February 14, 2003

What Should We Call Eretz Israel/Land of Israel - Filasţīn /Palestine?

By David Steinberg

It has become painfully obvious that a name is needed for the area west of the Jordan River and south of present-day Lebanon that would not propagandize for or against Jewish and Arab claims. This is mainly relevant for discussion of current issues since, for discussion of archaeology, history etc. modern political state names, combined with ancient country designations (Israel, Judah, Phoenicia, Aram-Damascus, Ammon, Edom, Moab etc.) usually would suffice. Traditionally Jewish circles have called this area, plus some additional ones, Eretz Israel, while non-Jewish authors have used the term Palestine and Arabs used Filasţīn. Unfortunately:

the term Palestine/Filasţīn (for its origin see When Palestine Meant Israel by David Jacobson Biblical Archaeology Review May/June 2001) is confusing since it can refer to either a geographical area, which might include both Cisjordan and Transjordan, or to the future Palestinian state and it is frequently used in the context of arguments challenging Israel’s right to exist; while,

The term Eretz Israel is confusing since it can refer to a geographical area, which, according to the Torah[1], includes Cisjordan, present-day Lebanon, most of present-day Syria and part of present-day Egypt (northern Sinai). This area includes regions never settled by Israelites[2] and excludes Gilead which became one of the 3 main areas of Ancient Israelite settlement[3]. The term Eretz Israel is frequently used in the context of arguments challenging Palestinian claims to nationhood and their right to land east of the Jordan River.

There is clearly a need for a new term for the area west of the Jordan River and south of present-day Lebanon which would include areas within Israel and the Palestinian state and would be politically neutral but rooted in history.

I have three alternatives:

Retenu[4] – this Egyptian term, the oldest known name for the country, had conveniently vague geographically boundaries; or very much a second choice –
Canaan[5] – this has the advantage that it was the term used for the land by the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the country but the disadvantage that it included at various times, in addition to, Cisjordan also present-day Lebanon, most of present-day Syria and part of present-day Egypt (northern Sinai); or,
Cisjordan – this is not historically or aesthetically appealing.

[1] See map 51 The Travels of the Spies and the Limits of the Land of Canaan in Aharoni, Y and Avi-Yonah, M, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, third edition revised by A F Rainey and Z Safrai, MacMillan 1993

[2] See map 69 The Land that Remains in Aharoni, Y and Avi-Yonah, M, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, third edition revised by A F Rainey and Z Safrai, MacMillan 1993

[3] the other two were: 1. the central hill country settled by the tribes (north to south) Manasseh, Ephraim, Benjamin, Judah, Simeon; 2. the Galillee

[4] See map 26 The Middle East in the Mid-Second Millennium B.C. in Aharoni, Y and Avi-Yonah, M, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, third edition revised by A F Rainey and Z Safrai, MacMillan 1993

[5] See map 51 The Travels of the Spies and the Limits of the Land of Canaan in Aharoni, Y and Avi-Yonah, M, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, third edition revised by A F Rainey and Z Safrai, MacMillan 1993