ISRAEL

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek Israēl, from Hebrew Yiśrā'ēl Jacob 2, the Jewish people, a people chosen by God, ~ adjective II. geographical name kingdom in ancient Palestine comprising the lands occupied by the Hebrew people; established about 1025 B.C.; divided about 933 B.C. into a S kingdom (Judah) & a N kingdom (~), the N portion of the Hebrew kingdom after the division capital Samaria, country SW Asia bordering on the Mediterranean; a republic established 1948 capital Jerusalem area 7993 square miles (20,782 square kilometers ), population 4,037,620