▁their ▁( d ias por ic ) ▁mother ▁tong ues ▁and ▁adopted ▁new , ▁Heb rew ▁names . ▁Heb rew ▁was ▁preferred ▁not ▁only ▁for ▁ide ological ▁reasons , ▁but ▁also ▁because ▁it ▁allowed ▁all ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁state ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁common ▁language , ▁thus ▁further ing ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁cultural ▁b onds ▁among ▁Z ion ists . ▁ ▁Major ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁Z ion ist ▁idea ▁are ▁represented ▁in ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Independ ence : ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁first ▁centuries ▁of ▁the ▁CE , ▁most ▁Jews ▁have ▁lived ▁outside ▁the ▁Land ▁of ▁Israel ▁( E ret z ▁Israel , ▁better ▁known ▁as ▁Palest ine ), ▁although ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁constant ▁minor ity ▁presence ▁of ▁Jews . ▁According ▁to ▁J uda ism , ▁Christian ity , ▁and ▁Islam , ▁E ret z ▁Israel ▁is ▁a ▁land ▁promised ▁to ▁the ▁Jews ▁by ▁God ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁and ▁Greek ▁B ibles ▁and ▁the ▁Q ur an , ▁respectively . ▁The ▁D ias por a ▁began ▁in ▁ 5 8 6 ▁B CE ▁during ▁the ▁Bab yl onian ▁occupation ▁of ▁Israel . ▁The ▁Bab yl oni ans ▁destroyed ▁the ▁First ▁Temple , ▁which ▁was ▁central ▁to ▁Jewish ▁culture ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 st - century ▁Great ▁Revol t ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 nd - century ▁Bar ▁K ok h ba ▁revol t , ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁exp elled ▁the ▁Jews ▁from ▁J ude a , ▁changing ▁the ▁name ▁to ▁Sy ria ▁Pala