To understand Israel’s place in the Middle East today one must appreciate the history and religion. That’s why we are going to do three quick parts on the area that is today Israel. We’ll get more detailed as we approach the present. The dominant religion of the area today we address separately.
Borders
Israel is a small country in the Middle East. It is about the size of New Jersey located on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Israel borders Egypt on its the southeast. Jordan forms its southwestern border. Syria borders it to the northwest and Lebanon forms the northerly border. The western border is the Mediterranean Sea.
Population
The nation of Israel has a population of about 9 million people. The Jewish population makes up 6,738,500 or 74.8%; 1,878,000 or 20.9% are Arabs; and, those identified as “others” non-Arab Christians, Baha’i, etc. make up 426,000 or 4.8% of the population. In 2017, the population by religion was roughly 18% Muslim, 2% Christian and 2% Druze.
At establishing there were 806,000 Israeli residents. The total population reached its first million in 1949. It reached its second million in 1958. Judging by current population trend data, experts predict that the population of Israel will reach 10 million by 2024 or sooner. In addition to these numbers, there are approximately 170,000 people living in Israel who are neither citizens nor permanent residents.
From Abraham
The country has many important archaeological and religious sites. Jews, Muslims, and Christians consider these sites sacred. The area has a complex history with periods of both peace and conflict.
Much of what scholars know about Israel’s ancient history comes from the Hebrew Bible. According to its text, Israel’s origins trace back to Abraham. Abraham is the father of both Judaism and Islam. He is the father of Judaism, through his son Isaac. He is the father of Islam, through his son Ishmael.
Abraham’s descendants were Egyptian slaves for hundreds of years before fleeing and settling in Canaan. Canaan is approximately the region of modern-day Israel. The word Israel comes from Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. The Hebrew God in the Bible renamed Jacob “Israel”.
David through the first temple
King David ruled the region around 1000 B.C. His son became King Solomon. Solomon gets credit for building the first holy temple in ancient Jerusalem. God had given its plans to his father, King David, through the prophet Nathan. King David had wanted to build it himself but was told that his son would be the one to do it.
In about 931 B.C., the area split into two kingdoms. The north became Israel. The south became Judah. Around 722 B.C., the Assyrians invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. In 568 B.C., the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem. The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Jews first temple. The first temple was replaced by a second temple in about 516 B.C.
Second temple to WWI
The second temple was awe-inspiring because of its Jewish religious significance. It was also important for its physical dimensions, its grandeur, and its beauty. It’s destruction came in 70 CE by Rome. This plaza is the Temple Mount of today where the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa mosque stand. To construct this platform, Herod built a box around Mount Moriah and filled it in. The plaza covered this box and expanded the available land at the peak of the mountain.
Then followed several centuries where the land was conquered and ruled by many various groups. What is today modern-day Israel has been conquered and ruled by Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Fatimids, Seljuk Turks, Crusaders, Egyptians, Mamelukes, Islamists among others. From 1517 to 1917 A.D. Israel, along with much of the Middle East, it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey).