The Children of Israel Have Been in Israel for 3,700 Years

The Jewish people, known in ancient times as the Children of Israel, have lived in the Land of Israel for approximately 3,700 years. This connection began around 1,800 BCE with the biblical Patriarchs — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — who settled in the land of Canaan. According to tradition, God promised this specific land to Abraham and his descendants. Jacob, later renamed Israel, had twelve sons whose families became the Twelve Tribes of Israel. This marks the start of a continuous historical, cultural, and religious bond between the Jewish people and the land.

After the Exodus from Egypt (traditionally dated between the 15th and 13th centuries BCE), the Israelites returned and settled in the land under Joshua. They established a nation that would exist in various forms with independent authority for the next 1,500 years, as the dominant people in the area. This included the period of the Judges, the united kingdom under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon (who built the First Temple in Jerusalem around 950 BCE), and the later divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Jerusalem served as the capital and spiritual center for the Jewish people throughout this long history.

Even after major destructions and exiles — such as the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE and the Babylonian destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE — Jews continued to live in the land. Many returned when permitted, especially after King Cyrus of Persia allowed them to come back and rebuild the Temple. Later, after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Jewish communities remained in places like Galilee, Tiberias, and Jerusalem. Throughout the centuries that followed, under different empires and rulers, Jewish families consistently returned and maintained a presence in their ancestral homeland that has continued till this day.

This 3,700-year connection is supported by the Hebrew Bible, archaeological discoveries, ancient writings, and an unbroken chain of Jewish literature and prayer all centered on the Land of Israel. No other people has maintained such a long, continuous link to this land. The modern State of Israel represents the latest chapter in this ancient and enduring story.