The Israelites are the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, who was later named Israel (Genesis 32:28). Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, with whom God made a covenant to bless all nations through his offspring (Genesis 12:1-3). As such, the Israelites are God’s chosen people, called to be a light to the nations and through whom the Messiah would come.
The term “Israelites” refers specifically to the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher (Genesis 35:22-26). These twelve tribes made up the nation of Israel that God brought out of slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses in the exodus (Exodus 1-15). God gave the Israelites the Law at Mount Sinai and brought them into the Promised Land of Canaan under Joshua’s leadership (Joshua 1-24). The tribes settled throughout the land of Israel, eventually establishing a united monarchy under Kings Saul, David and Solomon.
After Solomon’s reign, Israel split into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel, made up of ten tribes, and the southern kingdom of Judah, made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The northern kingdom was eventually conquered by Assyria in 722 BC, and the ten tribes were scattered and assimilated into other nations. The southern kingdom of Judah remained until it was conquered by Babylon in 586 BC and its people were exiled. However, some from all twelve tribes returned from exile to reconstitute Israel under Ezra and Nehemiah after Babylon’s fall (Ezra-Nehemiah).
In the Old Testament, the terms “Israel,” “Israelites,” and “children of Israel” refer broadly to all descendants of Jacob. Sometimes it designates specifically the united nation, other times only the northern kingdom, and other times only the southern kingdom. The Israelites were God’s chosen people, but struggled with idolatry and disobedience to God’s Law. God sent prophets to call them back to covenant faithfulness before ultimately exiling them for their unbelief.
In the New Testament, the primary meaning of “Israel” shifts to refer to God’s spiritual people rather than an ethnic nation. Some Israelites did faithfully respond to Jesus as the promised Messiah, but many rejected Him. As a result, John the Baptist warned that physical descent from Abraham was no longer a guarantee of blessings from God (Matthew 3:7-10). The Apostle Paul affirmed that not all Israelites were truly children of God, but only those who had the faith of Abraham (Romans 9:6-8). He taught that believing Gentiles were now grafted into true Israel along with believing Jews (Romans 11:11-24). So while “Israel” sometimes still refers to ethnic Jews in the New Testament, the emphasis is on God’s people trusting in Christ by faith regardless of ethnicity.
Origins and Identity
The origins of the Israelites begin with God’s calling of Abram (later Abraham) in Genesis 12:1-3. God promised to bless Abraham, make him a great nation, and bring blessing to all peoples through him. Abraham’s grandson Jacob had twelve sons who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. Though originally named Jacob, God gave him the name Israel after he wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-32). His sons and their families went down to Egypt during a famine and over 400 years grew into a great multitude (Exodus 1:1-7).
Under Moses’ leadership, God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt in the exodus. He brought severe plagues of judgment on Egypt until Pharaoh allowed them to leave. God parted the Red Sea for Israel to escape Pharaoh’s armies, then drowned the Egyptian armies in the sea (Exodus 7-15). This marked Israel’s birth as a new nation redeemed and called by God. At Mount Sinai, God entered into a covenant relationship with Israel and gave them His Law to follow (Exodus 19-24). Israel agreed to this covenant and became God’s chosen people, called for the good of the whole world.
What set Israel apart from other nations was their relationship with Yahweh, the one true God. All other nations worshipped false gods and idols, but Yahweh uniquely revealed Himself to Israel to be their God. He blessed them on the condition that they wholeheartedly worship Him and live by His righteous laws (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). As God’s chosen and holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6), Israel was to model reliance on God’s grace and covenant faithfulness for the surrounding nations to see and be drawn to faith in Yahweh.
The Twelve Tribes and Unified Monarchy
The nation of Israel that emerged from Egypt was organized into twelve tribes, one for each of Jacob’s sons. Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons Manasseh and Ephraim as his own to constitute tribes in their own right (Genesis 48:5-6). The twelve tribes were:
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Manasseh
- Ephraim
- Benjamin
- Dan
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Asher
After 40 years in the wilderness, Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership. The land was divided among the twelve tribes, with lots determining each tribe’s portion of land (Joshua 13-19). The tribes maintained their individual identities and tribal allotments throughout Israel’s history in Canaan.
For several centuries, Israel lived as a loose confederation of tribes with no centralized leadership. During times of crisis, God raised up judges to deliver Israel from oppression by foreign powers. But Israel struggled with idolatry and lawlessness during this period (Judges 2:10-23). Eventually, due to military threat from the Philistines, the tribes united to crown Saul as Israel’s first king (1 Samuel 8-12). Saul was succeeded by David, who established a strong, united kingdom (2 Samuel 2-5). David captured the city of Jerusalem to be his capital. Under his son Solomon, the kingdom reached its peak of wealth and splendor (1 Kings 3-10). However, after Solomon’s death, Israel’s tribes split once again.
The Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. But tribal tensions and resentments under Solomon surfaced again. The ten northern tribes rejected Rehoboam’s harsh leadership and seceded to form the new northern kingdom of Israel. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin stayed loyal to the Davidic dynasty, becoming the southern kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 12). Israel’s capital was established in Samaria, while Judah’s capital remained Jerusalem.
There was frequent hostility and wars between Judah and Israel after the split. Israel very quickly abandoned worship of Yahweh and embraced Canaanite religion. Every one of Israel’s kings “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings). Though Judah also struggled with idolatry, they had several faithful kings who brought revival and reform. This lasted almost 200 years until the Assyrian Empire conquered and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, scattering its people and assimilating them into Assyria (2 Kings 17:5-23).
The kingdom of Judah remained standing for over 130 more years. Unlike Israel, Judah had some good and godly kings such as Hezekiah and Josiah who instituted religious reforms (2 Kings 18-20, 22-23). But Judah ultimately fell into the same pattern of idolatry and injustice as Israel. God sent prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah to warn them of coming judgment, but they refused to repent. So God used Babylon to conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem, and exile its leading citizens in 586 BC (2 Kings 24-25).
The distinction between Israel and Judah continued even after the loss of their land. Those from the northern kingdom of Israel became known as the “Ten Lost Tribes” since they assimilated into pagan nations and largely lost their Israelite identity. Those from Judah and Benjamin in the southern kingdom retained their identity as Jews during the Babylonian exile. These Jews returned under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah after Babylon’s fall to reconstitute Judah as a people (Ezra-Nehemiah).
Covenant Blessings and Responsibilities
As God’s chosen people, Israel was given tremendous blessings and privileges. Above all was the blessing of knowing and worshipping Yahweh, the one true God, as their God while all other nations worshipped false gods (Psalm 147:19-20). God dwelt among them in the tabernacle and later in the temple. He blessed them materially in the land of Israel which flowed with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8).
But God’s calling of Israel was ultimately meant to bless the whole world. God promised Abraham his descendants would bring blessing to all peoples (Genesis 12:3). Israel was to model reliance on God and teach the nations about God’s righteousness and salvation (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6). Their successes and protection by God were meant to draw other nations to reverence God (Joshua 2:9-11).
To walk in these blessings, Israel had to keep their covenant obligations to God. This included wholehearted love and worship of God alone, with no idolatry (Exodus 20:3). They were required to live ethically according to God’s Law, loving their neighbors as themselves (Leviticus 19:18). If they disobeyed, God would discipline them to bring them to repentance and renewal of their covenant relationship with Him. God’s abundant prophecies of judgment were ultimately meant to bring Israel back to faithful covenant life in God’s blessings.
Rebellion and Exile
Tragically, Israel’s history largely proved to be one of rebellion against God rather than enjoying His covenant blessings. Even during the exodus, Israel built a golden calf idol to worship at Sinai even while God’s presence dwelt among them (Exodus 32). Their refusal to trust and obey God kept an entire generation wandering in the wilderness until they died, though the next generation did enter Canaan under Joshua (Numbers 13-14).
In the Promised Land, Israel quickly fell into worshipping Canaan’s false gods alongside Yahweh. They frequently oppressed the poor and powerless in violation of God’s Law. Judges 2:10-23 summarizes this recurring cycle of idolatry, oppression, judgment from foreign powers, deliverance through judges, and eventual return to sin. 1 & 2 Kings describe in detail how both Israel and Judah’s kings led the people away from Yahweh rather than back towards Him. Though God sent many prophets to warn and call Israel to repentance, they consistently refused.
So after persistent, unrepentant disobedience, God used the Assyrians and Babylonians to punish Israel through destruction and exile. The northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:5-23). The southern kingdom of Judah went into Babylonian captivity for 70 years beginning in 586 BC (2 Kings 24-25).
This was the most painful and faith-shaking period of Israel’s history. They lost their land, temple, and largely their national identity. It seemed as if God’s promises to Abraham and David were no longer operative. But God’s prophets assured them that this was disciplinary, not the final end. After punishment would come restoration, both physically back to the land and spiritually back to God (Jeremiah 29:10-14). A faithful remnant would return in faith to Yahweh.
Restoration and Waiting for the Messiah
When Persia conquered Babylon, they allowed exiled Jews to return home to Israel beginning in 539 BC. Under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah, Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple and reconstitute Judah’s identity as a people (Ezra-Nehemiah). While no longer an independent nation, they regained their land, religion, and liturgical life. Prophets like Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them to persevere in faithfulness while awaiting the fulfillment of God’s kingdom promises.
For the next five centuries, Israel (Judah) experienced only partial autonomy under successive Persian, Greek, and Roman rule. But prophets like Malachi continued calling the people to faithful covenant life while awaiting the coming of God’s promised Messiah and kingdom redemption.
During the intertestamental period, pockets of Israelites remained scattered throughout Near Eastern nations. These included descendants of exiled Israelites from the northern kingdom who became known as Samaritans. Significant Jewish populations centers arose in Egypt (Alexandria) and Syria (Antioch) that shaped Judaism’s development.
Within Israel, theological schools and parties like the Pharisees, Sadduccees, and Essenes emerged. Some groups like the Qumran community separated themselves while awaiting the Messiah and the End Times. Roman occupation both connected Israel to the wider world but also brought tension and revolt, especially at the hands of revolutionaries like the Zealots.
So by the first century AD, Israel was fragmented and anxious for the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies. When Jesus arrived proclaiming the Kingdom of God, many hoped He was the Messiah to restore Israel’s greatness. But His way of humility and the cross was not what most Israelites expected. Only his followers, a Jewish remnant, recognized Jesus as Israel’s true Messiah and hope.
Israel After Christ
The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in AD 70 was another catastrophe for the Jewish people. Israel essentially ceased to exist as a centralized, governing entity. The Diaspora scattered Israelites throughout the Roman Empire and eventually reaches of the known world.
Still, a remnant of Jews remained in their ancestral land. Throughout the Diaspora, Jewish communities preserved their ethnic, religious and cultural identity despite frequent persecution. With the Zionist movement of the 19th-20th centuries, large numbers of Jews returned to Israel. The modern State of Israel was declared in 1948. Today, Israel remains a Jewish homeland with Jews immigrating from around the world.
The Church became predominantly Gentile after Pentecost, but many ethnic Jews have still trusted in Jesus as Messiah throughout history. The Church is called to remember its Jewish roots. Many promises to Israel and the Jews remain to be fulfilled when Christ returns.
All believers, whether Jew or Gentile, are part of Abraham’s offspring by faith and full heirs to God’s covenant promises (Galatians 3:29). The Church is considered the New Covenant Israel awaiting Christ’s return to establish His Kingdom (Romans 9-11). One day, Israel will recognize Jesus as their Messiah and be grafted back into spiritual Israel (Zechariah 12:10, Romans 11:23-24).
So while physical Israel largely waits in unbelief, the believing Church, composed of Jews and Gentiles alike, carries forward God’s mission as His redeemed people until Christ’s return. All of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Jesus. The Church is called to walk in the light of Christ as Israel failed to do, to be a blessing to all nations by proclaiming the Good News of redemption through Christ alone.