Menorah Books, a division of Koren Publishers Jerusalem, and Israel365 are publishing a new edition of the Bible, which centers around the land and people of Israel, as well as the dynamic relationship between them.

The 929-chapter Israel Bible, thought to be the world’s first of its kind, is edited by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder and CEO of Israel365. The book, which will be available in Israel in time for Israel Independence Day, highlights the verses in the Bible that relate to Israel and attempts to explain God’s focus on the land of Israel through traditional and contemporary commentaries, maps, charts and illustrations. The Israel Bible contains the original Hebrew text alongside the New Jewish Publication Society translation.

Weisz has been working on The Israel Bible for more than five years. He said that in the 70 years since the modern rebirth of the State of Israel, the Jewish state has been at the forefront of the world’s attention.

“Today, there are countless efforts to vilify the Jewish state. Yet, there is also an ever-expanding movement of biblical Zionists who stand alongside the nation of Israel as an expression of their commitment to God’s eternal word,” Weisz explained. “As we seek to understand the clash between these two conflicting ideologies while seeking to make sense of the modern world’s great interest in Israel, the need for The Israel Bible has never been so timely or important.”

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice president emeritus of the Orthodox Union, said The Israel Bible “connects all the dots” and he expects the book will “draw the reader closer to the Almighty, to the Torah, and to the Land of Israel.”

The Israel Bible will be used in April by the Knesset during its second joint Christian-Jewish Bible Study, a project of the Knesset Caucus for the Encouragement of Bible Study, The Schindler Society and Israel365.

According to MK Yehudah Glick (Likud), who runs these studies, he chose The Israel Bible because “you [can] see that Israel is the Torah’s main theme and begin to understand the major role it plays. The Israel Bible helps you understand that the whole Bible is all about the Land of Israel – and that is a message for all of humanity.”

This is the first Bible to be published by Menorah Books, which was acquired by Koren in 2017. Menorah focuses on fiction and non-fiction imprints in the areas of Jewish spirituality and religious experience. Israel365 was founded by Weisz in 2012 to serve as a bridge between the Jews living in Israel and the nations of the world. Weisz served as a rabbi at the Beth Jacob Congregation in Columbus, Ohio before moving to Israel with his family. He attended Yeshiva University.

Further information about the new ‘Israel Bible’ will appear in a feature story in the Frontlines section of Thursday’s holiday newspaper.