Israel From the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) meaning "God contended". First, let me say that I am not a biblical scholar, but I wanted very much to understand biblical history so that I could better put the scripture I do study into better context. It is my intent here to share what I've learned. The name 'Israel' was first given to the son of Isaac, Jacob, after he wrestled with an angel of the Lord by the river Jabbok (Genesis 32:22-32) at Peniel/Penuel. Jacob's descendants later become the people of Israel, or the Israelites, or the Tribes of Israel of which there were twelve. Eventually these tribes settled in the Land of Caanan (modern Palestine and Israel) after defeating the Caananites. Prior to this conquest, the Israelites were know as Hebrews, still the descendants of Jacob, or 'Israel', but once they had this 'Promised Land' that they named Israel after their ancestor, they came to be called or call themselves Israe...
This blog was started to go along with a Christian Bible study that a friend and I led for a short time in Placerville, CA. I've continued to occasionally post new content related to my own continued study. It is my hope and prayer that those visiting this site find it helpful.