The religion of ancient Israel and Judah was polytheism Israel emerged from Canaan and so adopted The Canaanite pantheon of gods[1]The Bible says that the religion of Israel and Judah was always monotheistic, but this is not […]
Origins Of The Hebrew Bible
FIVE: THE HEBREW BIBLE: Israel as a people emerged from Canaan not Egypt
Israel as a people emerged from Canaan not Egypt Israel and Judah: The geographical zones. Source: https://bleon1.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/physical-features-of-the-land-of-israel/ Map by Scott Richardson. The existence of a united kingdom and its subsequent divide is central to the Bible’s theology, but as Finkelstein and Silberman point out, this is simply not an accurate representation of the historical reality[1]. The […]
FOUR: THE HEBREW BIBLE: The United Monarchy – David and Solomon*
The United Monarchy – David and Solomon* The Tel Dan Stele, Israel Museum The Bible tells us that before there was a dual monarchy there was a united kingdom, presided over by kings. The first king was the “brooding, handsome”<span “font-size:12.0pt;font-family:=”” “times=”” roman”,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;mso-ansi-language:=”” en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa”=””>[1] Saul from the tribe of Benjamin who reigned from about 1025 to […]
THREE: HEBREW BIBLE: The Patriarchs, Moses, the Exodus and the Conquest of Canaan
The Patriarchs, Moses, the Exodus and the Conquest of Canaan [1]* Merneptah Stele known as the Israel stela (JE 31408) from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. If one approaches the Bible as a historical source, the further back in time you go, the less reliable it tends to become. The recording and retelling of many events, […]
TWO: HEBREW BIBLE: Through the lens of the Babylonian Exile
Through the lens of the Babylonian Exile The collapse of the northern and southern kingdoms In 722 BCE our story begins when the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered and destroyed by the Assyrian invader. Its cities were besieged, and their inhabitants captured and transported disappearing from history as the “ten lost tribes of Israel”. As was […]
ONE: HEBREW BIBLE: Introduction and synopsis of major themes
Introduction and synopsis of major themes Images: http://www.bible-history.com/map_babylonian_captivity/ The Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament or simply HBOT, is a collection of 24 books, written in Hebrew with a small part in Aramaic, which bears similarities to the Old Testament, but it is not the same. The number of books is not the same[1]and […]