israel

History

Palestine, considered a holy land by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and homeland of the modern state of Israel, was known as Canaan to the ancient Hebrews. Palestine's name derives from the Philistines, a people who occupied the southern coastal part of the country in the !th century ".C. # Hebrew kin$dom established in %%% ".C. was later split into the kin$doms of Judah and Israel& they were subse'uently invaded by #ssyrians, "abylonians, ($yptians, Persians, )omans, and #le*ander the +reat of Macedonia. "y #.,. -., few Jews were left in Palestine& most lived in the scattered and tenacious communities of the ,iaspora, communities formed outside Palestine after the "abylonian e*ile. Palestine became a center of Christian pil$rima$e after the emperor Constantine converted to that faith. /he #rabs took Palestine from the "y0antine empire in 1-2312%. Interrupted only by Christian Crusaders, Muslims ruled Palestine until the !%th century. ,urin$ 4orld 4ar I, "ritish forces defeated the /urks in Palestine and $overned the area under a 5ea$ue of 6ations mandate from 7!-.

Identification. #ccordin$ to the "ible, Israel is the name $iven by +od to Jacob. /he modern country of Israel includes two distinct nationalities, the Palestinian and the Jewish. (ach nationality is ine*tricable from its reli$ious identity. /he Palestinians are #rabs whose traditions are founded in Muslim culture& the Jews define their culture in lar$e part around their reli$ion as well. (ach $roup identifies as part of a lar$er, international reli$ious and cultural community, and each has a history in the re$ion that $oes back to ancient times.

Location and Geography. Israel is in the Middle (ast on the Mediterranean 8ea, borderin$ ($ypt, the +a0a 8trip, Jordan, 5ebanon, 8yria, and the 4est "ank. Its total area is 9,% 7 s'uare miles :!%,;;% s'uare kilometers<, sli$htly smaller than 6ew Jersey. /he 6e$ev ,esert covers the south of the country. Mountains rise in the central re$ion from the low coastal plain alon$ the Mediterranean. /he Jordan )iver stretches !%% miles :-!! kilometers< from 8yria in the north, emptyin$ into the ,ead 8ea. /he ,ead 8ea :technically a lake< is, at ,- ! feet :2%% meters< below sea level, the lowest inland sea on earth.

Demography. Israel's population in !%%% was .,92!,2.2. /his includes an estimated ; ,%%% Israeli settlers in the 4est "ank, !%,%%% in the Israeli= occupied +olan Hei$hts, 1,.%% in the +a0a 8trip, and ;!,%%% in (ast Jerusalem. /he population is rou$hly 9% percent Jewish& of the total population, -!. percent were born in (urope or #merica& !%.9 percent in Israel& 2.1 percent in #frica& and !.1 percent in #sia. Most of the !% percent who are not Jewish are #rab. reli$ion Religious Beliefs. Judaism is the official reli$ion. (i$hty percent of the population are Jewish, . percent are Muslim, and 2 percent are Christian or ,ru0e. Jews believe in the Hebrew "ible, or /enakh, which corresponds to the Christian >ld /estament. /he most sacred te*t is the /orah, or the five books of

Moses. /he "ible is seen as both historical record and reli$ious law. ,ifferent communities follow the Holy "ook with varyin$ de$rees of literalness. /he strictest are the ultra=>rthodo*, who believe that the 8criptures were physically handed down from +od. /here are also Conservative, )eform, and )econstructionist con$re$ations, who interpret the law more leniently, and who allow women more of a role in the reli$ion. /here also are different sects of Judaism, such as the Hasidim and the 5ubbavicher.

/here are five pillars of faith that Muslims follow. /hey are? a declaration of faith in #llah& prayin$ five times a day& $ivin$ alms to the poor& fastin$ from sunrise to sundown durin$ the holy month of )amadan& and makin$ a pil$rima$e at some point in one's life to the holy city of Mecca. Language Hebrew ulpan in ,imona, 7..

4hile Hebrew and #rabic are the official lan$ua$es of the 8tate of Israel, over 9lan$ua$es are spoken in the country. #s new immi$rants arrived, Hebrew lan$ua$e instruction was important. (lie0er "en=@ehuda, who founded the Hebrew 5an$ua$e Committee, coined thousands of new words and concepts based on "iblical, /almudic and other sources, to cope with the needs and demands of life in the !%th century. 5earnin$ Hebrew became a national $oal, employin$ the slo$an A@ehudi, daber IvritA :AJew = speak HebrewA<. 8pecial schools for Hebrew lan$ua$e learnin$, ulpanim, were set up all over the country.

/he #rts and Humanities

Support for the Arts. /he $overnment founded the ma$a0ine #riel to promote literary endeavors. /he publication now has a web pa$e as well. /here is a national drama company, Habima, as well as dance troupes, a national orchestra, and museums and $alleries, includin$ the Museum of Contemporary #rt in /el #viv and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Literature. Israel has a varied literary scene. Many of its writers have come to the country from abroad, includin$ Bbi$niew Herbert from Poland, Casko Popa from @u$oslavia, and )obert Driend from the Enited 8tates. /he Israeli writer 8hmuel @osef #$non, a +erman who immi$rated to Israel in 7 -, won the 6obel Pri0e for literature in 711. /he poet #rnon 5evy, who was born in Jerusalem, has also $ained international reco$nition, as has @ehuda #michai, whose verses have been translated into a variety of lan$ua$es. #mos >0 is perhaps the best= known Israeli writer internationally. "oth his novels and his nonfiction have been translated into a number of lan$ua$es.

Graphic Arts. Contemporary paintin$ and sculpture are alive and well in Israel. /he Israeli style is hi$hly influenced by (uropean art, but much of it deals e*plicitly with Jewish themes and issues. Israeli artists who have $ained international acclaim include the painters @a'akov #$am, Menashe Fadishman, #vi$dor #rikha, and the sculptors ,any Faravan and @$ael /umarkin.

)itual Jewish art includes beautifully crafted menorahs :candelabra<, wine cups, candlesticks, tallilot :prayer shawls<, and other ceremonial obGects.

Performance Arts. Israel has a well=known philharmonic orchestra. /he country has produced such classical music stars as violinist @it0hak Perlman and pianist and conductor ,aniel "arenboim. /he 5eonard "ernstein International Music Competition in Jerusalem $ives annual awards in classical music. Pop music and rock and roll also have a lar$e followin$, particularly in /el #viv, where local stars such as >fra Ha0a, Ilanit, and 8halom Hanoch perform to enthusiastic audiences. Fle0mer , a form of Jewish music that ori$inated in (astern (urope durin$ the seventeenth century, is a raucous blend of drums, violins, clarinets, keyboards, and tambourines that is common at weddin$ celebrations.

/he Israel "allet Company is world=famous. /here are several modern dance troupes as well, most notably Inbal, "atsheeva, and "at ,or. Israeli choreo$rapher >had 6ahrin is well known in the dance world. Israel also has a lively tradition of folk dances, which are performed by professional troupes and at occasions such as weddin$s. /he hora , a circle dance, is one of the most commonly performed.

/heater also is popular in Israel. Jewish theater is traditionally hi$hly melodramatic, althou$h many contemporary productions adopt many 4estern theatrical conventions and social issues. /here are companies that sta$e productions in )ussian and (n$lish as well as in Hebrew and #rabic. /he film industry, also thrivin$, is best known for its documentaries, includin$ @aakov +ross's Pioneers of Bion , produced in 77., and /oward Jerusalem , )uth "eckermann's 77! production.