History · 3 · Deborah

'Israel' first named a powerful tribe

In Merneptah's time, Israel was probably a strong tribe or alliance, perhaps semi-nomads on the edges of Canaanite cities.

Names outlive their first meanings.

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Had later kings not used 'Israel' for the diverse populations they ruled, the name might have been forgotten.

Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 51

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