3.MonarchyKingshiparoseinIsraelasadefensivemeasure.Itchallengedtraditionalmodesofleadershipbutwasultimatelytolerated,ifnotwhollyendorsed.ThestoryoftheriseofkingshipandtheestablishmentofthemonarchyinIsraelisfoundinthebooksofSamuel(seeChapter8).ThebooksofKingscontainanaccountofthekingsinIsrael,duringboththeperiodofnationalunityunderDavidandSolomonandtheperiodofparallelmonarchiesinIsraelandJudahafter...[
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TheOldTestament,orintheJudaictradition,theHebrewBible,isanantiquebookandweneedhelpreadingit.ReadingtheOldTestamentintroducesthekindsofhelpthatareavailable,andteacheshowtoreadthetextbymodelingtheprocess.Mygoalforthissecondeditionremainsthesame:tosurveythecontentoftheOldTestamentandillustratehowmoderndiscoveriescanenrichourunderstandingofthebiblicaltext.ToachievemygoalIhaveshapedabookthatfollowsthes...[
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B.ConquestandSettlement(1280-1020B.C.E.)TheIsraelitesremainedintheSinaiwildernessforfortyyears,enoughtimeforMosesandtheoriginalgenerationtodieoffaftertheydisobeyedGodandweredeniedentryintothePromisedLand.Then,undertheleadershipofMoses'successor,Joshua,thetwelvetribesundertooktheconquestandpenetratedCanaantobeginthelongprocessofsettlingin(seeChapter6).Looselyorganizedintoafederationoftribes,therewa...[
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A.InEgyptandtheExodus(1550-1280B.C.E.)AfterachangeinEgyptiangovernment,theattitudeoftheEgyptianstowardtheHebrewsturnedsourandtheyenslavedthem.GodraisedupMosestoleadtheHebrewpeoplebacktotheirancestralhomelandofCanaan.TheEgyptianswereatfirstreluctanttoallowtheHebrewstoleavebutultimatelywereconvincedbyasuccessionofdevastatingplaguessentbyGod.TheescapefromEgypt,calledtheexodus,iscelebratedyearlyintheP...[
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2.EarlyIsraelTheJacobclanofGenesisbecomesthenationofIsraelinExodus(seeChapter3).TheaccountofearlyIsraelbeforetheconquestofCanaanisfoundinExodus,Leviticus,Numbers,andDeuteronomy.Joshua,Judges,andtheearlychaptersof1SamuelprovideaccountsofIsrael'sinitialeffortstosecurepossessionofCanaan.AnthropoidSarcophagi,thatis,human-shapedburialcontainers,inthiscasemadeoutofpottery.FromtheCemeteryatDeirel-Balah,l...[
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B.AncestralPeriod(2000-1550B.C.E.)ItisdifficulttodetermineanexactdatefortheperiodofIsrael'sancestors,thepatriarchsandmatriarchs.Awidely-heldguessisthatAbrahamandSarah,IsaacandRebekah,andJacob'sfamilywereoftheMiddleBronzeage,thuslivingsometimebetween2000and1550B.C.E.Historianshavealsoplacedthembothearlierandlaterthanthis.Unfortunately,thereisnoexternalevidencethatcanconfirmtheexistenceofanyoftheanc...[
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A.PrehistoryRemainsincavesonMountCarmelneartheMediterraneanSearevealthePaleolithic(OldStoneAge)presenceofhumansinPalestineofatyperelatedtotheNeanderthalsofEurope.AlaterMesolithic(MiddleStoneAge)humancultureoftheNatufianvarietyhasbeenidentifiedatJerichoand'AinMallaha.1.NeolithicPeriod/NewStoneAge(6000-4000B.C.E.)Thisperiodmarksthetransitionfromfoodgatheringtofoodproduction.Duringthistimehumansgradu...[
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1.Pre-IsraeliteHistoryThefirstelevenchaptersofGenesishintattheearliestagesofhumanlifeandcivilization(seeChapter1).Whilethesechaptersdonotconveyhistoryinascientificsense,theydoshowawarenessofthemomentousmovestocivilizationattestedinanthropologyandarchaeology:thefirstconstructionofcities,thedomesticationofanimalsforhumanuse,theconflictbetweenagricultureandshepherding,thedevelopmentofbronzeandirontoo...[
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Thebiblicalstorymovesfromcrisistocrisis.Ifitweregrapheditwouldlooklikethevalleysandpeaksofacardiogram.ValleyswouldbeIsraelinEgyptianandBabylonianbondage.PeakswouldbetheexodusfromEgyptandtherestorationofJudah.
TheexodusandtheexileareIsrael'sformativeexperiences.BothinvolveddisplacementfromthePromisedLand.Thecrisisineachcasewasprecipitatedbyoutsidepressuresfromworld-classempires.Infact,thewholeo...[
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