Before 1948, the whole region was known as Palestine under the British Mandate (1920–1948) . Upon independence in 1948, the country formally adopted the name State of Israel. Other proposed historical and religious names including Land of Israel (Eretz Israel), Ever (from ancestor Eber), Zion, and Judea, were considered but rejected, while the name Israel was suggested by Ben-Gurion and passed by a vote of 6–3. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.