Though the son of a Jewish born father, Midrach Israel, Israel Israel was baptized Episcopalian. His father had converted when he married Mary Paxton, and Israel and his two siblings were raised Anglican. A Philadelphian, Israel spent a decade in Barbados, returning to America with a fortune. He married Hannah Erwin in 1775 and they had seven children.

Deeply involved with freemasonry, late in life he would serve as grand master of the Masonic Order in Pennsylvania. Before that, however, his membership in the society served him well during the Revolution. Captured by the British as a spy while trying to deliver provisions to his parents, Israel discovered that the officers who would try him were masons as well. During the trial, he flashed the secret sign of the Masonic order; the judge dropped all of the charges. He is depicted here making that same sign with his right hand.