Jewish attachment to the Land of Israel, much like Judaism itself, has evolved throughout history and changed with respect to environment and the situations of time and place. The Covenants made between God and the Jewish people, as recorded in the Bible, reveal the origins of this change, helping to explain it. As the people evolved from a clan of forefathers and foremothers into a nation with laws, so too does their relationship with both God and the land. The nine covenants can thus be divided into two distinct sections; pre and post exile from Egypt and the reception of the laws at Sinai. (source)