Yehud

Yehud is a name with several related meanings in Jewish and Israeli history. In biblical Hebrew, Yehud is the form of Judah and is used to refer to the Kingdom of Judah as well as the geographic region of Judea. In the context of the Achaemenid Empire, Yehud Medinata denotes the province established after the Babylonian exile, a Persian administrative district centered on Jerusalem. In modern times, Yehud is the name of a city in central Israel.

Etymology and usage: The term Yehud derives from the Hebrew name Yehudah (Judah). In ancient sources, the province is often called Yehud or Yehud Medinata; Greek and Latin texts later render it as Ioudhaía or Iudaea, reflecting the continuity of the same name across different languages and eras.

Ancient Yehud: Following Cyrus the Great’s policies after 539 BCE, Yehud Medinata was organized as a Palestinian provincial district with governance under Persian oversight. It encompassed Jerusalem and surrounding areas and functioned as a relatively small, administratively controlled unit within the empire. The name continues to appear in Hellenistic and early Roman contexts, eventually evolving into the Roman province of Iudaea/Judea.

Modern Yehud: The modern city of Yehud is located in the Central District of Israel, within the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It developed as a suburban community in the 20th century and has grown into a municipality with residential neighborhoods and local services. Yehud is connected to Israel’s road and public transportation networks and forms part of the broader urban and economic fabric of central Israel.