Israeli Place Names

The names

• Ariel

  Hebrew

  "lion of God"

  Despite its distinguished pedigree and popularity in Israel, Disney's Little Mermaid cartoonized Ariel in the US, at least in some people's minds. But it was used for a male character in…

  

• Jordan

  English from Hebrew

  "flowing down"

  Originally used for children baptized in holy water from the river Jordan, it became one of the leading androgynous names of the nineties. As the balance tips toward the boys' side, it's slipping on…

  

• Arad

• Ashkelon

• Azor

• Beersheba

• Brenner

  German

  "to burn"

  Brenner is an occupational surname for both a charcoal burner and a distiller of spirits. One of the least used of occupational surnames, it has that 'er' ending that definitely adds to its…

  

• Dimona

• Eilat

• Eshkol

• Galilee

  Hebrew

  "the province"

  Galilee is a highly unusual place name, Galilee being a large region in northern Israel, the home of Jesus during at least thirty years of his life, and also where he cured a blind man. The Sea of…

  

• Gilboa

• Golan

• Hadera

• Holon

• Jerusalem

• Judea

• Kabul

• Karmiel

• Lakhish