 The inscription refers to a people, not to an individual or a nation-state.In modern Hebrew, "b'nei yisrael" ("children of Israel") can denote the Jewish people at any time in history; it is typically used to emphasize Jewish ethnic identity.From the period of the Mishna (but probably used before that period) the term "Yisrael" ("[a member of the People of] Israel") acquired an additional narrower meaning of common Jews who are not Levites or Aaronite priests ("kohanim").