish CommitteeThe American Jewish Committee was founded in 1906 and is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations. It publishes policy analysis and hosts the People of the Pod podcast on Israel and Jewish life.APeople and GroupsAmichai, Yehudaיהודה עמיחיPoet, 1924 to 2000, born in Würzburg, who lived in Jerusalem. His first collection, Now and in Other Days, appeared in 1955, and he won the Israel Prize in 1982.APlacesAmmonעמוןKingdom east of the Jordan River with its capital at Rabbath Ammon, today's Amman, the capital of Jordan. The Ammonites fought Israel under Saul and David, and David's general Joab captured their capital. The modern name Amman preserves the ancient one.APeople and GroupsAmosעמוסProphet of the 8th century BCE, a shepherd from Tekoa near Bethlehem, who denounced injustice in the northern kingdom.AVoicesVoicesAnti-Defamation LeagueThe Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to fight antisemitism. It publishes research on hate and extremism, including material on antisemitism connected to debate about Israel.APeople and GroupsAntiochus IIIאנטיוכוס השלישיSeleucid king from 222 to 187 BCE who took Judea from the Ptolemies in 198 BCE and let the Jews live by their ancestral laws.APeople and GroupsAntiochus IVאנטיוכוס הרביעיSeleucid king from 175 to 164 BCE who banned Jewish practice and defiled the Temple. His decrees led to the Maccabean Revolt.ABuildings and SitesApollonia (Arsuf)אפולוניה ארסוףCoastal site north of Herzliya with Crusader fortifications and traces of earlier Persian and Roman towns. The Mamluks destroyed the fortress in 1265.APeople and GroupsArab Leagueהליגה הערביתOrganization of Arab states founded in Cairo in 1945, now with 22 members. The rankings in this book count its members as one bloc.AEventsArab Revoltהמרד הערביArab uprising against British rule and Jewish immigration from 1936 to 1939. It led to the Peel Commission and the White Paper of 1939.APlacesAradערדNegev town founded in 1962 beside the ruins of ancient Arad, a Canaanite city and later a fortress of Judah. The Bible mentions it in Numbers 21.APeople and GroupsArafat, Yasserיאסר ערפאתLeader of the Palestine Liberation Organization from 1969 and first head of the Palestinian Authority. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.APlacesAram-Damascusארם דמשקAramean kingdom centered on Damascus, the main rival of the northern kingdom of Israel from the ninth to the eighth century BCE. Kings such as Hazael pressed Israel hard until Assyria destroyed Damascus in 732 BCE. The Tel Dan inscription, an Aramean victory stele of about 840 BCE, carries the earliest known mention of the House of David outside the Bible.APeople and GroupsArdon, Mordecaiמרדכי ארדוןPainter, 1896 to 1992, born in Galicia, who studied at the Bauhaus under Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. He settled in Jerusalem in 1933 and directed the Bezalel School from 1940 to 1952.APlacesArielאריאלCity in the hills of Samaria founded in 1978, home to Ariel University. It stands on the ridge overlooking the coastal plain.APeople and GroupsAristobulus Iאריסטובולוס הראשוןHasmonean ruler who in about 104 BCE was the first to take the title of king.PlacesAshdodאשדודPort city south of Tel Aviv, and today Israel's largest port. In the Bible it was a Philistine stronghold that held the captured Ark of the Covenant.PlacesAshkelonאשקלוןCoastal city that was a major Philistine port and later a Crusader fortress. Its national park holds a Canaanite arched gate about 3,800 years old.APlacesAssyriaאשורEmpire in northern Mesopotamia that dominated the region in the 9th to 7th centuries BCE. It destroyed Samaria in 722 BCE and Lachish in 701 BCE.PlacesAtlitעתליתCoastal village south of Haifa. The British ran a detention camp there for illegal Jewish immigrants in the 1930s and 1940s. A raid in 1945 freed about 200 detainees.AEventsAttrition, War ofמלחמת ההתשהLow-level war of 1967 to 1970 between Israel and Egypt along the Suez Canal.APeople and GroupsAumann, Robertישראל אומןMathematician born in Frankfurt in 1930 and a professor at the Hebrew University. He shared the 2005 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on game theory and conflict.AWorksAutoemancipationאוטואמנציפציהPamphlet of 1882 by Leo Pinsker that argued Jews must seek independence themselves and not wait for others to grant it.Buildings and SitesAvdatעבדתNabataean city in the Negev on the Incense Route, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Caravans carried frankincense and spices through it.B
BPlacesBabylonבבלAncient city on the Euphrates in today's Iraq. King Nebuchadnezzar took it to the height of its power and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BCE, deporting its elite.BEventsBabylon, Return fromשיבת ציוןReturn of Jewish exiles to Judea after Cyrus the Greatconquered Babylon in 539 BCE. It led to the rebuilding of the Second Temple.BEventsBalfour Declarationהצהרת בלפורLetter of 2 November 1917 in which the British government expressed support for a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine.
Buildings and SitesBaniasבניאסSprings at the foot of Mount Hermon that feed the Jordan. Greeks and Romans honored the god Pan there, and Caesarea Philippi was built nearby.BEventsBar Kokhba revoltמרד בר כוכבאJewish revolt against Rome from 132 to 135 CE. After its defeat Hadrian barred Jews from Jerusalem and renamed the province Syria Palaestina.BPeople and GroupsBarenboim, Danielדניאל ברנבויםPianist and conductor born in Buenos Aires in 1942 and raised in Israel. In 1999 he and the scholar Edward Said founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which brings young Arab and Israeli musicians together.BVoicesVoicesBari WeissBari Weiss is Editor-in-Chief of CBS News and the co-founder of The Free Press, the independent media company she built after leaving The New York Times. Her essays, reporting and podcasts frequently take up Israel, antisemitism and free speech.BPeople and GroupsBarzilai, Nettaנטע ברזיליIsraeli singer who won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Toy."BPlacesBaselבאזלSwiss city where Theodor Herzl held the First Zionist Congress in 1897.BConceptsBauhausבאוהאוסGerman school of architecture and design, 1919 to 1933. Architects who left Germany brought its style to Tel Aviv.BBuildings and SitesBeatitudes, Mount ofהר האושרHill above the Sea of Galilee where Christian tradition places the Sermon on the Mount.
PlacesBe'er Shevaבאר שבעLargest city of the Negev, where Abrahammade a covenant with Abimelech, according to Genesis 21. A British cavalry charge took it from the Ottomans in 1917.BPeople and GroupsBegin, Menachemמנחם בגיןIsraeli prime minister from 1977 to 1983 and former head of the Irgun. He signed the Camp David Accords with Egypt.
PlacesBeit Elבית אלBiblical site where Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching heaven. It was a cult center in the time of the northern kingdom. A modern Israeli community stands nearby.
PlacesBeit She'anבית שאןCity at the junction of the Jordan and Jezreel valleys. Its Roman and Byzantine ruins, called Scythopolis, include a theater and bathhouses. It was a city of the Decapolis.BPeople and GroupsBen-Gurion, Davidגוריון-דוד בןLeader of the Jewish community before independence, who declared the state on 14 May 1948 and was Israel's first prime minister. He retired to Sde Boker in the Negev.BVoicesVoicesBen ShapiroBen Shapiro is an American commentator and co-founder of The Daily Wire. His daily show and writing return often to Israel, the Middle East and antisemitism.BPeople and GroupsBen Siraבן סיראJerusalem sage who wrote the Wisdom of Ben Sira, also called Sirach, about 180 BCE. The book was written in Hebrew and is part of the Septuagint.BPeople and GroupsBen-Yehuda, Eliezerיהודה-אליעזר בןLexicographer, 1858 to 1922, who settled in Jerusalem in 1881 and led the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language.BPeople and GroupsBennett, Naftaliנפתלי בנטIsraeli prime minister from 2021 to 2022, heading a coalition of eight parties.BPlacesBeth Shearimבית שעריםTown in the lower Galilee with a great Jewish burial ground. Rabbi Judah the Prince was buried there about 220 CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
PlacesBethlehemבית לחםBethlehem is the town south of Jerusalem where David was born and where Christian tradition places the birth of Jesus. Herodium, Herod's palace fortress, lies nearby.BWorksBezalel SchoolבצלאלArt school founded in Jerusalem in 1906, the first Jewish art academy in the land. It is now the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.BPeople and GroupsBialik, Hayim Nahmanחיים נחמן ביאליקHebrew national poet, 1873 to 1934, who settled in Tel Aviv in 1924. His house is now a museum.BEventsBiltmore ConferenceZionist conference in New York in 1942 that demanded a Jewish commonwealth in the land and an end to the White Paper of 1939.BVoicesVoicesBret StephensBret Stephens is an American columnist at The New York Times who writes on Israel, Judaism and world affairs.
EventsBritish Mandateהמנדט הבריטיBritish rule over the land, assigned by the League of Nations and lasting from the 1920s until May 1948.BEventsBronze Age collapseWave of destruction about 1200 BCE that ended Egyptian rule in Canaan and toppled many cities of the eastern Mediterranean. The Sea Peoples were part of it.
Buildings and SitesBurma Roadדרך בורמהMakeshift supply road built in the spring of 1948 to bypass the Latrun roadblock and break the siege of Jerusalem.BEventsBus 18 bombings18 פיגועי קוTwo suicide bombings of the No. 18 bus in Jerusalem on 25 February and 3 March 1996 that killed 45 people. Hamas was behind them, and they shook public support for the Oslo Accords before the 1996 election.BPeople and GroupsByzantinesהביזנטיםThe eastern Roman Empire, which ruled the land from the 4th century. It lost it briefly to Persia in 614 and finally to the Arabs in 638.
Buildings and SitesBaniasבניאסSprings at the foot of Mount Hermon that feed the Jordan. Greeks and Romans honored the god Pan there, and Caesarea Philippi was built nearby.BEventsBar Kokhba revoltמרד בר כוכבאJewish revolt against Rome from 132 to 135 CE. After its defeat Hadrian barred Jews from Jerusalem and renamed the province Syria Palaestina.BPeople and GroupsBarenboim, Danielדניאל ברנבויםPianist and conductor born in Buenos Aires in 1942 and raised in Israel. In 1999 he and the scholar Edward Said founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which brings young Arab and Israeli musicians together.BVoicesVoicesBari WeissBari Weiss is Editor-in-Chief of CBS News and the co-founder of The Free Press, the independent media company she built after leaving The New York Times. Her essays, reporting and podcasts frequently take up Israel, antisemitism and free speech.BPeople and GroupsBarzilai, Nettaנטע ברזיליIsraeli singer who won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Toy."BPlacesBaselבאזלSwiss city where Theodor Herzl held the First Zionist Congress in 1897.BConceptsBauhausבאוהאוסGerman school of architecture and design, 1919 to 1933. Architects who left Germany brought its style to Tel Aviv.BBuildings and SitesBeatitudes, Mount ofהר האושרHill above the Sea of Galilee where Christian tradition places the Sermon on the Mount.PlacesBe'er Shevaבאר שבעLargest city of the Negev, where Abrahammade a covenant with Abimelech, according to Genesis 21. A British cavalry charge took it from the Ottomans in 1917.BPeople and GroupsBegin, Menachemמנחם בגיןIsraeli prime minister from 1977 to 1983 and former head of the Irgun. He signed the Camp David Accords with Egypt.PlacesBeit Elבית אלBiblical site where Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching heaven. It was a cult center in the time of the northern kingdom. A modern Israeli community stands nearby.PlacesBeit She'anבית שאןCity at the junction of the Jordan and Jezreel valleys. Its Roman and Byzantine ruins, called Scythopolis, include a theater and bathhouses. It was a city of the Decapolis.BPeople and GroupsBen-Gurion, Davidגוריון-דוד בןLeader of the Jewish community before independence, who declared the state on 14 May 1948 and was Israel's first prime minister. He retired to Sde Boker in the Negev.BVoicesVoicesBen ShapiroBen Shapiro is an American commentator and co-founder of The Daily Wire. His daily show and writing return often to Israel, the Middle East and antisemitism.BPeople and GroupsBen Siraבן סיראJerusalem sage who wrote the Wisdom of Ben Sira, also called Sirach, about 180 BCE. The book was written in Hebrew and is part of the Septuagint.BPeople and GroupsBen-Yehuda, Eliezerיהודה-אליעזר בןLexicographer, 1858 to 1922, who settled in Jerusalem in 1881 and led the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language.BPeople and GroupsBennett, Naftaliנפתלי בנטIsraeli prime minister from 2021 to 2022, heading a coalition of eight parties.BPlacesBeth Shearimבית שעריםTown in the lower Galilee with a great Jewish burial ground. Rabbi Judah the Prince was buried there about 220 CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.PlacesBethlehemבית לחםBethlehem is the town south of Jerusalem where David was born and where Christian tradition places the birth of Jesus. Herodium, Herod's palace fortress, lies nearby.BWorksBezalel SchoolבצלאלArt school founded in Jerusalem in 1906, the first Jewish art academy in the land. It is now the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.BPeople and GroupsBialik, Hayim Nahmanחיים נחמן ביאליקHebrew national poet, 1873 to 1934, who settled in Tel Aviv in 1924. His house is now a museum.BEventsBiltmore ConferenceZionist conference in New York in 1942 that demanded a Jewish commonwealth in the land and an end to the White Paper of 1939.BVoicesVoicesBret StephensBret Stephens is an American columnist at The New York Times who writes on Israel, Judaism and world affairs.EventsBritish Mandateהמנדט הבריטיBritish rule over the land, assigned by the League of Nations and lasting from the 1920s until May 1948.BEventsBronze Age collapseWave of destruction about 1200 BCE that ended Egyptian rule in Canaan and toppled many cities of the eastern Mediterranean. The Sea Peoples were part of it.Buildings and SitesBurma Roadדרך בורמהMakeshift supply road built in the spring of 1948 to bypass the Latrun roadblock and break the siege of Jerusalem.BEventsBus 18 bombings18 פיגועי קוTwo suicide bombings of the No. 18 bus in Jerusalem on 25 February and 3 March 1996 that killed 45 people. Hamas was behind them, and they shook public support for the Oslo Accords before the 1996 election.BPeople and GroupsByzantinesהביזנטיםThe eastern Roman Empire, which ruled the land from the 4th century. It lost it briefly to Persia in 614 and finally to the Arabs in 638.C
PlacesCaesareaקיסריהPort city built by Herod between about 22 and 10 BCE and later the Roman capital of Judea. Its harbor, theater and aqueduct survive.CVoicesVoicesCAMERACAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, was founded in 1982 in Boston. It monitors news coverage and publishes fact checks, articles and short videos.CEventsCamp David Accordsהסכמי קמפ דייווידFramework agreements signed in 1978 by Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat that led to the 1979 peace treaty and Israel's return of the Sinai.
PlacesCanaכפר קנאVillage in the lower Galilee where, according to the New Testament, Jesusturned water into wine at a wedding.CPlacesCanaan (land)כנעןBiblical name of the land west of the Jordan before the Israelite settlement, home of the Canaanites.CPeople and GroupsCanaanitesהכנעניםPeoples of the land before the Israelites, organized in city- states such as Hazor and Megiddo, and known for the early alphabet.
PlacesCapernaumכפר נחוםFishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught. The ruins include a synagogue of the 4th or 5th century.
Buildings and SitesCarmel Marketשוק הכרמלTel Aviv's main open-air market, called the Shuk HaCarmel, in use since the 1920s.CPlacesCarmel, Mountהר הכרמלCoastal ridge above Haifa. The Bible places the contest of Elijah with the prophets of Baal there.CVoicesVoicesCaroline GlickCaroline Glick is an Israeli-American columnist and commentator on Israeli strategy and relations between the United States and Israel.CEventsCast Lead, Operationמבצע עופרת יצוקהIsraeli campaign in Gaza from December 2008 to January 2009 after years of rocket fire.
Buildings and SitesCastel National ParkהקסטלHilltop west of Jerusalem where Israeli forces fought in April 1948 to open the road to the city.CPeople and GroupsChagall, Marcמארק שאגאלPainter, 1887 to 1985, born in Belarus and based in France. His stained glass windows for the synagogue of the Hadassah medical center in Jerusalem were dedicated in 1962.CVoicesVoicesChristians United for IsraelChristians United for Israel was founded in 2006 and is the largest Christian pro-Israel organization in the United States. It publishes news, advocacy updates and teaching videos.CPeople and GroupsCiechanover, Aaronאהרן צ׳חנוברBiochemist born in Haifa in 1947. With Avram Hershko, he won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering how cells mark proteins for destruction. He works at the Technion.
Buildings and SitesCity of Davidעיר דודOldest part of Jerusalem, on the ridge south of the Temple Mount above the Gihon Spring. Hezekiah's tunnel runs under it.CPlacesCoastal Plainמישור החוףFertile strip along the Mediterranean from Gaza to Mount Carmel. It holds most of Israel's population and its biggest cities.CEventsCoastal Road massacreטבח כביש החוףAttack of 11 March 1978 in which Fatah gunmen landed from the sea, hijacked a bus on the coastal highway and killed 38 civilians, 13 of them children. Israel invaded southern Lebanon three days later.CPeople and GroupsConstantineקונסטנטינוסRoman emperor from 306 to 337 who legalized Christianity in 313. His mother and he began the Church of the Holy Sepulchrein Jerusalem about 335.CPeople and GroupsCrusadersהצלבניםEuropean Christian armies who took Jerusalem in 1099 and held parts of the land until the Mamluks took Acre in 1291.CEventsCrusadesמסעי הצלבSeries of European Christian military campaigns to take Jerusalem, beginning in 1095. The Crusaders ruled parts of the land from 1099 until 1291.CPeople and GroupsCyrus the Greatכורש הגדולFounder of the Persian Empire. He conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return home. The Cyrus Cylinder records his policy.D
DEventsDamascus Affairעלילת דמשקBlood libel of 1840 in Damascus in which Jews were falsely accused of murder. It drew Moses Montefiore and other European Jews into a campaign for their defense.DVoicesVoicesDan SchueftanDan Schueftan is an Israeli scholar of security and Arab politics. He is a frequent guest on podcasts that discuss Israel's strategic position.DVoicesVoicesDan SenorDan Senor is a policy adviser and author of Start-Up Nation. He hosts the Call Me Back podcast, a daily conversation about Israel and the news.DPeople and GroupsDana Internationalדנה אינטרנשיונלIsraeli singer born in 1972 who won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Diva. She was the first openly transgender winner of the contest.DVoicesVoicesDaniel HagariDaniel Hagari is a former chief spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces. His briefings and interviews during the war were widely carried by international media.DPeople and GroupsDavidדוד המלךSecond king of Israel, about 1000 BCE. According to the Bible he killed Goliath, made Jerusalem his capital and founded a dynasty. Tradition credits him with the Psalms.DBuildings and SitesDavid, Tower ofמגדל דודCitadel by the Jaffa Gate with remains from the Hasmonean to the Ottoman periods. It is now the museum of the history of Jerusalem. The name comes from a mistaken tradition linking it to David.DPeople and GroupsDayan, Mosheמשה דייןIsraeli general and politician, 1915 to 1981, who lost an eye fighting in Lebanon in 1941. He was chief of staff during the Suez Crisis, defense minister in the Six-Day War and foreign minister under Menachem Begin.
PlacesDead Seaים המלחSalt lake between Israel and Jordan, about 430 meters below sea level, the lowest land on earth. Its level is falling by about a meter a year.DWorksDead Sea Scrollsמגילות ים המלחAbout 900 manuscripts found in caves near Qumran, written from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. They include the oldest known copies of books of the Hebrew Bible.DPeople and GroupsDeborahדבורהProphet and judge of Israel who led the tribes to victory over the Canaanites, as told in the Book of Judges and in the Song of Deborah.DWorksDeborah, Song ofשירת דבורהVictory poem in Judges 5 celebrating Deborah and the defeat of a Canaanite army. Its date is debated, and it may be among the oldest texts of the Bible.DPlacesDecapolisדקאפוליסLeague of ten Greek-speaking cities of the Roman era, mostly east of the Jordan River in present-day Jordan and Syria. Beit She'an, then called Scythopolis, was the only one west of the river. The cities shared Greek culture and had a measure of self-rule under Rome.DEventsDefensive Shield, Operationמבצע חומת מגןIsraeli operation in Judea and Samaria in spring 2002, launched during the Second Intifada after a wave of suicide bombings.DPlacesDeganiaדגניהFirst kibbutz, founded in 1909 on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee by immigrants of the Second Aliyah.DConceptsDiasporaתפוצותJewish communities living outside the land of Israel. It began with the exile to Babylon in 586 BCE and grew after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. For some two thousand years Jews lived in Babylonia, Egypt, Europe, North Africa and the Americas, while a Jewish presence continued in the land. Today roughly as many Jews live outside Israel as in it.DEventsDolphinarium bombingפיגוע הדולפינריוםSuicide bombing of 1 June 2001 outside a beachfront discotheque in Tel Aviv that killed 21 people, most of them teenagers and many from families that had come from the former Soviet Union. It came during the Second Intifada.DBuildings and SitesDome of the Rockכיפת הסלעShrine with a golden dome on the Temple Mount, completed in 691 CE by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik. It is the oldest surviving major work of Islamic architecture.DVoicesVoicesDoron SpielmanDoron Spielman is a former spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces who speaks on public diplomacy and Israeli history.DVoicesVoicesDouglas MurrayDouglas Murray is a British author and commentator. His books and interviews on the war in Gaza and on Western attitudes toward Israel have reached a wide audience.DEventsDreyfus Affairפרשת דרייפוסFrench scandal of the 1890s in which a Jewish army officer was falsely convicted of treason. Theodor Herzl covered the case and it shaped his thinking.
PlacesDead Seaים המלחSalt lake between Israel and Jordan, about 430 meters below sea level, the lowest land on earth. Its level is falling by about a meter a year.DWorksDead Sea Scrollsמגילות ים המלחAbout 900 manuscripts found in caves near Qumran, written from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. They include the oldest known copies of books of the Hebrew Bible.DPeople and GroupsDeborahדבורהProphet and judge of Israel who led the tribes to victory over the Canaanites, as told in the Book of Judges and in the Song of Deborah.DWorksDeborah, Song ofשירת דבורהVictory poem in Judges 5 celebrating Deborah and the defeat of a Canaanite army. Its date is debated, and it may be among the oldest texts of the Bible.DPlacesDecapolisדקאפוליסLeague of ten Greek-speaking cities of the Roman era, mostly east of the Jordan River in present-day Jordan and Syria. Beit She'an, then called Scythopolis, was the only one west of the river. The cities shared Greek culture and had a measure of self-rule under Rome.DEventsDefensive Shield, Operationמבצע חומת מגןIsraeli operation in Judea and Samaria in spring 2002, launched during the Second Intifada after a wave of suicide bombings.DPlacesDeganiaדגניהFirst kibbutz, founded in 1909 on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee by immigrants of the Second Aliyah.DConceptsDiasporaתפוצותJewish communities living outside the land of Israel. It began with the exile to Babylon in 586 BCE and grew after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. For some two thousand years Jews lived in Babylonia, Egypt, Europe, North Africa and the Americas, while a Jewish presence continued in the land. Today roughly as many Jews live outside Israel as in it.DEventsDolphinarium bombingפיגוע הדולפינריוםSuicide bombing of 1 June 2001 outside a beachfront discotheque in Tel Aviv that killed 21 people, most of them teenagers and many from families that had come from the former Soviet Union. It came during the Second Intifada.DBuildings and SitesDome of the Rockכיפת הסלעShrine with a golden dome on the Temple Mount, completed in 691 CE by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik. It is the oldest surviving major work of Islamic architecture.DVoicesVoicesDoron SpielmanDoron Spielman is a former spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces who speaks on public diplomacy and Israeli history.DVoicesVoicesDouglas MurrayDouglas Murray is a British author and commentator. His books and interviews on the war in Gaza and on Western attitudes toward Israel have reached a wide audience.DEventsDreyfus Affairפרשת דרייפוסFrench scandal of the 1890s in which a Jewish army officer was falsely convicted of treason. Theodor Herzl covered the case and it shaped his thinking.E
EPlacesEbal, Mountהר עיבלMountain north of Shechem, paired with Mount Gerizim. According to Deuteronomy, the curses were pronounced from Ebal.EPlacesEdomאדוםKingdom in the highlands south of the Dead Sea, in present-day southern Jordan and the Negev, linked in the Bible with Esau. Its copper mines at Timna and Faynan fed regional trade. Edom fought Judah repeatedly and fell to Babylon. Its people, later called Idumeans, were brought into the Jewish people under John Hyrcanus in the second century BCE, and Herod the Great came from an Idumean family.EVoicesVoicesEffie DefrinEffie Defrin is the IDF spokesperson from 2025. His official briefings set out the army's account of operations. Roles in the army change, so check the current title.EPlacesEgyptמצריםNeighbor to the southwest. It ruled Canaan in the Bronze Age, fought Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, and signed the first Arab peace treaty with Israel in 1979.EPeople and GroupsEichmann, Adolfאדולף אייכמןNazi official who organized the deportation of Jews to the death camps. Israel captured him in Argentina in 1960, tried him in Jerusalem and hanged him in 1962.
PlacesEilatאילתIsrael's southernmost city, at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea. It is known for coral reefs and desert resorts.
PlacesEin Gediעין גדיOasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea with springs and waterfalls. According to 1 Samuel, David hid there from Saul.
PlacesEin Keremעין כרםVillage in the hills southwest of Jerusalem, traditionally the birthplace of John the Baptist. It is now a neighborhood of the city.EPlacesEin Zivanעין זיווןKibbutz in the southern Golan Heightsfounded after 1967 and known for its vineyards.EVoicesVoicesEinat WilfEinat Wilf is an Israeli author and former member of the Knesset. She writes and speaks on Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, hosts the podcast We Should All Be Zionists, and is co-author of The War of Return.EPeople and GroupsEinstein, Arikאריק איינשטייןIsraeli singer, 1939 to 2013, whose songs from the 1960s onward made him a leading voice of Israeli pop and rock. Crowds filled Rabin (Kings of Israel) Square to mourn him.EPeople and GroupsEliעליHigh priest at Shiloh and mentor of the prophet Samuel, according to 1 Samuel.EPeople and GroupsElijahאליהוProphet of the 9th century BCE who opposed Ahab and Jezebel. He is remembered for the contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.EPeople and GroupsElishaאלישעProphet of the 9th century BCE and successor of Elijah, who served in the northern kingdom.EVoicesVoicesElliot KaufmanElliot Kaufman is an American journalist who writes on Israeli affairs and US politics for The Wall Street Journal.EVoicesVoicesEmily SchraderEmily Schrader is an Israeli-American media commentator and creator of videos and interviews on Israel, the region and Israeli society.EPlacesEntebbeTown in Uganda whose airport was the scene of the Entebbe raidin 1976.EEventsEntebbe raidמבצע אנטבהIsraeli commando operation of 4 July 1976 that freed hostages held by hijackers at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The unit's commander, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed.EPeople and GroupsEshkol, Leviלוי אשכולIsraeli prime minister from 1963 until his death in 1969. He succeeded David Ben-Gurion and formed a national unity government days before the Six-Day War.EPeople and groupsEssenesאסייםJewish sect of the Second Temple period that, according to Josephus and other ancient writers, lived in strict communities, shared property and stressed ritual purity. Many scholars link them to the settlement at Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, though others dispute the connection. They vanish from the record after the revolt against Rome.EEventsEurovision Song ContestהאירוויזיוןAnnual European song contest. Netta Barzilai won it for Israel in 2018, and Israel has won four times.EVoicesVoicesEylon LevyEylon Levy is a British-Israeli journalist and broadcaster who served as an international spokesman for the Israeli government. He now speaks and writes on his own channels.EPeople and GroupsEzraעזראScribe who, according to tradition, led a group of exiles back from Babylon about 458 BCE and taught the Torah in Jerusalem.
PlacesEilatאילתIsrael's southernmost city, at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea. It is known for coral reefs and desert resorts.PlacesEin Gediעין גדיOasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea with springs and waterfalls. According to 1 Samuel, David hid there from Saul.PlacesEin Keremעין כרםVillage in the hills southwest of Jerusalem, traditionally the birthplace of John the Baptist. It is now a neighborhood of the city.EPlacesEin Zivanעין זיווןKibbutz in the southern Golan Heightsfounded after 1967 and known for its vineyards.EVoicesVoicesEinat WilfEinat Wilf is an Israeli author and former member of the Knesset. She writes and speaks on Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, hosts the podcast We Should All Be Zionists, and is co-author of The War of Return.EPeople and GroupsEinstein, Arikאריק איינשטייןIsraeli singer, 1939 to 2013, whose songs from the 1960s onward made him a leading voice of Israeli pop and rock. Crowds filled Rabin (Kings of Israel) Square to mourn him.EPeople and GroupsEliעליHigh priest at Shiloh and mentor of the prophet Samuel, according to 1 Samuel.EPeople and GroupsElijahאליהוProphet of the 9th century BCE who opposed Ahab and Jezebel. He is remembered for the contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.EPeople and GroupsElishaאלישעProphet of the 9th century BCE and successor of Elijah, who served in the northern kingdom.EVoicesVoicesElliot KaufmanElliot Kaufman is an American journalist who writes on Israeli affairs and US politics for The Wall Street Journal.EVoicesVoicesEmily SchraderEmily Schrader is an Israeli-American media commentator and creator of videos and interviews on Israel, the region and Israeli society.EPlacesEntebbeTown in Uganda whose airport was the scene of the Entebbe raidin 1976.EEventsEntebbe raidמבצע אנטבהIsraeli commando operation of 4 July 1976 that freed hostages held by hijackers at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The unit's commander, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed.EPeople and GroupsEshkol, Leviלוי אשכולIsraeli prime minister from 1963 until his death in 1969. He succeeded David Ben-Gurion and formed a national unity government days before the Six-Day War.EPeople and groupsEssenesאסייםJewish sect of the Second Temple period that, according to Josephus and other ancient writers, lived in strict communities, shared property and stressed ritual purity. Many scholars link them to the settlement at Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, though others dispute the connection. They vanish from the record after the revolt against Rome.EEventsEurovision Song ContestהאירוויזיוןAnnual European song contest. Netta Barzilai won it for Israel in 2018, and Israel has won four times.EVoicesVoicesEylon LevyEylon Levy is a British-Israeli journalist and broadcaster who served as an international spokesman for the Israeli government. He now speaks and writes on his own channels.EPeople and GroupsEzraעזראScribe who, according to tradition, led a group of exiles back from Babylon about 458 BCE and taught the Torah in Jerusalem.F
FPeople and GroupsFatimidsהפאטמיםDynasty of Egyptian caliphs who conquered the land in 969. Seljuk and Crusader advances ended their hold.FVoicesVoicesFoundation for Defense of DemocraciesThe Foundation for Defense of Democracies is a Washington research institute focused on national security and foreign policy. Its analysts write often on Iran, terrorism financing and the security of Israel.
G
PlacesGalileeהגלילRegion of northern Israel with hills, valleys and the Sea of Galilee. After 135 CE it became the center of Jewish life, where the Mishnah and Jerusalem Talmudwere written.GPlacesGalilee, Sea ofהכנרתFreshwater lake about 21 kilometers long, about 210 meters below sea level, and Israel's main reservoir. Many events of the life of Jesus took place on its shores.
Buildings and SitesGamlaגמלאFortress town in the Golan Heights that fell to the Romans after a siege in 67 CE. Its ruins and a vulture reserve are now a nature park.GPlacesGazaעזהAncient coastal city and Philistine center on the Mediterranean, today the Gaza Strip.GEventsGaza, Battle ofBattle of 1917 in which British forces took Gaza from the Ottomans and opened the way to Jerusalem.
OtherGaza Border KibbutzimיישוביFarming communities within a few kilometers of the Gaza Strip, among them Be'eri, Kfar Aza and Nir Oz. Hamasattacked them on 7 October 2023.GEventsGaza, Disengagement fromההתנתקותIsrael's withdrawal in 2005 from Gaza and from four settlements in northern Samaria. About 8,000 settlers were removed.GPlacesGerizim, Mountהר גריזיםMountain above Shechem, holy to the Samaritans and the place of the blessings in Deuteronomy.GOtherGethsemane, Garden ofגתOlive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives where, according to the New Testament, Jesus prayed the night before his arrest.GPlacesGezerגזרAncient city on the road between Jerusalem and the coast. According to 1 Kings 9 Solomon fortified it, and archaeologists have found a Solomonic-era gate.
PlacesGolan Heightsרמת הגולןBasalt plateau between the Galilee and Syria. Israel took it in the Six-Day War and applied its law there in 1981.GPeople and GroupsGoldberg, Leahלאה גולדברגPoet and children's author, 1911 to 1970, born in Königsberg, who settled in Tel Aviv in 1935. She later taught literature at the Hebrew University.GPeople and GroupsGoliathגליתPhilistine warrior from Gath whom the young David killed with a sling, as told in 1 Samuel 17.GPeople and GroupsGrossman, Davidדויד גרוסמןNovelist born in Jerusalem in 1954. His books include To the End of the Land, and he won the 2017 Man Booker International Prize for A Horse Walks into a Bar.GPeople and GroupsGutman, Nahumנחום גוטמןPainter, sculptor and author, 1898 to 1980, who came to the land with his family in 1905 and grew up in the new city of Tel Aviv. He illustrated children's books and made mosaics and murals that decorate Tel Aviv.H
HWorksHabima Theatreתיאטרון הבימהHebrew-language theater founded in Moscow in 1917 and settled in Tel Aviv in 1931. It is Israel's national theater.HPeople and GroupsHadrianהדריאנוסRoman emperor from 117 to 138 CE. After the Bar Kokhba revolthe refounded Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina and forbade Jews to enter it.HPeople and GroupsHaganahההגנהUnderground Jewish defense force of the British Mandate, founded in the early 1920s. It formed the core of the Israel Defense Forces in 1948.HPeople and GroupsHaggaiחגיProphet of about 520 BCE who urged the returned exiles to rebuild the Second Temple.
PlacesHaifaחיפהIsrael's third largest city, on the slopes of Mount Carmel. It has a major port, the Technion and the Bahai Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site.HPeople and GroupsHamasחמאסPalestinian Islamist movement founded in 1987 that has ruled Gaza since 2007. Israel, the United States and the European Union list it as a terrorist organization. It led the October 7, 2023 attack.HEventsHanukkahחנוכהEight-day festival of lights that marks the rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE after the Maccabean Revolt.HConceptsHasidismחסידותPietist movement that began in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. Hasidic Jews settled in Tiberias and Safed in 1777.
People and GroupsHasmoneansהחשמונאיםDynasty descended from the Maccabees. They ruled Judea as high priests and later kings from about 140 BCE until Herodtook the throne in 37 BCE.HWorksHatikvahהתקווהIsrael's national anthem. Its words come from the poem Tikvatenu by Naftali Herz Imber of 1878, and its melody is a folk tune.HVoicesVoicesHaviv Rettig GurHaviv Rettig Gur is an Israeli journalist and senior analyst at The Times of Israel. He is known for long explanatory talks and interviews on Israeli politics, history and the war.HPeople and GroupsHaza, Ofraעפרה חזהIsraeli singer, 1957 to 2000, born to a Yemenite Jewish family in Tel Aviv. She placed second at the 1983 Eurovision Song Contestand reached audiences around the world in the 1980s.HPlacesHazorחצורCanaanite city in the Upper Galilee. It was the largest fortified city in its region, at its peak from about 1750 BCE. The Bible says Solomon fortified it, and archaeologists have found Solomonic-era gates there.HWorksHebrew Bibleך " תנThe Jewish scriptures in three parts, the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. Christians call it the Old Testament.HBuildings and SitesHebrew Universityהאוניברסיטה העבריתIsrael's first university, begun on Mount Scopus in 1918 and opened in 1925. Chaim Weizmann and Albert Einstein helped found it.
PlacesHebronחברוןCity in the Judean hills with the Cave of the Patriarchs, the traditional burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the first capital of David's reign.HConceptsHellenizationהתייוונותSpread of Greek language and culture after Alexander the Great. In Judea it divided Jews and led to the Maccabean Revolt.HVoicesVoicesHen MazzigHen Mazzig is an Israeli writer and speaker, a former IDF officer and the author of a memoir about growing up in Israel. He speaks on Israel, Jewish identity and the Middle East.HPlacesHermon, MountהחרמוןHighest mountain in the region, 2,814 meters, on the border of Syria and Lebanon. Israel's ski resort lies on its southern slopes, and since December 2024 Israel has held positions on the Syrian side.HPeople and GroupsHerod the GreatהורדוסRoman client king of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE. He rebuilt the Second Temple and built Caesarea, Masada and Herodium.Buildings and SitesHerodiumהרודיוןFortress and palace that Herod built on an artificial hill south of Jerusalem. He was buried there according to Josephus.HPeople and GroupsHershko, Avramאברהם הרשקוBiochemist born in Hungary in 1937 who came to Israel as a boy. With Aaron Ciechanover he won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry and worked at the Technion.HPeople and GroupsHerzl, Theodorבנימין זאב הרצלViennese journalist, 1860 to 1904, founder of political Zionism. He convened the First Zionist Congress at Basel in 1897.
PlacesHerzliyaהרצליהCoastal city north of Tel Aviv, founded in 1924 and named for Theodor Herzl. It is a high-tech and diplomatic center.HPeople and GroupsHess, Mosesמשה הסGerman Jewish socialist, 1812 to 1875, whose book Rome and Jerusalem of 1862 called for a Jewish state. He is an early voice of Zionism.HPeople and GroupsHezbollahחזבאללהLebanese Shia militia and political party formed in 1982 with Iranian support. It fought Israel in the Second Lebanon War.HPeople and GroupsHezekiahחזקיהוKing of Judah around 715 to 686 BCE. He strengthened Jerusalem, dug the water tunnel to the Siloam pool, and survived Sennacherib's siege of 701 BCE.HVoicesVoicesHillel FuldHillel Fuld is an Israel-based technology adviser and digital advocate who speaks about Israel's tech sector and online advocacy.HPeople and GroupsHittitesהחתיםAnatolian empire that clashed with Egypt at Battle of Kadeshabout 1274 BCE.HEventsHolocaustהשואהNazi Germany's murder of six million Jews in Europe from 1941 to 1945. Israel marks it each year on Yom HaShoah.HBuildings and SitesHoly Sepulchre, Church of theChurch in the Old City built over the traditional sites of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Constantine began it about 335, and the Crusaders rebuilt it.HVoicesVoicesHonestReportingHonestReporting is a media watchdog founded in Jerusalem in 2000. It reviews coverage of Israel and the Middle East, publishes corrections and analysis, and explains how stories are framed.HPeople and GroupsHoseaהושעProphet of the 8th century BCE in the northern kingdom, shortly before the fall of Samaria.HPeople and GroupsHuberman, Bronislawברוניסלב הוברמןPolish violinist, 1882 to 1947, who founded the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in 1936. He recruited its players from Jewish musicians who had lost their posts in Europe.
PlacesHula Valleyעמק החולהValley of the upper Jordan in the Galilee, drained in the 1950s and partly restored as a nature reserve. Hundreds of millions of migrating birds pass through it each year.HBuildings and SitesHurva Synagogueבית הכנסת החורבהSynagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, destroyed in 1948 and rebuilt in 2010. The name means "ruin."HVoicesVoicesHussein Aboubakr MansourHussein Aboubakr Mansour is an Egyptian-born author and speaker who writes on Arab and Islamic discourse and on antisemitism.HPeople and GroupsHyksosההיקסוסForeign rulers of northern Egypt from about 1650 to 1550 BCE, many of them Canaanite in origin.
PlacesHaifaחיפהIsrael's third largest city, on the slopes of Mount Carmel. It has a major port, the Technion and the Bahai Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site.HPeople and GroupsHamasחמאסPalestinian Islamist movement founded in 1987 that has ruled Gaza since 2007. Israel, the United States and the European Union list it as a terrorist organization. It led the October 7, 2023 attack.HEventsHanukkahחנוכהEight-day festival of lights that marks the rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE after the Maccabean Revolt.HConceptsHasidismחסידותPietist movement that began in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. Hasidic Jews settled in Tiberias and Safed in 1777.People and GroupsHasmoneansהחשמונאיםDynasty descended from the Maccabees. They ruled Judea as high priests and later kings from about 140 BCE until Herodtook the throne in 37 BCE.HWorksHatikvahהתקווהIsrael's national anthem. Its words come from the poem Tikvatenu by Naftali Herz Imber of 1878, and its melody is a folk tune.HVoicesVoicesHaviv Rettig GurHaviv Rettig Gur is an Israeli journalist and senior analyst at The Times of Israel. He is known for long explanatory talks and interviews on Israeli politics, history and the war.HPeople and GroupsHaza, Ofraעפרה חזהIsraeli singer, 1957 to 2000, born to a Yemenite Jewish family in Tel Aviv. She placed second at the 1983 Eurovision Song Contestand reached audiences around the world in the 1980s.HPlacesHazorחצורCanaanite city in the Upper Galilee. It was the largest fortified city in its region, at its peak from about 1750 BCE. The Bible says Solomon fortified it, and archaeologists have found Solomonic-era gates there.HWorksHebrew Bibleך " תנThe Jewish scriptures in three parts, the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. Christians call it the Old Testament.HBuildings and SitesHebrew Universityהאוניברסיטה העבריתIsrael's first university, begun on Mount Scopus in 1918 and opened in 1925. Chaim Weizmann and Albert Einstein helped found it.PlacesHebronחברוןCity in the Judean hills with the Cave of the Patriarchs, the traditional burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the first capital of David's reign.HConceptsHellenizationהתייוונותSpread of Greek language and culture after Alexander the Great. In Judea it divided Jews and led to the Maccabean Revolt.HVoicesVoicesHen MazzigHen Mazzig is an Israeli writer and speaker, a former IDF officer and the author of a memoir about growing up in Israel. He speaks on Israel, Jewish identity and the Middle East.HPlacesHermon, MountהחרמוןHighest mountain in the region, 2,814 meters, on the border of Syria and Lebanon. Israel's ski resort lies on its southern slopes, and since December 2024 Israel has held positions on the Syrian side.HPeople and GroupsHerod the GreatהורדוסRoman client king of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE. He rebuilt the Second Temple and built Caesarea, Masada and Herodium.Buildings and SitesHerodiumהרודיוןFortress and palace that Herod built on an artificial hill south of Jerusalem. He was buried there according to Josephus.HPeople and GroupsHershko, Avramאברהם הרשקוBiochemist born in Hungary in 1937 who came to Israel as a boy. With Aaron Ciechanover he won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry and worked at the Technion.HPeople and GroupsHerzl, Theodorבנימין זאב הרצלViennese journalist, 1860 to 1904, founder of political Zionism. He convened the First Zionist Congress at Basel in 1897.PlacesHerzliyaהרצליהCoastal city north of Tel Aviv, founded in 1924 and named for Theodor Herzl. It is a high-tech and diplomatic center.HPeople and GroupsHess, Mosesמשה הסGerman Jewish socialist, 1812 to 1875, whose book Rome and Jerusalem of 1862 called for a Jewish state. He is an early voice of Zionism.HPeople and GroupsHezbollahחזבאללהLebanese Shia militia and political party formed in 1982 with Iranian support. It fought Israel in the Second Lebanon War.HPeople and GroupsHezekiahחזקיהוKing of Judah around 715 to 686 BCE. He strengthened Jerusalem, dug the water tunnel to the Siloam pool, and survived Sennacherib's siege of 701 BCE.HVoicesVoicesHillel FuldHillel Fuld is an Israel-based technology adviser and digital advocate who speaks about Israel's tech sector and online advocacy.HPeople and GroupsHittitesהחתיםAnatolian empire that clashed with Egypt at Battle of Kadeshabout 1274 BCE.HEventsHolocaustהשואהNazi Germany's murder of six million Jews in Europe from 1941 to 1945. Israel marks it each year on Yom HaShoah.HBuildings and SitesHoly Sepulchre, Church of theChurch in the Old City built over the traditional sites of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Constantine began it about 335, and the Crusaders rebuilt it.HVoicesVoicesHonestReportingHonestReporting is a media watchdog founded in Jerusalem in 2000. It reviews coverage of Israel and the Middle East, publishes corrections and analysis, and explains how stories are framed.HPeople and GroupsHoseaהושעProphet of the 8th century BCE in the northern kingdom, shortly before the fall of Samaria.HPeople and GroupsHuberman, Bronislawברוניסלב הוברמןPolish violinist, 1882 to 1947, who founded the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in 1936. He recruited its players from Jewish musicians who had lost their posts in Europe.PlacesHula Valleyעמק החולהValley of the upper Jordan in the Galilee, drained in the 1950s and partly restored as a nature reserve. Hundreds of millions of migrating birds pass through it each year.HBuildings and SitesHurva Synagogueבית הכנסת החורבהSynagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, destroyed in 1948 and rebuilt in 2010. The name means "ruin."HVoicesVoicesHussein Aboubakr MansourHussein Aboubakr Mansour is an Egyptian-born author and speaker who writes on Arab and Islamic discourse and on antisemitism.HPeople and GroupsHyksosההיקסוסForeign rulers of northern Egypt from about 1650 to 1550 BCE, many of them Canaanite in origin.I
IPeople and GroupsImber, Naftali Herzנפתלי הרץ אימברPoet, 1856 to 1909, whose poem Tikvatenu of 1878 became the words of Hatikvah.IEventsIndependence, War ofמלחמת העצמאותWar from 1947 to 1949 that followed the UN Partition Plan and Israel's declaration of independence on 14 May 1948.IEventsIntifada, Firstהאינתיפאדה הראשונהPalestinian uprising against Israeli rule that began in December 1987 and lasted until about 1993. It led to the Madrid Peace Conference and the Oslo Accords.IEventsIntifada, Secondהאינתיפאדה השנייהPalestinian uprising that began in September 2000 and brought a wave of suicide bombings. It lasted until about 2005.IPlacesIranאיראןCountry east of Iraq, heir of the Persian Empire. It has been an Islamic republic since 1979 and backs Hezbollah and Hamas. The rankings in this book count it separately from the Arab League.IPlacesIraqעיראקModern state in ancient Mesopotamia, home of Babylon and Assyria. It fought Israel in 1948 and 1967 and fired Scud missilesin 1991.IPeople and GroupsIrgunל " האצUnderground Jewish organization of the Mandate years, led from 1944 by Menachem Begin. It bombed the King David Hotel in 1946.IConceptsIron Domeכיפת ברזלIsraeli air-defense system in use since 2011 that intercepts short-range rockets and shells. It was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.IPeople and GroupsIsaacיצחקSon of Abraham and second of the three patriarchs. By tradition he is buried at Hebron.IPeople and GroupsIsaiahישעיהוProphet who lived in Jerusalem in the 8th century BCE, a counselor of Hezekiah. The Book of Isaiah is among the most quoted in the Bible.
PlacesIsraelישראלThe Jewish state, declared on 14 May 1948, with Jerusalem as its capital. The name is older. It was given to Jacob and later to the Israelite kingdoms.IPeople and GroupsIsrael Defense Forcesל " צהIsrael's army, navy and air force, formed in May 1948 from the Haganah and other forces. Service is compulsory for most Jewish and Druze citizens.
Buildings and SitesIsrael Museumמוזיאון ישראלJerusalem museum opened in 1965 with collections of archaeology, art and Judaica. It houses the Shrine of the Book.IPeople and GroupsIsraelitesבני ישראלThe descendants of Jacob, the people of the twelve tribes and of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
PlacesIsraelישראלThe Jewish state, declared on 14 May 1948, with Jerusalem as its capital. The name is older. It was given to Jacob and later to the Israelite kingdoms.IPeople and GroupsIsrael Defense Forcesל " צהIsrael's army, navy and air force, formed in May 1948 from the Haganah and other forces. Service is compulsory for most Jewish and Druze citizens.Buildings and SitesIsrael Museumמוזיאון ישראלJerusalem museum opened in 1965 with collections of archaeology, art and Judaica. It houses the Shrine of the Book.IPeople and GroupsIsraelitesבני ישראלThe descendants of Jacob, the people of the twelve tribes and of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah.J
JPeople and GroupsJacobיעקבThird patriarch, renamed Israel, whose twelve sons became the tribes. He dreamed of a ladder to heaven at Beit El.
PlacesJaffaיפוAncient port south of Tel Aviv, among the oldest in the world. The Bible links it to Jonah and to the timber for Solomon's Temple. It was merged into Tel Aviv in 1950.JPlacesJaffa Portנמל יפוHarbor of ancient Jaffa, where cedar logs for Solomon's Temple arrived, according to 2 Chronicles. It is now a gallery and restaurant quarter.JPeople and GroupsJanco, Marcelמרסל ינקוRomanian-born artist, 1895 to 1984, and a founder of the Dada movement in Zurich. He came to the land in 1941 and in 1953 helped start the artists' village of Ein Hod near Mount Carmel.JPeople and GroupsJehuיהואKing of Israel from about 841 to 814 BCE. The Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III shows him paying tribute.JPeople and GroupsJeremiahירמיהוProphet in Jerusalem before and after the Babylonian conquest of 586 BCE who warned of the city's fall.
PlacesJerichoיריחוOne of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the lowest on earth, in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea.
PlacesJerusalemירושליםCapital of Israel and the holiest city of Judaism. King David made it his capital about 1000 BCE and Solomon built the First Temple there. Rebuilt after the Babylonian exile and destroyed again by Rome in 70 CE, it passed through many hands before the Six-Day War of 1967 reunited it under Israeli control.JPlacesJerusalem, Eastמזרח ירושליםPart of Jerusalem east of the 1949 armistice line, including the Old City. Jordan held it from 1948 to 1967 and Israel took it in the Six-Day War. Israel applied its law there in 1980, which most countries do not recognize.JWorksJerusalem of Goldירושלים של זהבSong written by Naomi Shemer and first sung in May 1967. It became a second anthem after the Six-Day War.JPlacesJerusalem, Old City ofהעיר העתיקהWalled area of about one square kilometer, with the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters. It holds the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.JEventsJerusalem, Siege of (701 BCE)המצור על ירושליםAssyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE under Sennacherib. Hezekiah paid tribute and the city was not taken.JWorksJerusalem Talmudתלמוד ירושלמיCommentary on the Mishnah completed in the Galilee about 400 CE. It is shorter and older than the Babylonian Talmud.JPeople and GroupsJesusישוJewish teacher from the Galilee who was crucified in Jerusalem about 30 CE under Pontius Pilate. Christianity grew from his followers.JPeople and GroupsJewish Brigadeהבריגדה היהודיתUnit of the British Army formed in 1944 from volunteers from the Jewish community of the Mandate. It fought in Italy against Germany.JPeople and GroupsJewish National Fundהקרן הקיימת לישראלOrganization founded in 1901 to buy land for Jewish settlement. It later planted most of Israel's forests.JWorksJewish War, Theמלחמת היהודיםAccount of the revolt against Rome by Josephus, written about 75 CE. It is the main source for the siege of Jerusalem and the fall of Masada.JPeople and GroupsJezebelאיזבלPhoenician princess who married Ahab and became queen of Israel. The prophet Elijah opposed her promotion of Baal worship.JVoicesVoicesJINSAThe Jewish Institute for National Security of America is a Washington policy organization founded in 1976. It publishes analysis on defense cooperation between the United States and Israel.JVoicesVoicesJNSJNS, the Jewish News Syndicate, supplies news, opinion and video on Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. It also produces a range of shows and podcasts, which are gathered on this page.JVoicesVoicesJohn SpencerJohn Spencer is an American military analyst and urban warfare expert who explains the conduct of the fighting in Gaza and other cities.JVoicesVoicesJonathan ConricusJonathan Conricus is a former international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is a frequent guest on television and podcasts.JPlacesJordanירדןKingdom east of the Jordan River. It held Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967 and signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.JPlacesJordan Riverנהר הירדןRiver of about 250 kilometers that runs from springs near Mount Hermon through the Hula Valley and the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.JPeople and GroupsJosephusיוסף בן מתתיהוJewish general in the Galilee who surrendered to Rome and wrote The Jewish War about 75 CE. He is the chief source for the period.JPeople and GroupsJoshuaיהושעSuccessor of Moses who led the Israelites across the Jordan, according to the Bible. Tradition places the covenant ceremony at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.JPeople and GroupsJosiahיאשיהוKing of Judah from about 640 to 609 BCE who centralized worship in Jerusalem and reformed the faith.JPeople and GroupsJudah Maccabeeיהודה המכביLeader of the Maccabean Revolt after 166 BCE. He retook Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple in 164 BCE, and he fell in battle in 160 BCE.JPeople and GroupsJudah the Prince, Rabbiרבי יהודה הנשיאLeader of the Jewish community in the Galilee about 200 CE who compiled the Mishnah. He is buried at Beth Shearim.JPlacesJudeaיהודהSouthern hill country around Jerusalem, named for the tribe of Judah and the kingdom of Judah. The Romans called the province Judaea.
PlacesJudea and Samariaיהודה ושומרוןCentral hill country between the Jordan Valley and the coastal plain, the heartland of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Israel took it from Jordan in 1967. Today it is divided between Israeli and Palestinian administration under the Oslo Accords. Also called the West Bank, a name from the Jordanian occupation of 1948 to 1967, which almost no country recognized. Israel has used the biblical names since 1967.
PlacesJudean Hillsהרי יהודהHill country west and south of Jerusalem, with villages, kibbutzim and sites from the battles of 1948.
PlacesJaffaיפוAncient port south of Tel Aviv, among the oldest in the world. The Bible links it to Jonah and to the timber for Solomon's Temple. It was merged into Tel Aviv in 1950.JPlacesJaffa Portנמל יפוHarbor of ancient Jaffa, where cedar logs for Solomon's Temple arrived, according to 2 Chronicles. It is now a gallery and restaurant quarter.JPeople and GroupsJanco, Marcelמרסל ינקוRomanian-born artist, 1895 to 1984, and a founder of the Dada movement in Zurich. He came to the land in 1941 and in 1953 helped start the artists' village of Ein Hod near Mount Carmel.JPeople and GroupsJehuיהואKing of Israel from about 841 to 814 BCE. The Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III shows him paying tribute.JPeople and GroupsJeremiahירמיהוProphet in Jerusalem before and after the Babylonian conquest of 586 BCE who warned of the city's fall.PlacesJerichoיריחוOne of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the lowest on earth, in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea.PlacesJerusalemירושליםCapital of Israel and the holiest city of Judaism. King David made it his capital about 1000 BCE and Solomon built the First Temple there. Rebuilt after the Babylonian exile and destroyed again by Rome in 70 CE, it passed through many hands before the Six-Day War of 1967 reunited it under Israeli control.JPlacesJerusalem, Eastמזרח ירושליםPart of Jerusalem east of the 1949 armistice line, including the Old City. Jordan held it from 1948 to 1967 and Israel took it in the Six-Day War. Israel applied its law there in 1980, which most countries do not recognize.JWorksJerusalem of Goldירושלים של זהבSong written by Naomi Shemer and first sung in May 1967. It became a second anthem after the Six-Day War.JPlacesJerusalem, Old City ofהעיר העתיקהWalled area of about one square kilometer, with the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters. It holds the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.JEventsJerusalem, Siege of (701 BCE)המצור על ירושליםAssyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE under Sennacherib. Hezekiah paid tribute and the city was not taken.JWorksJerusalem Talmudתלמוד ירושלמיCommentary on the Mishnah completed in the Galilee about 400 CE. It is shorter and older than the Babylonian Talmud.JPeople and GroupsJesusישוJewish teacher from the Galilee who was crucified in Jerusalem about 30 CE under Pontius Pilate. Christianity grew from his followers.JPeople and GroupsJewish Brigadeהבריגדה היהודיתUnit of the British Army formed in 1944 from volunteers from the Jewish community of the Mandate. It fought in Italy against Germany.JPeople and GroupsJewish National Fundהקרן הקיימת לישראלOrganization founded in 1901 to buy land for Jewish settlement. It later planted most of Israel's forests.JWorksJewish War, Theמלחמת היהודיםAccount of the revolt against Rome by Josephus, written about 75 CE. It is the main source for the siege of Jerusalem and the fall of Masada.JPeople and GroupsJezebelאיזבלPhoenician princess who married Ahab and became queen of Israel. The prophet Elijah opposed her promotion of Baal worship.JVoicesVoicesJINSAThe Jewish Institute for National Security of America is a Washington policy organization founded in 1976. It publishes analysis on defense cooperation between the United States and Israel.JVoicesVoicesJNSJNS, the Jewish News Syndicate, supplies news, opinion and video on Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. It also produces a range of shows and podcasts, which are gathered on this page.JVoicesVoicesJohn SpencerJohn Spencer is an American military analyst and urban warfare expert who explains the conduct of the fighting in Gaza and other cities.JVoicesVoicesJonathan ConricusJonathan Conricus is a former international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is a frequent guest on television and podcasts.JPlacesJordanירדןKingdom east of the Jordan River. It held Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967 and signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.JPlacesJordan Riverנהר הירדןRiver of about 250 kilometers that runs from springs near Mount Hermon through the Hula Valley and the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.JPeople and GroupsJosephusיוסף בן מתתיהוJewish general in the Galilee who surrendered to Rome and wrote The Jewish War about 75 CE. He is the chief source for the period.JPeople and GroupsJoshuaיהושעSuccessor of Moses who led the Israelites across the Jordan, according to the Bible. Tradition places the covenant ceremony at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.JPeople and GroupsJosiahיאשיהוKing of Judah from about 640 to 609 BCE who centralized worship in Jerusalem and reformed the faith.JPeople and GroupsJudah Maccabeeיהודה המכביLeader of the Maccabean Revolt after 166 BCE. He retook Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple in 164 BCE, and he fell in battle in 160 BCE.JPeople and GroupsJudah the Prince, Rabbiרבי יהודה הנשיאLeader of the Jewish community in the Galilee about 200 CE who compiled the Mishnah. He is buried at Beth Shearim.JPlacesJudeaיהודהSouthern hill country around Jerusalem, named for the tribe of Judah and the kingdom of Judah. The Romans called the province Judaea.PlacesJudea and Samariaיהודה ושומרוןCentral hill country between the Jordan Valley and the coastal plain, the heartland of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Israel took it from Jordan in 1967. Today it is divided between Israeli and Palestinian administration under the Oslo Accords. Also called the West Bank, a name from the Jordanian occupation of 1948 to 1967, which almost no country recognized. Israel has used the biblical names since 1967.PlacesJudean Hillsהרי יהודהHill country west and south of Jerusalem, with villages, kibbutzim and sites from the battles of 1948.K
KConceptsKabbalahקבלהTradition of Jewish mysticism. Its center in the 16th century was Safed, and its central text is the Zohar.KPlacesKadeshקדשAncient city on the Orontes River in Syria. Ramses II and the Hittites fought there in about 1274 BCE.KEventsKadesh, Battle ofקרב קדשClash about 1274 BCE between Ramses II and the Hittites on the Orontes River in Syria. It is one of the earliest battles with a detailed record.KPeople and GroupsKadishman, Menasheמנשה קדישמןIsraeli sculptor and painter, 1932 to 2015. He is known for his paintings of sheep and for Fallen Leaves, a floor of iron faces at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.KPeople and GroupsKahneman, Danielדניאל כהנמןPsychologist, 1934 to 2024, born in Tel Aviv and trained at the Hebrew University. He won the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics for work on how people make decisions under uncertainty.KPeople and GroupsKaro, JosephScholar, 1488 to 1575, who settled in Safed and wrote the Shulchan Aruch, the most widely accepted code of Jewish law.
PlacesKatzrinקצריןTown in the Golan Heights founded in 1977. An archaeological park beside it shows a village of the Talmudic era.KPeople and GroupsKeret, Etgarאתגר קרתWriter of short stories and film scripts, born in Ramat Gan in 1967. His first collection, Pipelines, appeared in 1992, and his stories are widely translated.KVoicesVoicesKhaled Abu ToamehKhaled Abu Toameh is a Palestinian-Israeli journalist who has reported for decades on Palestinian politics and society.KBuildings and SitesKing David Hotelמלון המלך דודJerusalem hotel opened in 1931. In July 1946 the Irgun bombed its wing used by the British administration, killing 91 people.KOtherKiryat Anavim and Ma'ale Hahamishaקריית ענבים ומעלהTwo of the first kibbutzim in the Judean Hills, founded in 1920 and 1938. They helped defend the road to Jerusalem in 1948.KPeople and GroupsKishon, Ephraimאפרים קישוןSatirist and film director, 1924 to 2005, born in Budapest. His film Sallah Shabati, about a new immigrant, was the first Israeli film nominated for an Academy Award.
PlacesKatzrinקצריןTown in the Golan Heights founded in 1977. An archaeological park beside it shows a village of the Talmudic era.KPeople and GroupsKeret, Etgarאתגר קרתWriter of short stories and film scripts, born in Ramat Gan in 1967. His first collection, Pipelines, appeared in 1992, and his stories are widely translated.KVoicesVoicesKhaled Abu ToamehKhaled Abu Toameh is a Palestinian-Israeli journalist who has reported for decades on Palestinian politics and society.KBuildings and SitesKing David Hotelמלון המלך דודJerusalem hotel opened in 1931. In July 1946 the Irgun bombed its wing used by the British administration, killing 91 people.KOtherKiryat Anavim and Ma'ale Hahamishaקריית ענבים ומעלהTwo of the first kibbutzim in the Judean Hills, founded in 1920 and 1938. They helped defend the road to Jerusalem in 1948.KPeople and GroupsKishon, Ephraimאפרים קישוןSatirist and film director, 1924 to 2005, born in Budapest. His film Sallah Shabati, about a new immigrant, was the first Israeli film nominated for an Academy Award.L
LPlacesLachishלכישFortified city of Judah southwest of Jerusalem. Sennacherib destroyed it in 701 BCE and showed the siege on the palace reliefs at Nineveh, now in the British Museum.LWorksLachish reliefsStone reliefs from the palace of Sennacherib at Nineveh showing the siege and fall of Lachish in 701 BCE. They are in the British Museum.
Buildings and SitesLatrunלטרוןHill and monastery on the road to Jerusalem. Israeli attacks to take its police fort failed in May and June 1948, and the Burma Road bypassed it.LPlacesLebanonלבנוןNeighbor to the north. Israel fought wars in Lebanon in 1982 and 2006, and Hezbollah is based there.LEventsLebanon War (1982)מלחמת לבנון הראשונהIsraeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982 to push out the PLO. Israeli forces remained in southern Lebanon until 2000.LEventsLebanon War, Secondמלחמת לבנון השנייהWar of July and August 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah after the group abducted two Israeli soldiers.LPeople and GroupsLikudהליכודIsraeli center-right party founded in 1973. It won power for the first time in 1977 under Menachem Begin.LEventsLod Airport massacreטבח נמל התעופה לודAttack of 30 May 1972 at Lod Airport, now Ben-Gurion Airport, in which three Japanese Red Army gunmen working for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine killed 26 people. Seventeen of the dead were Puerto Rican Christian pilgrims.LBuildings and SitesLot's Caveמערת לוטCave near the southern shore of the Dead Sea where, according to tradition, Lot and his daughters took refuge after the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah.LPeople and GroupsLovers of Zionחיבת ציוןJewish groups formed in Russia and Romania from the 1880s to promote settlement in the land. They supported the First Aliyah.
Buildings and SitesLatrunלטרוןHill and monastery on the road to Jerusalem. Israeli attacks to take its police fort failed in May and June 1948, and the Burma Road bypassed it.LPlacesLebanonלבנוןNeighbor to the north. Israel fought wars in Lebanon in 1982 and 2006, and Hezbollah is based there.LEventsLebanon War (1982)מלחמת לבנון הראשונהIsraeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982 to push out the PLO. Israeli forces remained in southern Lebanon until 2000.LEventsLebanon War, Secondמלחמת לבנון השנייהWar of July and August 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah after the group abducted two Israeli soldiers.LPeople and GroupsLikudהליכודIsraeli center-right party founded in 1973. It won power for the first time in 1977 under Menachem Begin.LEventsLod Airport massacreטבח נמל התעופה לודAttack of 30 May 1972 at Lod Airport, now Ben-Gurion Airport, in which three Japanese Red Army gunmen working for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine killed 26 people. Seventeen of the dead were Puerto Rican Christian pilgrims.LBuildings and SitesLot's Caveמערת לוטCave near the southern shore of the Dead Sea where, according to tradition, Lot and his daughters took refuge after the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah.LPeople and GroupsLovers of Zionחיבת ציוןJewish groups formed in Russia and Romania from the 1880s to promote settlement in the land. They supported the First Aliyah.M
MEventsMa'alot massacreטבח מעלותAttack of 15 May 1974 in which three gunmen of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine seized a school in the northern town of Ma'alot. Twenty-two schoolchildren were among those killed.
EventsMaccabean Revoltמרד המכביםJewish uprising that began in 167 BCE against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV and his ban on Jewish practice. The Maccabees rededicated the Temple in 164 BCE, an event remembered at Hanukkah.MPeople and GroupsMaccabeesהמכביםFamily of the priest Mattathias and his sons who led the Maccabean Revolt. Their descendants were the Hasmoneans.MWorksMadaba Mapמפת מידבאMosaic floor map of the 6th century in a church at Madaba, Jordan, made between 542 and 570. It is the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land and shows Jerusalem at its center.MEventsMadrid Peace Conferenceועידת מדרידConference of October 1991 that for the first time brought Israel and its Arab neighbors into direct talks.
PlacesMagdalaמגדלאFishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, home of Mary Magdalene. Excavations in 2009 uncovered a synagogue of the 1st century and the Magdala Stone.
OtherMahane Yehuda Marketשוק מחנהJerusalem's main open-air market, known as the Shuk, founded in the 1880s.
PlacesMakhtesh Ramonמכתש רמוןLargest of the Negev's erosion craters, about 40 kilometers long and up to 9 kilometers wide.MPeople and GroupsMamluksהממלוכיםSlave-soldier dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria. They defeated the Mongols at Ain Jalut in 1260 and ruled the land until 1517.MPeople and GroupsMapu, Abrahamאברהם מאפוLithuanian Hebrew writer, 1808 to 1867, whose novel Ahavat Zion (1853) set a love story in the time of Isaiah and is counted the first modern Hebrew novel.
Buildings and SitesMasadaמצדהMountain fortress above the Dead Sea built by Herod. It was the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against Rome and fell in 73 or 74 CE.
PlacesMea She'arimמאה שעריםNeighborhood of Jerusalem founded in 1874 and now home to ultra-Orthodox Jews who keep the customs of Eastern Europe.MPlacesMegiddoמגידוAncient mound that guarded a pass between the coastal plain and the Jezreel Valley. It has some twenty layers of city ruins and gave its name to Armageddon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.MPeople and GroupsMehta, Zubinזובין מהטהConductor born in Bombay in 1936. He became music director of the Israel Philharmonic in 1977 and was named music director for life in 1981.MPeople and GroupsMeir, Goldaגולדה מאירIsraeli prime minister from 1969 to 1974. Born in Kyiv in 1898 and raised in Milwaukee, she was foreign minister before she led the country through the Yom Kippur War and resigned the following year.MVoicesVoicesMelanie PhillipsMelanie Phillips is a British journalist and author who writes on Israel, antisemitism and Western politics.MVoicesVoicesMEMRIThe Middle East Media Research Institute was founded in 1998 in Washington. It translates Arabic, Persian and Turkish media into English, and its video clips show what leaders and broadcasters say to their own audiences. Clips are embedded here with MEMRI credited.MPeople and GroupsMerneptah, PharaohמרנפתחEgyptian pharaoh from about 1213 to 1203 BCE, son of Ramses II. His victory monument is the Merneptah Stele.MWorksMerneptah Steleמצבת מרנפתחVictory monument of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah, about 1208 BCE. A line on it names Israel, the earliest known mention of Israel outside the Bible. It stands in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.MPlacesMesopotamiaמסופוטמיהLand between the Tigris and Euphrates, the cradle of Babylonand Assyria. The Bible places Abraham's origins in Ur.MVoicesVoicesMichael OrenMichael Oren is a historian and former Israeli ambassador to the United States and member of the Knesset. He is the author of Six Days of War.MBuildings and SitesMikveh Israelמקווה ישראלAgricultural school founded near Jaffa in 1870 by the Alliance Israelite Universelle. It trained many early farmers.MVoicesVoicesMiriam H. ElmanMiriam H. Elman is a political science professor at Syracuse University and executive director of the Academic Engagement Network. She speaks on campus politics and antisemitism.MBuildings and SitesMishkenot Sha'ananimמשכנות שאנניםRow of houses built in 1860 with funds from Moses Montefiore, the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls of the Old City.MWorksMishnahמשנהCode of Jewish oral law, compiled about 200 CE in the Galilee by Rabbi Judah the Prince. It is the foundation of the Talmud.MPlacesMoabמואבKingdom on the plateau east of the Dead Sea, between the Arnon and Zered rivers in present-day Jordan, with its capital at Dibon. The Mesha Stele, set up about 840 BCE, records King Mesha's revolt against Israel and is among the oldest inscriptions to name the God of Israel. Moab is also the setting for much of the Book of Ruth, whose heroine was a Moabite woman who joined the Jewish people.MPeople and GroupsMongolsהמונגוליםCentral Asian armies that invaded Syria in 1260. The Mamluksstopped them at Ain Jalut.MPeople and GroupsMontefiore, Mosesמשה מונטיפיוריBritish philanthropist, 1784 to 1885, who visited the land seven times and funded Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood outside Jerusalem's walls.MVoicesVoicesMosab Hassan YousefMosab Hassan Yousef is a Palestinian author and the son of a founder of Hamas. He later worked with Israeli security services and wrote the memoir Son of Hamas, and he speaks about Hamas and its ideas.MPeople and GroupsMosesמשהLeader who took the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Torah at Sinai, according to the Bible.MEventsMunich Olympics massacreטבח מינכןMurder of eleven Israeli athletes and coaches by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
EventsMaccabean Revoltמרד המכביםJewish uprising that began in 167 BCE against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV and his ban on Jewish practice. The Maccabees rededicated the Temple in 164 BCE, an event remembered at Hanukkah.MPeople and GroupsMaccabeesהמכביםFamily of the priest Mattathias and his sons who led the Maccabean Revolt. Their descendants were the Hasmoneans.MWorksMadaba Mapמפת מידבאMosaic floor map of the 6th century in a church at Madaba, Jordan, made between 542 and 570. It is the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land and shows Jerusalem at its center.MEventsMadrid Peace Conferenceועידת מדרידConference of October 1991 that for the first time brought Israel and its Arab neighbors into direct talks.PlacesMagdalaמגדלאFishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, home of Mary Magdalene. Excavations in 2009 uncovered a synagogue of the 1st century and the Magdala Stone.OtherMahane Yehuda Marketשוק מחנהJerusalem's main open-air market, known as the Shuk, founded in the 1880s.PlacesMakhtesh Ramonמכתש רמוןLargest of the Negev's erosion craters, about 40 kilometers long and up to 9 kilometers wide.MPeople and GroupsMamluksהממלוכיםSlave-soldier dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria. They defeated the Mongols at Ain Jalut in 1260 and ruled the land until 1517.MPeople and GroupsMapu, Abrahamאברהם מאפוLithuanian Hebrew writer, 1808 to 1867, whose novel Ahavat Zion (1853) set a love story in the time of Isaiah and is counted the first modern Hebrew novel.Buildings and SitesMasadaמצדהMountain fortress above the Dead Sea built by Herod. It was the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against Rome and fell in 73 or 74 CE.PlacesMea She'arimמאה שעריםNeighborhood of Jerusalem founded in 1874 and now home to ultra-Orthodox Jews who keep the customs of Eastern Europe.MPlacesMegiddoמגידוAncient mound that guarded a pass between the coastal plain and the Jezreel Valley. It has some twenty layers of city ruins and gave its name to Armageddon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.MPeople and GroupsMehta, Zubinזובין מהטהConductor born in Bombay in 1936. He became music director of the Israel Philharmonic in 1977 and was named music director for life in 1981.MPeople and GroupsMeir, Goldaגולדה מאירIsraeli prime minister from 1969 to 1974. Born in Kyiv in 1898 and raised in Milwaukee, she was foreign minister before she led the country through the Yom Kippur War and resigned the following year.MVoicesVoicesMelanie PhillipsMelanie Phillips is a British journalist and author who writes on Israel, antisemitism and Western politics.MVoicesVoicesMEMRIThe Middle East Media Research Institute was founded in 1998 in Washington. It translates Arabic, Persian and Turkish media into English, and its video clips show what leaders and broadcasters say to their own audiences. Clips are embedded here with MEMRI credited.MPeople and GroupsMerneptah, PharaohמרנפתחEgyptian pharaoh from about 1213 to 1203 BCE, son of Ramses II. His victory monument is the Merneptah Stele.MWorksMerneptah Steleמצבת מרנפתחVictory monument of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah, about 1208 BCE. A line on it names Israel, the earliest known mention of Israel outside the Bible. It stands in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.MPlacesMesopotamiaמסופוטמיהLand between the Tigris and Euphrates, the cradle of Babylonand Assyria. The Bible places Abraham's origins in Ur.MVoicesVoicesMichael OrenMichael Oren is a historian and former Israeli ambassador to the United States and member of the Knesset. He is the author of Six Days of War.MBuildings and SitesMikveh Israelמקווה ישראלAgricultural school founded near Jaffa in 1870 by the Alliance Israelite Universelle. It trained many early farmers.MVoicesVoicesMiriam H. ElmanMiriam H. Elman is a political science professor at Syracuse University and executive director of the Academic Engagement Network. She speaks on campus politics and antisemitism.MBuildings and SitesMishkenot Sha'ananimמשכנות שאנניםRow of houses built in 1860 with funds from Moses Montefiore, the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls of the Old City.MWorksMishnahמשנהCode of Jewish oral law, compiled about 200 CE in the Galilee by Rabbi Judah the Prince. It is the foundation of the Talmud.MPlacesMoabמואבKingdom on the plateau east of the Dead Sea, between the Arnon and Zered rivers in present-day Jordan, with its capital at Dibon. The Mesha Stele, set up about 840 BCE, records King Mesha's revolt against Israel and is among the oldest inscriptions to name the God of Israel. Moab is also the setting for much of the Book of Ruth, whose heroine was a Moabite woman who joined the Jewish people.MPeople and GroupsMongolsהמונגוליםCentral Asian armies that invaded Syria in 1260. The Mamluksstopped them at Ain Jalut.MPeople and GroupsMontefiore, Mosesמשה מונטיפיוריBritish philanthropist, 1784 to 1885, who visited the land seven times and funded Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood outside Jerusalem's walls.MVoicesVoicesMosab Hassan YousefMosab Hassan Yousef is a Palestinian author and the son of a founder of Hamas. He later worked with Israeli security services and wrote the memoir Son of Hamas, and he speaks about Hamas and its ideas.MPeople and GroupsMosesמשהLeader who took the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Torah at Sinai, according to the Bible.MEventsMunich Olympics massacreטבח מינכןMurder of eleven Israeli athletes and coaches by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.N
NPeople and groupsNabataeansנבטיםArab trading people whose kingdom, centered on Petra in present-day Jordan, grew rich from the incense and spice caravans that crossed the Negev to the Mediterranean. They built walled desert cities at Avdat, Mamshit, Shivta and Haluza, and used cisterns and terraced fields to farm the desert. Rome annexed their kingdom in 106 CE. Their Negev cities are a UNESCO World Heritage site.NPeople and GroupsNachmanidesן " הרמבRabbi Moses ben Nahman, 1194 to 1270, a Spanish scholar who reached Jerusalem in 1267 and re-established its Jewish community.NVoicesVoicesNadav ShoshaniNadav Shoshani is an international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces and a regular voice in English-language press interviews.NPlacesNahlaotנחלאותCluster of old neighborhoods near Mahane Yehuda Market, with narrow lanes, stone houses and small synagogues.NPeople and GroupsNasi, Josephיוסף נשיאPortuguese-born Jewish courtier, 1510 to 1579, who served the Ottoman sultan. He received Tiberias and planned to resettle Jewish refugees there.NVoicesVoicesNatasha HausdorffNatasha Hausdorff is a British barrister who specialises in international law. She speaks and writes often on the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the legal debates around the war.NOtherNation-State Lawמדינת הלאום של – ישראל : חוק יסודBasic Law passed in 2018 that defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.NEventsNations, League ofחבר הלאומיםInternational organization created after the First World War. In 1922 it gave Britain the Mandate for the land.
PlacesNazarethנצרתLargest Arab city in Israel, in the lower Galilee. Christian tradition says Jesusgrew up there, and the Basilica of the Annunciation marks the site.NPlacesNegevהנגבDesert in the south that covers more than half of Israel's land. Its main city is Be’er Sheva, and the settlement of the Negev was a goal of David Ben-Gurion.NPeople and GroupsNehemiahנחמיהJewish official of the Persian court who came to Jerusalem about 445 BCE and rebuilt its walls, according to the Book of Nehemiah.
PlacesNetanyaנתניהCoastal city founded in 1929 and known for its beaches and diamond industry.NPeople and GroupsNetanyahu, Benjaminבנימין נתניהוIsraeli prime minister, first elected in 1996 and the longest serving in the country's history. He leads the Likud party.
PlacesNeve Tzedekנווה צדקFirst Jewish neighborhood outside Jaffa, founded in 1887 and now a quarter of galleries and boutiques within Tel Aviv.NVoicesVoicesNoa TishbyNoa Tishby is an Israeli-American actress, producer and author of a popular book on Israel. She served as Israel's special envoy for combating antisemitism and delegitimization.NConceptsNobel Prizeפרס נובלInternational prizes awarded since 1901. Israelis have won in chemistry, literature, economics and peace, among them Ada Yonath, S.Y. Agnon, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peresand Daniel Kahneman.NPlacesNorth, TheהצפוןRegion of the northern coast and the Galilee, from Rosh Hanikra to Mount Carmel and the Golan Heights.
PlacesNazarethנצרתLargest Arab city in Israel, in the lower Galilee. Christian tradition says Jesusgrew up there, and the Basilica of the Annunciation marks the site.NPlacesNegevהנגבDesert in the south that covers more than half of Israel's land. Its main city is Be’er Sheva, and the settlement of the Negev was a goal of David Ben-Gurion.NPeople and GroupsNehemiahנחמיהJewish official of the Persian court who came to Jerusalem about 445 BCE and rebuilt its walls, according to the Book of Nehemiah.PlacesNetanyaנתניהCoastal city founded in 1929 and known for its beaches and diamond industry.NPeople and GroupsNetanyahu, Benjaminבנימין נתניהוIsraeli prime minister, first elected in 1996 and the longest serving in the country's history. He leads the Likud party.PlacesNeve Tzedekנווה צדקFirst Jewish neighborhood outside Jaffa, founded in 1887 and now a quarter of galleries and boutiques within Tel Aviv.NVoicesVoicesNoa TishbyNoa Tishby is an Israeli-American actress, producer and author of a popular book on Israel. She served as Israel's special envoy for combating antisemitism and delegitimization.NConceptsNobel Prizeפרס נובלInternational prizes awarded since 1901. Israelis have won in chemistry, literature, economics and peace, among them Ada Yonath, S.Y. Agnon, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peresand Daniel Kahneman.NPlacesNorth, TheהצפוןRegion of the northern coast and the Galilee, from Rosh Hanikra to Mount Carmel and the Golan Heights.O
OEventsOctober 7 attack (2023)באוקטובר 7 טבחAttack by Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. It began the war in Gaza.
PlacesOfakimאופקיםNegev town founded in 1955, settled by immigrants from North Africa.OPlacesOld Jaffaיפו העתיקהHistoric quarter of Jaffa with stone alleys, galleries and the Church of St. Peter.OPlacesOlives, Mount ofהר הזיתיםRidge east of the Old City with the oldest continuously used Jewish cemetery and the Garden of Gethsemane at its foot.OPeople and GroupsOmriעמריKing of Israel from about 880 BCE who founded Samaria as his capital. Assyrian records call Israel the "land of Omri."OEventsOsirak reactorהפצצת הכור בעיראקIraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad that Israeli aircraft destroyed in June 1981.OEventsOslo Accordsהסכמי אוסלוAgreements of 1993 and 1995 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that set up the Palestinian Authority.OPeople and GroupsOttomansמאנים ' העותTurkish dynasty that ruled the land from 1517 to 1917. SuleimanOPeople and GroupsOvadiah of Bertinoroעובדיה מברטנוראItalian rabbi, about 1445 to 1515, who reached Jerusalem in 1488 and revived its community. His commentary on the Mishnah is still widely used.OPeople and GroupsOz, Amosעמוס עוזNovelist, 1939 to 2018, born in Jerusalem. His memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness of 2002 became his best-known book, and he was a prominent voice for a two-state solution.
PlacesOfakimאופקיםNegev town founded in 1955, settled by immigrants from North Africa.OPlacesOld Jaffaיפו העתיקהHistoric quarter of Jaffa with stone alleys, galleries and the Church of St. Peter.OPlacesOlives, Mount ofהר הזיתיםRidge east of the Old City with the oldest continuously used Jewish cemetery and the Garden of Gethsemane at its foot.OPeople and GroupsOmriעמריKing of Israel from about 880 BCE who founded Samaria as his capital. Assyrian records call Israel the "land of Omri."OEventsOsirak reactorהפצצת הכור בעיראקIraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad that Israeli aircraft destroyed in June 1981.OEventsOslo Accordsהסכמי אוסלוAgreements of 1993 and 1995 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that set up the Palestinian Authority.OPeople and GroupsOttomansמאנים ' העותTurkish dynasty that ruled the land from 1517 to 1917. SuleimanOPeople and GroupsOvadiah of Bertinoroעובדיה מברטנוראItalian rabbi, about 1445 to 1515, who reached Jerusalem in 1488 and revived its community. His commentary on the Mishnah is still widely used.OPeople and GroupsOz, Amosעמוס עוזNovelist, 1939 to 2018, born in Jerusalem. His memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness of 2002 became his best-known book, and he was a prominent voice for a two-state solution.P
PPeople and GroupsPalestine Exploration FundBritish society founded in 1865 to survey the land. Its maps and excavations began scientific archaeology in the region.PPeople and GroupsPalestine Liberation Organizationף " אשUmbrella organization of Palestinian groups founded in 1964 and led by Yasser Arafat from 1969. It recognized Israel in 1993.POtherPalestine Symphony Orchestraהתזמורת הפילהרמוניתOrchestra founded in 1936 by the violinist Bronislaw Huberman to employ Jewish musicians who had fled Europe. Arturo Toscanini conducted its first concert. It became the Israel Philharmonic in 1948.PPeople and GroupsPalestinian Authorityהרשות הפלסטיניתSelf-government body set up under the Oslo Accords in 1994 that administers parts of Judea and Samaria.PPeople and GroupsPann, Abelאבל פןPainter, 1883 to 1963, born in Latvia as Abba Pfeffermann. He first came to Jerusalem in 1913 and taught at the Bezalel School. He is known for drawings of Jewish suffering in the First World War and for pastels of biblical stories.PEventsPark Hotel massacreטבח ליל הסדרSuicide bombing of 27 March 2002 at a Passover seder in the Park Hotel in Netanya that killed 30 civilians. Hamas claimed it, and Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield the next day.PEventsPartition Plan, UNתוכנית החלוקהUnited Nations resolution of 29 November 1947 proposing a Jewish and an Arab state with Jerusalem under international rule. The Jewish leadership accepted it and the Arab states rejected it.PPeople and GroupsPaulפאולוסJewish apostle from Tarsus who carried the Christian message across the Roman world and visited Jerusalem several times.PEventsPeel Commissionועדת פילBritish commission of 1937 that first proposed splitting the land into a Jewish and an Arab state.PPeople and GroupsPeres, Shimonשמעון פרסIsraeli statesman, 1923 to 2016, who served as prime minister, foreign minister and ninth president. He shared the 1994 Nobel Prize for peace with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat for the Oslo Accords.PPeople and GroupsPerlman, Itzhakיצחק פרלמןViolinist born in Tel Aviv in 1945, who had polio as a child. He moved to the United States as a teenager and became one of the best-known violinists in the world.PPlacesPersiaפרסAncient empire centered in today's Iran. Cyrus the Greatfounded it and allowed the Jews to return from Babylon.PPeople and GroupsPerushimהפרושיםDisciples of the Vilna Gaon who settled in Jerusalem and Safedfrom 1808 and formed an early community of Ashkenazi Jews there.PPlacesPetah Tikvaפתח תקווהTown east of Tel Aviv founded in 1878, called the "mother of the colonies" because it was the first modern Jewish agricultural village.PVoicesVoicesPeter LernerPeter Lerner is a former international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces. He speaks on military operations and media analysis.PPeople and groupsPhariseesפרושיםJewish movement of the Second Temple period that stressed study and the oral law alongside the written Torah. Their teachers shaped the Mishnah. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE their approach became the basis of rabbinic Judaism. Josephus and the New Testament describe them as a leading party with wide popular support.PPlacesPhilistiaפלשתThe coastal plain of southern Canaan held by the Philistines from about 1175 BCE, centered on the five cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath. Philistia was Israel's chief rival in the days of the judges and the early kings. Assyria later made its cities vassals. Rome eventually applied the name Palaestina, drawn from Philistia, to the whole province after the Bar Kokhba revolt, and the word Palestine descends from it.PPeople and GroupsPhilistinesהפלשתיםSeafaring people who settled the southern coast about 1175 BCE. Their five cities were Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath.PPlacesPhoeniciaפיניקיהCoastal city-states of Tyre, Sidon and Byblos on today's Lebanese coast, home to master seafarers and traders who founded colonies across the Mediterranean, including Carthage. The Phoenician alphabet became the ancestor of the Hebrew, Greek and Latin scripts. King Hiram of Tyre supplied cedar and craftsmen for Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Their neighbors in the land were the Canaanites, whose culture they largely continued.PWorksPhoenician alphabetהאלפבית הפיניקיAlphabet of 22 consonant letters from the Phoenician coast, taking shape about 1050 BCE. The Hebrew, Greek and Latin alphabets descend from it.PPeople and GroupsPilate, Pontiusפונטיוס פילאטוסRoman prefect of Judea from about 26 to 36 CE, who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus. A stone found at Caesarea names him.PPeople and GroupsPinsker, Leoיהודה ליב פינסקרOdessa physician, 1821 to 1891, whose pamphlet Autoemancipation of 1882 urged Jews to seek a homeland of their own.PPeople and GroupsPompeyפומפיוסRoman general who took Jerusalem in 63 BCE and began Roman rule in the land.PEventsProtective Edge, Operationמבצע צוק איתןSeven-week Israeli campaign in Gaza in July and August 2014, in response to rocket fire and tunnel attacks.PWorksPsalmsתהיליםCollection of 150 hymns in the Hebrew Bible, traditionally credited to David.PPeople and GroupsPtolemiesהתלמייםGreek dynasty of Egypt that ruled the land from 301 to 198 BCE until Antiochus III took it.
Q
QPlacesQarqarקרקרAncient city in Syria where the Battle of Qarqar was fought in 853 BCE.QEventsQarqar, Battle ofקרב קרקרBattle of 853 BCE in Syria where a coalition including Ahab of Israel halted the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. An Assyrian inscription lists Ahab's chariots.
Buildings and SitesQumranקומראןSettlement on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves nearby between 1947 and 1956.
OtherQuneitra ViewpointתצפיתLookout over the abandoned Syrian town of Quneitra on the Golan Heights. Syria lost the town in 1967 and it was destroyed by 1974.
Buildings and SitesQumranקומראןSettlement on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves nearby between 1947 and 1956.OtherQuneitra ViewpointתצפיתLookout over the abandoned Syrian town of Quneitra on the Golan Heights. Syria lost the town in 1967 and it was destroyed by 1974.R
PlacesRabin Squareכיכר רביןCentral square of Tel Aviv, renamed after Yitzhak Rabin who was assassinated there on 4 November 1995.RPeople and GroupsRabin, Yitzhakיצחק רביןIsraeli general and prime minister who signed the Oslo Accords. A Jewish extremist assassinated him in Tel Aviv on 4 November 1995.RPeople and GroupsRamses IIרעמסס השניEgyptian pharaoh from about 1279 to 1213 BCE who fought the Hittites at Battle of Kadesh.RPeople and GroupsRamses IIIרעמסס השלישיEgyptian pharaoh from about 1186 to 1155 BCE who defeated the Sea Peoples at the edge of the Nile Delta.RPlacesRehovotרחובותCity south of Tel Aviv, home of the Weizmann Institute of Science founded by Chaim Weizmann.
PlacesRe'imרעיםKibbutz near the Gaza border. Hundreds were killed at the Nova music festival nearby on 7 October 2023.RConceptsReturn, Law ofחוק השבותLaw of 1950 that gives every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel and become a citizen. A 1970 amendment extended it to relatives.REventsRevolt, First (66-73 CE)המרד הגדולJewish rebellion against Rome from 66 to 73 CE. It ended with the burning of the Second Temple and the fall of Masada.RVoicesVoicesRichard HechtRichard Hecht is a former international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces, known for news interviews and briefings.RVoicesVoicesRichard KempRichard Kemp is a retired British Army colonel and former commander of British forces in Afghanistan. He speaks on the laws and realities of modern warfare.
PlacesRishon LeZionראשון לציוןTown south of Tel Aviv founded in 1882 by immigrants of the First Aliyah.RPeople and GroupsRoberts, DavidScottish painter, 1796 to 1864, who toured the land in 1839 and 1840. His lithographs made the Holy Land familiar to European readers.People and GroupsRomansהרומאיםThe rulers of the land from 63 BCE, who put down the Jewish revolts and destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE. Their Byzantine successors ruled until the 7th century.
PlacesRosh Hanikraראש הנקרהChalk cliffs and sea grottos on the Lebanese border at the northern end of Israel's coast.
OtherRothschild BoulevardשדרותTree-lined avenue in Tel Aviv from the city's first years. Israel's declaration of independence was read at number 16 on 14 May 1948.RPeople and GroupsRothschild, Edmond deאדמונד דה רוטשילדFrench banker, 1845 to 1934, who funded early farming villages in the land, including Rishon LeZion.RPeople and GroupsRubin, Reuvenראובן רוביןPainter, 1893 to 1974, born in Romania, who settled in the land in 1923. His bright landscapes helped shape a local style, and he served as Israel's first envoy to Romania.RVoicesVoicesRudy RochmanRudy Rochman is a Jewish activist and former IDF soldier who speaks on campuses and online about Israel, Jewish history and antisemitism.S
SPeople and groupsSadduceesצדוקיםPriestly and aristocratic party of the Second Temple period that accepted only the written Torah and rejected the oral law. They were tied to the Temple and its priesthood, and the party faded after the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.
PlacesSafedצפתHill city in the Upper Galilee. In the 16th century it became the center of Kabbalahand of Jewish scholarship, and the first printing press in the land opened there in 1577.SPeople and GroupsSaladinדין-צלאח אMuslim sultan who defeated the Crusaders at the Horns of Hattin and retook Jerusalem in 1187.SPeople and GroupsSalome Alexandraשלומציון המלכהHasmonean queen who ruled from 76 to 67 BCE, widow of Alexander Jannaeus. Her reign is remembered as a time of peace.PlacesSamariaשומרוןNorthern hill country of the heartland, with the capital of the kingdom of Israel at Sebastia and the old city of Shechem.SEventsSamaria, Fall ofנפילת שומרוןCapture of the capital of the northern kingdom by Assyria in 722 BCE. It ended the kingdom of Israel and scattered much of its population.SPeople and groupsSamaritansשומרוניםSmall community that keeps its own version of the Torah and holds Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, to be the place chosen for worship. They still offer the Passover sacrifice there each year. Jewish and Samaritan tradition give different accounts of their origin. Their number fell to a few hundred in the early 20th century and has since grown to somewhat fewer than one thousand, living at Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim and in Holon.SEventsSan Remo Conferenceועידת סן רמוMeeting of the Allied powers in Italy in April 1920 that assigned the Mandate for the land to Britain. The League of Nationsconfirmed it in 1922.SConceptsSanhedrinסנהדריןCouncil of Jewish sages and judges that served as the highest court and legislature of Jewish life. It sat in Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. After 70 CE it was re-formed at Yavne, later moved to the Galilee, and ended about 425 CE.SPeople and GroupsSarahשרהWife of Abraham and the first of the matriarchs, buried with him in the Cave of the Patriarchs at Hebron.
PlacesSarona Market and Hostage Squareשרונה וכיכר החטופיםFood market in a restored German Templer colony in Tel Aviv. The nearby plaza called Hostage Square became the center of the campaign for the captives of 7 October 2023.
PlacesSatafסטףHillside near Jerusalem with ancient terraces and springs, now a nature reserve.SPeople and GroupsSaulשאולFirst king of Israel, about 1050 BCE, anointed by the prophet Samuel. He fell in battle against the Philistines.SEventsSbarro bombingפיגוע סבארוSuicide bombing of 9 August 2001 at the Sbarro pizzeria on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem that killed 15 people, seven of them children. Hamas claimed responsibility.SPlacesScopus, Mountהר הצופיםRidge north of the Old City with the Hebrew University and Hadassah hospital. It was an Israeli enclave inside Jordanian territory from 1948 to 1967.SEventsScud attacksIraqi missile attacks on Israeli cities during the 1991 Gulf War. Israel did not retaliate, at the request of the United States.
PlacesSde Bokerשדה בוקרKibbutz in the Negev where David Ben- Gurion lived after leaving office and where he is buried.
PlacesSderotשדרותTown near the Gaza Strip, founded in 1951. It has been under rocket fire since 2001 and was attacked on 7 October 2023.SPeople and GroupsSea Peoplesעמי היםSeafaring raiders who disturbed the eastern Mediterranean about 1200 BCE. Ramses III fought them, and the Philistines were among them.
PlacesSebastiaסבסטיהVillage in Samaria on the site of the capital of the kingdom of Israel, founded by Omri. Herod the Great rebuilt it as Sebaste.SPeople and GroupsSeleucidsהסלווקיםGreek dynasty of Syria that took the land from the Ptolemies in 198 BCE and ruled until the Maccabean Revolt gained independence.SPeople and GroupsSeljuk Turksוקים ' הסלגTurkic dynasty that took Syria and the land in the 1070s from the Fatimids. Their conquest helped trigger the Crusades.SPeople and GroupsSennacheribסנחריבKing of Assyria, 705 to 681 BCE. His campaign of 701 BCE destroyed Lachish and besieged Jerusalem but did not take it.SWorksSeptuagintתרגום השבעיםGreek translation of the Hebrew Bible made in Alexandria from the 3rd century BCE for Jews who no longer read Hebrew.SPeople and GroupsShalit, Giladגלעד שליטIsraeli soldier captured by Hamas in 2006 and held in Gaza for five years. He was freed in 2011 in an exchange for 1,027 prisoners.SPeople and GroupsShamir, Yitzhakיצחק שמירIsraeli prime minister in 1983 and 1984 and again from 1986 to 1992. A former underground commander, he took Israel to the Madrid Peace Conference and held back during the Scud attacks of 1991.SPeople and GroupsSharon, Arielאריאל שרוןIsraeli general and prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He carried out the Disengagement from Gaza in 2005, and a stroke in January 2006 ended his career. He died in 2014.SPlacesShechemשכםAncient city near modern Nablus, between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Abraham and Jacob stopped there, and Joshua held the covenant ceremony nearby.SPeople and GroupsShechtman, Danדן שכטמןMaterials scientist born in Tel Aviv in 1941 who works at the Technion. He won the 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering quasicrystals.SPeople and GroupsShemer, Naomiנעמי שמרIsraeli songwriter, 1930 to 2004, who wrote Jerusalem of Goldshortly before the Six-Day War.
PlacesShfelaהשפלהRolling foothills between the coastal plain and the Judean hills, with fortress cities such as Lachish.
PlacesShilohשילהHill town where the Tabernacle stood for centuries before the Temple. Eli and Samuel served there.SPeople and GroupsShishak, PharaohשישקEgyptian pharaoh Shoshenq I, who raided Judah and Israel about 925 BCE and took tribute from Jerusalem, according to 1 Kings 14.Buildings and SitesShrine of the Bookהיכל הספרThe white-domed building of the Israel Museum that holds the Dead Sea Scrollsand the Aleppo Codex.SWorksShulchan AruchCode of Jewish law written by Joseph Karo in Safed and published in 1565.SPlacesSinaiסיניDesert peninsula between Egypt and Israel, where the Bible places the giving of the Torah. Israel took it in 1967 and returned it to Egypt under the 1979 treaty.
EventsSix-Day Warמלחמת ששת הימיםWar of June 1967 in which Israel took the Sinai, Gaza, the Golan Heights, Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem.
OtherSodom and GomorrahסדוםCities of the plain that, according to Genesis 19, were destroyed by fire. Their location is unknown, and some place them near the southern Dead Sea.
People and GroupsSolomonשלמהSon and successor of David, king of Israel about 970 to 930 BCE. He built the First Temple in Jerusalem.SVoicesVoicesStandWithUsStandWithUs is an international education organization founded in 2001 and based in Los Angeles. It produces campus programs, explainers and videos that present the case for Israel and answer common claims.SPlacesStraits of Tiranמיצרי טיראןNarrow channel at the southern tip of the Sinai that controls access to Eilat. Egypt's closure of it in 1967 was a cause of the Six-Day War.SPlacesSuez Canalתעלת סואץWaterway across Egypt opened in 1869. It was the front line of the War of Attrition, and Israel crossed it in 1973.SEventsSuez Crisisמבצע קדשWar of 1956 in which Israel, Britain and France attacked Egypt after it nationalized the Suez Canal. Israel took the Sinai and later withdrew.SPeople and GroupsSuleiman the Magnificentסולימאן המפוארOttoman sultan from 1520 to 1566 who rebuilt the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem in the 1530s.SEventsSykes-Picot Agreementפיקו-הסכם סייקסSecret 1916 agreement between Britain and France to divide the Ottoman Middle East into spheres of influence.SPlacesSyriaסוריהNeighbor to the northeast. It fought Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973, and Israel took the Golan Heights from it in 1967.SPlacesSyria Palaestinaסוריה פלשתינהRoman name for the province that Hadrian created after the Bar Kokhba revolt, replacing Judaea.
PlacesSafedצפתHill city in the Upper Galilee. In the 16th century it became the center of Kabbalahand of Jewish scholarship, and the first printing press in the land opened there in 1577.SPeople and GroupsSaladinדין-צלאח אMuslim sultan who defeated the Crusaders at the Horns of Hattin and retook Jerusalem in 1187.SPeople and GroupsSalome Alexandraשלומציון המלכהHasmonean queen who ruled from 76 to 67 BCE, widow of Alexander Jannaeus. Her reign is remembered as a time of peace.PlacesSamariaשומרוןNorthern hill country of the heartland, with the capital of the kingdom of Israel at Sebastia and the old city of Shechem.SEventsSamaria, Fall ofנפילת שומרוןCapture of the capital of the northern kingdom by Assyria in 722 BCE. It ended the kingdom of Israel and scattered much of its population.SPeople and groupsSamaritansשומרוניםSmall community that keeps its own version of the Torah and holds Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, to be the place chosen for worship. They still offer the Passover sacrifice there each year. Jewish and Samaritan tradition give different accounts of their origin. Their number fell to a few hundred in the early 20th century and has since grown to somewhat fewer than one thousand, living at Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim and in Holon.SEventsSan Remo Conferenceועידת סן רמוMeeting of the Allied powers in Italy in April 1920 that assigned the Mandate for the land to Britain. The League of Nationsconfirmed it in 1922.SConceptsSanhedrinסנהדריןCouncil of Jewish sages and judges that served as the highest court and legislature of Jewish life. It sat in Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. After 70 CE it was re-formed at Yavne, later moved to the Galilee, and ended about 425 CE.SPeople and GroupsSarahשרהWife of Abraham and the first of the matriarchs, buried with him in the Cave of the Patriarchs at Hebron.PlacesSarona Market and Hostage Squareשרונה וכיכר החטופיםFood market in a restored German Templer colony in Tel Aviv. The nearby plaza called Hostage Square became the center of the campaign for the captives of 7 October 2023.PlacesSatafסטףHillside near Jerusalem with ancient terraces and springs, now a nature reserve.SPeople and GroupsSaulשאולFirst king of Israel, about 1050 BCE, anointed by the prophet Samuel. He fell in battle against the Philistines.SEventsSbarro bombingפיגוע סבארוSuicide bombing of 9 August 2001 at the Sbarro pizzeria on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem that killed 15 people, seven of them children. Hamas claimed responsibility.SPlacesScopus, Mountהר הצופיםRidge north of the Old City with the Hebrew University and Hadassah hospital. It was an Israeli enclave inside Jordanian territory from 1948 to 1967.SEventsScud attacksIraqi missile attacks on Israeli cities during the 1991 Gulf War. Israel did not retaliate, at the request of the United States.PlacesSde Bokerשדה בוקרKibbutz in the Negev where David Ben- Gurion lived after leaving office and where he is buried.PlacesSderotשדרותTown near the Gaza Strip, founded in 1951. It has been under rocket fire since 2001 and was attacked on 7 October 2023.SPeople and GroupsSea Peoplesעמי היםSeafaring raiders who disturbed the eastern Mediterranean about 1200 BCE. Ramses III fought them, and the Philistines were among them.PlacesSebastiaסבסטיהVillage in Samaria on the site of the capital of the kingdom of Israel, founded by Omri. Herod the Great rebuilt it as Sebaste.SPeople and GroupsSeleucidsהסלווקיםGreek dynasty of Syria that took the land from the Ptolemies in 198 BCE and ruled until the Maccabean Revolt gained independence.SPeople and GroupsSeljuk Turksוקים ' הסלגTurkic dynasty that took Syria and the land in the 1070s from the Fatimids. Their conquest helped trigger the Crusades.SPeople and GroupsSennacheribסנחריבKing of Assyria, 705 to 681 BCE. His campaign of 701 BCE destroyed Lachish and besieged Jerusalem but did not take it.SWorksSeptuagintתרגום השבעיםGreek translation of the Hebrew Bible made in Alexandria from the 3rd century BCE for Jews who no longer read Hebrew.SPeople and GroupsShalit, Giladגלעד שליטIsraeli soldier captured by Hamas in 2006 and held in Gaza for five years. He was freed in 2011 in an exchange for 1,027 prisoners.SPeople and GroupsShamir, Yitzhakיצחק שמירIsraeli prime minister in 1983 and 1984 and again from 1986 to 1992. A former underground commander, he took Israel to the Madrid Peace Conference and held back during the Scud attacks of 1991.SPeople and GroupsSharon, Arielאריאל שרוןIsraeli general and prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He carried out the Disengagement from Gaza in 2005, and a stroke in January 2006 ended his career. He died in 2014.SPlacesShechemשכםAncient city near modern Nablus, between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Abraham and Jacob stopped there, and Joshua held the covenant ceremony nearby.SPeople and GroupsShechtman, Danדן שכטמןMaterials scientist born in Tel Aviv in 1941 who works at the Technion. He won the 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering quasicrystals.SPeople and GroupsShemer, Naomiנעמי שמרIsraeli songwriter, 1930 to 2004, who wrote Jerusalem of Goldshortly before the Six-Day War.PlacesShfelaהשפלהRolling foothills between the coastal plain and the Judean hills, with fortress cities such as Lachish.PlacesShilohשילהHill town where the Tabernacle stood for centuries before the Temple. Eli and Samuel served there.SPeople and GroupsShishak, PharaohשישקEgyptian pharaoh Shoshenq I, who raided Judah and Israel about 925 BCE and took tribute from Jerusalem, according to 1 Kings 14.Buildings and SitesShrine of the Bookהיכל הספרThe white-domed building of the Israel Museum that holds the Dead Sea Scrollsand the Aleppo Codex.SWorksShulchan AruchCode of Jewish law written by Joseph Karo in Safed and published in 1565.SPlacesSinaiסיניDesert peninsula between Egypt and Israel, where the Bible places the giving of the Torah. Israel took it in 1967 and returned it to Egypt under the 1979 treaty.EventsSix-Day Warמלחמת ששת הימיםWar of June 1967 in which Israel took the Sinai, Gaza, the Golan Heights, Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem.OtherSodom and GomorrahסדוםCities of the plain that, according to Genesis 19, were destroyed by fire. Their location is unknown, and some place them near the southern Dead Sea.People and GroupsSolomonשלמהSon and successor of David, king of Israel about 970 to 930 BCE. He built the First Temple in Jerusalem.SVoicesVoicesStandWithUsStandWithUs is an international education organization founded in 2001 and based in Los Angeles. It produces campus programs, explainers and videos that present the case for Israel and answer common claims.SPlacesStraits of Tiranמיצרי טיראןNarrow channel at the southern tip of the Sinai that controls access to Eilat. Egypt's closure of it in 1967 was a cause of the Six-Day War.SPlacesSuez Canalתעלת סואץWaterway across Egypt opened in 1869. It was the front line of the War of Attrition, and Israel crossed it in 1973.SEventsSuez Crisisמבצע קדשWar of 1956 in which Israel, Britain and France attacked Egypt after it nationalized the Suez Canal. Israel took the Sinai and later withdrew.SPeople and GroupsSuleiman the Magnificentסולימאן המפוארOttoman sultan from 1520 to 1566 who rebuilt the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem in the 1530s.SEventsSykes-Picot Agreementפיקו-הסכם סייקסSecret 1916 agreement between Britain and France to divide the Ottoman Middle East into spheres of influence.SPlacesSyriaסוריהNeighbor to the northeast. It fought Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973, and Israel took the Golan Heights from it in 1967.SPlacesSyria Palaestinaסוריה פלשתינהRoman name for the province that Hadrian created after the Bar Kokhba revolt, replacing Judaea.T
TPlacesTears, Valley ofעמק הבכאValley on the Golan Heights where Israeli tanks stopped a Syrian armored assault in the Yom Kippur War.TBuildings and SitesTechnionהטכניוןIsrael Institute of Technology in Haifa, founded in 1912 and opened in 1924.
PlacesTel Avivתל אביבCity founded in 1909 on sand dunes north of Jaffa. Its Bauhaus- style White City was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.TPlacesTel Aviv-Jaffaיפו-תל אביבThe united municipality of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, formed in 1950. Together they hold about half a million people.TOtherTel Aviv Promenadeטיילת תלSeaside walkway about 14 kilometers long linking Jaffa to northern Tel Aviv.TWorksTel Dan Steleכתובת תל דןFragment of a victory inscription found at Tel Dan in 1993 and dated to the 9th century BCE. It mentions the "House of David," the earliest known reference to David's dynasty outside the Bible. It is in the Israel Museum.TBuildings and SitesTemple, Firstבית המקדש הראשוןThe Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem, traditionally about 960 BCE, and the center of Israelite worship. Babylon destroyed it in 586 BCE.TEventsTemple, First, Destruction ofחורבן בית ראשוןThe burning of Solomon's Temple and of Jerusalem by Babylonin 586 BCE, followed by the exile of much of the population.
Buildings and SitesTemple Mountהר הביתPlatform in the Old City of Jerusalem where the First Temple and Second Templestood. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Today the Dome of the Rock and the Al- Aqsa Mosque stand on it, and Muslims count it their third holiest site.TBuildings and SitesTemple, Secondבית המקדש השניRebuilt and completed in 515 BCE after the return from Babylon. Herod greatly enlarged it. The Romans burned it in 70 CE, and only the retaining walls survive.TVoicesVoicesThe Israel GuysThe Israel Guys is an independent video channel that reports and comments on Israel and the Middle East.TPlacesTiberiasטבריהCity on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, founded about 20 CE. After 135 it became a center of Jewish learning where scholars worked on the Jerusalem Talmud.TPeople and GroupsTicho, Annaאנה טיכוArtist, 1894 to 1980, born in Brno, who came to Jerusalem in 1912. She is known for drawings of the Judean hills. Her home with her husband, the eye doctor Avraham Ticho, is now a branch of the Israel Museum.TVoicesVoicesTikvah FundThe Tikvah Fund supports Jewish and Israeli thought through courses, fellowships and publications. Its podcasts and the magazine Mosaic bring scholars and writers into the discussion of Israel.
Buildings and SitesTimna Parkפארק תמנעDesert park north of Eilat with copper mines worked for several thousand years, an Egyptian temple to Hathor and sandstone formations called Solomon's Pillars.TPeople and GroupsTitusטיטוסRoman general whose army destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE, later emperor. The Arch of Titus in Rome shows the spoils of the Temple.TConceptsTorahתורהThe five books of Moses, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. The word means "teaching" and often refers to all Jewish law and learning.TPeople and GroupsToscanini, Arturoארתורו טוסקניניItalian conductor who led the first concert of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in 1936. He had left Italy in protest at fascism.TPeople and GroupsTwain, MarkAmerican writer who toured the land in 1867. His book The Innocents Abroad described it as run-down and sparsely settled.TPeople and groupsTwelve Tribes of Israelשנים עשר השבטיםThe tribes descended from the sons of Jacob according to the Bible, each with its own territory in the land. Joseph's descendants form two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. The ten northern tribes were carried off by Assyria after the Fall of Samaria in 722 BCE, while Judah and Benjamin formed the kingdom of Judah. The priestly tribe of Levi received towns but no territory.TPlacesTzubaצובהKibbutz in the Judean Hills near Crusader ruins, founded in 1948.
PlacesTel Avivתל אביבCity founded in 1909 on sand dunes north of Jaffa. Its Bauhaus- style White City was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.TPlacesTel Aviv-Jaffaיפו-תל אביבThe united municipality of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, formed in 1950. Together they hold about half a million people.TOtherTel Aviv Promenadeטיילת תלSeaside walkway about 14 kilometers long linking Jaffa to northern Tel Aviv.TWorksTel Dan Steleכתובת תל דןFragment of a victory inscription found at Tel Dan in 1993 and dated to the 9th century BCE. It mentions the "House of David," the earliest known reference to David's dynasty outside the Bible. It is in the Israel Museum.TBuildings and SitesTemple, Firstבית המקדש הראשוןThe Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem, traditionally about 960 BCE, and the center of Israelite worship. Babylon destroyed it in 586 BCE.TEventsTemple, First, Destruction ofחורבן בית ראשוןThe burning of Solomon's Temple and of Jerusalem by Babylonin 586 BCE, followed by the exile of much of the population.Buildings and SitesTemple Mountהר הביתPlatform in the Old City of Jerusalem where the First Temple and Second Templestood. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Today the Dome of the Rock and the Al- Aqsa Mosque stand on it, and Muslims count it their third holiest site.TBuildings and SitesTemple, Secondבית המקדש השניRebuilt and completed in 515 BCE after the return from Babylon. Herod greatly enlarged it. The Romans burned it in 70 CE, and only the retaining walls survive.TVoicesVoicesThe Israel GuysThe Israel Guys is an independent video channel that reports and comments on Israel and the Middle East.TPlacesTiberiasטבריהCity on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, founded about 20 CE. After 135 it became a center of Jewish learning where scholars worked on the Jerusalem Talmud.TPeople and GroupsTicho, Annaאנה טיכוArtist, 1894 to 1980, born in Brno, who came to Jerusalem in 1912. She is known for drawings of the Judean hills. Her home with her husband, the eye doctor Avraham Ticho, is now a branch of the Israel Museum.TVoicesVoicesTikvah FundThe Tikvah Fund supports Jewish and Israeli thought through courses, fellowships and publications. Its podcasts and the magazine Mosaic bring scholars and writers into the discussion of Israel.Buildings and SitesTimna Parkפארק תמנעDesert park north of Eilat with copper mines worked for several thousand years, an Egyptian temple to Hathor and sandstone formations called Solomon's Pillars.TPeople and GroupsTitusטיטוסRoman general whose army destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE, later emperor. The Arch of Titus in Rome shows the spoils of the Temple.TConceptsTorahתורהThe five books of Moses, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. The word means "teaching" and often refers to all Jewish law and learning.TPeople and GroupsToscanini, Arturoארתורו טוסקניניItalian conductor who led the first concert of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in 1936. He had left Italy in protest at fascism.TPeople and GroupsTwain, MarkAmerican writer who toured the land in 1867. His book The Innocents Abroad described it as run-down and sparsely settled.TPeople and groupsTwelve Tribes of Israelשנים עשר השבטיםThe tribes descended from the sons of Jacob according to the Bible, each with its own territory in the land. Joseph's descendants form two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. The ten northern tribes were carried off by Assyria after the Fall of Samaria in 722 BCE, while Judah and Benjamin formed the kingdom of Judah. The priestly tribe of Levi received towns but no territory.TPlacesTzubaצובהKibbutz in the Judean Hills near Crusader ruins, founded in 1948.U
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PlacesWadi Qeltנחל פרתCanyon between Jerusalem and Jericho with a Greek Orthodox monastery, St. George's, clinging to its cliff.WPeople and GroupsWeizmann, Chaimחיים ויצמןChemist and Zionist leader, 1874 to 1952, who helped win the Balfour Declaration and became the first president of Israel in 1949.WPlacesWelcome to ZionCompanion book by Richard J. Koret, an illustrated tour of the sites of Israel, from the Negev to the Golan. It is a standalone project that links to this atlas.
Buildings and SitesWestern Wallהכותל המערביRetaining wall of the Temple Mount platform from the time of Herod. It is the holiest place where Jews may pray and is also called the Kotel.WOtherWestern Wall TunnelsמנהרותPassages beneath the Muslim Quarter that follow the Western Wall for about 500 meters, exposing Herodian stonework.WBuildings and SitesWhite City of Tel Avivהעיר הלבנהSome 4,000 buildings in the Bauhaus and International styles built in the 1930s and 1940s, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2003.WEventsWhite Paper (1939)הספר הלבןBritish policy statement that limited Jewish immigration to 75,000 over five years and then required Arab consent.WPeople and GroupsWilhelm II, KaiserGerman emperor who visited Jerusalem in 1898. Theodor Herzlmet him there.Y
Buildings and SitesYad Vashemיד ושםIsrael's Holocaust memorial and research center in Jerusalem, established by law in 1953.
PlacesYavneיבנהCity on the coastal plain. After 70 CE, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai founded an academy there that preserved Jewish learning after the fall of the Second Temple.YPeople and GroupsYehoshua, A. B.א״ב יהושעNovelist, 1936 to 2022, born in Jerusalem, whose books include Mr. Mani of 1990. He taught at the University of Haifa.YPeople and GroupsYehuda Haleviיהודה הלויSpanish poet and philosopher, about 1075 to 1141, who wrote of his longing for Zion in the line "My heart is in the East." He sailed for the land in 1140.YVoicesVoicesYishai FleisherYishai Fleisher is an international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron and host of a long-running Israel-focused podcast and video show.YConceptsYishuvהיישובHebrew word for settlement, used for the organized Jewish community in the land before the state of 1948. The old Yishuv of religious families in Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias and Hebron predated Zionism, and the new Yishuv grew from the First Aliyah of 1882. By 1948 it had more than 600,000 people, with its own schools, defense force and labor federation.
EventsYom Kippur Warמלחמת יום הכיפוריםWar of October 1973 in which Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish year. Israel recovered and crossed the Suez Canal.YPeople and GroupsYonath, Adaעדה יונתIsraeli crystallographer who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for mapping the structure of the ribosome. She is the first Israeli woman to win a Nobel Prize in science.YVoicesVoicesYossi Klein HaleviYossi Klein Halevi is an Israeli-American author and senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He writes on Jewish identity and Israeli society.Z
ZPeople and groupsZealotsקנאיםName given to Jewish rebel factions in the revolt against Rome of 66 to 73 CE, known as the First Revolt. Groups inside Jerusalem fought each other as well as the Romans. The Sicarii, a separate group, held Masada until its fall. The main source on all of them is Josephus, who opposed the rebellion.ZPeople and GroupsZechariahזכריהProphet of about 520 BCE who, with Haggai, urged the rebuilding of the Second Temple.ZPlacesZionציוןBiblical name of Jerusalem, and by extension of the whole land of Israel. It lends its name to Zionism.ZPlacesZion, Mountהר ציוןHill just outside the walls of the Old City, associated with the Last Supper and with the tomb of King David. The Dormition Abbey stands on it.
ConceptsZionismציונותMovement for the Jewish return to the land of Israel and national renewal there. Herzl gave it a political form in 1897.ZEventsZionist Congress, Firstהקונגרס הציוני הראשוןMeeting called by Theodor Herzl in Basel in August 1897 that founded the organized Zionist movement and set its goal as a home for the Jewish people in the land.
ConceptsZionismציונותMovement for the Jewish return to the land of Israel and national renewal there. Herzl gave it a political form in 1897.ZEventsZionist Congress, Firstהקונגרס הציוני הראשוןMeeting called by Theodor Herzl in Basel in August 1897 that founded the organized Zionist movement and set its goal as a home for the Jewish people in the land.