EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL ĕl ĕl’ ō he ĭz’ rĭ əl (אֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל, God is the God of Israel). The name of an altar erected by Jacob.

When Jacob returned from Paddan-aram with his family, he purchased a portion of a field from the “sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father,” on which he had camped (Gen 33:18-20). This Canaanite family ruled Shechem which made it possible for Israel to have a permanent shrine here. This later proved useful when they took the land under Joshua (Josh 24:32). On this lot Jacob erected an altar and named it “El is the God of Israel,” a confessional altar or shrine which appropriated the Canaanite deity name “El” (the Mighty One) for use as one of the designations of Israel’s God.