The State ofIsrael (Hebrew: מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisra’el ; Arabic: دولة إسرائيل) is a small yet diverse Middle Eastern country. The modern State of Israel was established in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people, but the region contains thousands of years of history for many peoples and religions in addition to the Jews. Israel is considered part of the Holy Land (together with areas of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian territories). The three major Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as the Baha’i faith, were founded or have strong ties to this land, and their holy and historic sites are major destinations for pilgrims and tourists from around the world.