Land of Israel define different but similar borders which include the whole of contemporary Lebanon, both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and Israel, except for the South Negev and Eilat. Small parts of Syria are also included. The common biblical phrase used to refer to the territories actually settled by the Israelites (as opposed to military conquests) is "from Dan to Beersheba" (or its variant "from Beersheba to Dan"), which occurs many times in the Bible. It is found in the biblical verses , , , , , , , , and . The 12 tribes of Israel are divided in
Samson found in the Book of Judges. The name "Samson" is derived from the Hebrew word "šemeš", which means "sun", so that Samson bore the name of God, who is called "a sun and shield" in ; and as God protected Israel, so did Samson watch over it in his generation, judging the people even as did God. Samson's strength was divinely derived (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a). Jewish legend records that Samson's shoulders were sixty cubits broad. (Many Talmudic commentaries, however, explain that this is not to be taken literally, for a person that size could not live normally in society.