The Origins of Jewish Identity: When Did Jews Actually Become Israel? (feat. Prof. Yonatan Adler)

Welcome to KEDEM Channel! We are happy to bring you a fresh new episode featuring Professor Yonatan Adler. This time, we sit down with Professor Adler to investigate a fundamental question of identity: When did the Jewish people actually start calling themselves "Israel"? While the Bible presents "Israel" as the ancient, primary identity of the patriarchs and tribes, the archaeological evidence tells a different story. Prof. Adler walks us through his fascinating research into non-literary texts—everyday items like coins, receipts, papyri, and tombstones—ranging from the Babylonian Exile to the Muslim Conquest. He reveals a surprising gap between the biblical "ideal" and the historical reality of how ordinary Judeans self-identified. We explore the absence of the name "Israel" in early Diaspora communities, the pivotal moment it finally appears on a coin during the Great Revolt, and the fascinating exception of a young girl in Rome named Irene. About Prof. Yonatan Adler: Yonatan Adler is an Associate Professor of Archaeology at Ariel University, where he heads the Institute of Archaeology. He specializes in the origins of Judaism and the archaeological history of the Second Temple period. His research focuses on "lived religion," combining rigorous text analysis with material culture—such as ancient mikva'ot (ritual baths), chalk vessels, and tefillin—to uncover the daily lives and identities of ancient Judeans. Prof. Adler is the author of the critically acclaimed book "The Origins of Judaism: An Archaeological-Historical Reappraisal" (Yale University Press, 2022), which investigates when the laws of the Torah first came into widespread practice. His most recent publication, "Between Yahwism and Judaism: Judean Cult and Culture During the Early Hellenistic Period" (Cambridge University Press, 2024/2025), explores the religious life of Judeans in the centuries preceding the Maccabean revolt. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro & The Core Question: "Jews" or "Israel"—which came first? 03:54 The Biblical Narrative vs. Modern Scholarship 07:37 Methodology: Why look at "ordinary" texts (coins, papyri) instead of the Bible? 11:56 The Big Reveal: The first historical appearance of "Israel" (The Great Revolt Coin, 66 CE) 17:17 Evidence from the Exile: The Al-Yehudu tablets and Elephantine Papyri (Egypt) 29:40 The Rare Exception: The Roman tombstone of Irene ("Jewess, Israelite") 35:20 The Bar Kokhba Revolt: "Prince of Israel" and messianic titles 40:19 The Pivot Point: Did the Hasmoneans introduce the "Israel" identity along with the Torah? 51:20 Literary Paradox: Why the Book of Esther says "Jews" while the Rabbis say "Israel" 59:17 From Ancient Ideal to Modern State: Ben-Gurion’s decision in 1948 01:04:36 Post-Interview: Identity in the Iron Age & Ancient Borders 01:07:50 The Merneptah Stele: The earliest mention of "Israel" (1200 BCE) 01:10:22 Implications for the United Monarchy Support our work: https://patreon.com/Kedem?utm_medium=... Subscribe for more scholarly discussions on Ancient Near Eastern history! #ancienthistory #Israel #Judea #Archaeology #JewishHistory #YonatanAdler #BiblicalArchaeology #Identity