A Brief History of Palestine
Forged in Continuous Conflict
Week 2
Palestine has been controlled by
numerous different peoples,
including the Ancient Egyptians,
Canaanites, Philistines, Tjekker,
Ancient Israelites, Assyrians,
Babylonians, Persians, Ancient
Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, early
Muslims (Umayads, Abbasids,
Seljuqs, Fatimids), Crusaders, later
Muslims (Ayyubids, Mameluks,
Ottomans), the British, the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
(1948–1967, on the "West Bank")
and Egyptian Republic (in Gaza),
and modern Israelis and
Palestinians.
Recap:
• We noted that we cannot understand modern Israel without studying its Past.
• Caveat: History, at best, can relate only what probably happened.
• Canaanites early Semitic tribe:
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Canaan grandson of Noah Canaanites descendants of Canaan (Gen.),
Means “purple” in Hurrite language,
Greeks called Canaanites “Phoenicians” (Purple People)
Color Purple refers to purple clothing dye they extracted from sea shells
• Important that we understand their neighbors to put biblical stories in their own context.
• Sources
• Biblical
• Archeological
Recap
• 3500 B.C. – 2500 B.C. agriculture just
beginning
• Early steps toward transformation from
nomadic existence to village dwelling
• Allows specialization that enables Civilization
• Egyptians build pyramids, invent mining, use
Papyrus, invent calendar, invent sail, beer
• Mesopotamia: independent invention of
beer, wheel, bronze, cuneiform writing, use
of draft animals in farming, irrigation in
Sumer
• 2100 B.C. Epic of Gilgamesh - Flood story
with ark and animals (Tablet 11)
• People were polytheistic – Abraham called
by God to go from Ur to Canaan ~1100
miles. (Gen. 12)
• Isaac (ancestor of Jews) and Ishmael
(ancestor of Arabs) born in Canaan (Gen. 1618).
• Time is now about 1800 B.C.
The Situation
• Palestine located in Fertile
Crescent, between Egypt
and a continual line of alien
forces, each hostile to
Egypt, each of which wants
to control the trade routes
through the area.
What’s going on in the neighborhood?
1813 B.C. – 1781 B.C. Northern
Mesopotamia controlled by Amorites
(Semitic tribe)
1792 B.C. -1750 B.C. Hammurabi unites
Mesopotamia into Kingdom of Babylon,
establishes first known code of laws.
1712 B.C. Hammurabi’s son and
successor dies, Euphrates suddenly
changes course. Babylon begins decline.
1797 B.C. Egyptian Pharaoh Amenemhet
III dies, dynasty begins decline
1700 B.C.– 1650 B.C. Hittites rise
(probably from Black Sea area), sack
Hattusa, rebuild it as Hittite capitol
1595 B.C. Hittites take Babylon
A little Genealogy
Nahor was the Father of Terah (Gen. 11:22)
Nahor II was the son of Terah, uncle and husband
of Milcah, married her in Ur, but then moved to
Haran. Father of Bethuel.
Bethuel was, the father of Rebecca and Laban.
Rebecca married Isaac.
Isaac and Rebecca had 2 sons Esau and Jacob
Laban had 4 daughters. Bilhah and Zilpah were
handmaidens to Leah and Rachel.
Jacob married all 4. Jacob had 12 sons and at least
one daughter (Dinah).
Jacob wrestled with a man (Gen. 32:24), God (Gen.
32:28), or with an Angel (Hosea 12:4) (Josephus),
and thereafter his name was changed to Israel.
• 1640 B.C. Egypt invaded by
Hyksos (Semitic Canaanites) with
horse-driven chariots, northern
half of Egypt taken. Egyptians
still rule in the south.
• 1630 B.C. –Joseph sold into
Egypt (Gen 37:12). Joseph
becomes Viceroy.
• 1620 B.C. - Famine forces Jacob
(Israel) and 12 sons settle in
Egypt (Gen. 47:1).
• 1532 B.C. Ahmose I defeats and
expels Hyksos. Founded 18th
Dynasty.
• Canaanites reduced to slavery
(Gen. 47:13-26)
• A New Political Reality
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– 5 major powers
The Egyptian New Kingdom
Egypt restored its control over Nubia, in
Palestine, clashed with the Mitannians and
the Hittites.
Amenhotep I (1546-1526 B.C.), Thutmose I
(1525-1512 B.C.)
Queen Hatshepsut (1503-1482 B.C.),
regent for her young stepson (Thutmose
III, Egypt’s greatest military hero), but she
rose to become a pharaoh.
1469 B.C. Thutmose III defeats Canaanites
at Kadesh world’s first great empire, Nubia
to the Euphrates River in Asia.
Amenhotep IV (Akenaten)(1352 B.C.-1336
B.C.) was a monotheist. Caused turmoil.
Allowed only temples to Aten. Nefertiti.
Tutankhamen (1336 B.C.-1327 B.C.)
restored Amun. Marries Anksenamun his
half-sister.
1327 B.C. Ankhsenamun, writes to Hittite
King asking him to send a son to be her
husband and King of Egypt.
The Hittite Empire
•1400 B.C. - 1200 B.C. New Kingdom of the
Hittites (the Hittite Empire).
•1380 B.C. First instances of iron working in the
Hittite Empire.
•1350 B.C. - 1250 B.C. The Hittite empire is at its
peak.
•1344 B.C. - 1322 B.C. Hittites destroy Mitanni.
•1344 B.C. - 1322 B.C. Hittites conquer Syria.
•1274 B.C. Battle of Kadesh between Pharaoh
Ramesses II of Egypt and King Muwatalli II of the
Hittites. First known peace treaty.
•1245 B.C. Battle of Nihriya: Tukulti-Ninurta I of
Assyria defeats Tudḫalia IV of the Hittites.
•1200 B.C. Phrygians invade Anatolia and
destroy the Hittite empire.
• Rameses II (1303 B.C. – 1213 B.C)
• – Rameses the Great
• Father: Seti I Mother: Tuya Wife:
Nefartari
• Reign 1279 B.C. – 1213 B.C. 66 years
2 mo.
• 1274 B.C. Battle of Kadesh against the
Hittites, Rameses II's most famous
battle, located in modern day Syria.
• 1258 B.C. First known Peace treaty.
Both sides claimed the other side
asked for peace.
• Massive building campaigns – Abu
Simbel, the Ramesseum, and piRameses the new capital
• More than any other Pharaoh, he
restored the old polytheistic religion
• Pharaoh at time of Exodus
• Rameses II (1303 B.C. – 1213
B.C)
• – Rameses the Great
• Father: Seti I Mother: Tuya
Wife: Nefartari
• Reign 1279 B.C. – 1213 B.C. 66
years 2 mo.
• 1274 B.C. Battle of Kadesh
against the Hittites, Rameses 2's
most famous battle located in
modern day Syria.
• 1258 B.C. First known Peace
treaty. Both sides claimed the
other side asked for peace.
• Massive building campaigns –
Abu Simbal and pi-Rameses the
new capital
• More than any other Pharaoh,
he restored the old polytheistic
religion
• Pharaoh at time of Exodus
• Exodus
• Moses born under Rameses II rule
• Probably after 1271 B.C.
• Placed the Nile in a reed boat,
drawn out by a daughter of
Rameses and adopted (Ex 2:1)
• Mose means “son of” and should
have included a god’s name, as in
Thutmose, Ahmose
• Moses kills Egyptian, flees to
Midian. (Ex 2:11-15) Marries
Zipporah daughter of Jethro.
• Sees burning bush (Ex. 3:1)
returns to Egypt (Ex. 4: 18),
through Aaron, demands release
of Hebrews (Ex. 7)
• 10 Plagues (Ex. 7-11)
• Mt. Sinai Moses receives 10
Commandments (Ex. 20:1)
• God bars Moses from entering
Canaan.(Dut. 3:21)
Canaanite Campaign
• Joshua and Caleb were born in Egypt before the Exodus.
Were two of 12 spies sent into Canaan by Moses.
• They wanted to enter Canaan directly, but the Hebrews
thought the Canaanites were too strong. Joshua and
Caleb said they could do it. (Num. 13:30) ((Qur’an (Surah
5:20-26)). Instead, the Hebrews went around.
• Upon Moses’ death Joshua assumes command and enters
Canaan, crosses Jordan, attacks Jericho.
• The prevailing scholarly view is that Joshua is not a factual
account of historical events.
• Was widespread city-destruction, but with a few
exceptions (Hazor, Lachish) the destroyed cities are not
the ones the Bible associates with Joshua, and the ones it
does associate with him show little or no sign of even
being occupied at the time
• Archeological and Radio carbon dating shows Jericho
destroyed between 1610 B.C. and 1550 B.C., much too
early.
• 1209 B.C. “Israel” occurs in the Merneptah stele, "Israel is
laid waste and his seed is not.”
David and Solomon
• Saul (1082 B.C. – 1010 B.C.) appointed the 1st King
of Israel
• Battles Philistines, David kills Goliath (1 Samuel
17)
• Saul later rejected by God for not following
instructions
• Saul falls on sword to avoid capture by Philistines
• David anointed king of Judah (1010 B.C. – 970
B.C.); War ensued between Judah and Israel,
Saul’s son murdered, David made King of Judah
and Israel. Captured Jerusalem.
• Had affair with Bathsheba, wife of his friend Uriah
the Hittite. Arranged for Uriah to be killed in
battle.
• Solomon son of David and Bathsheba succeeded
him (970 B.C. -931 B.C.). Built 1st Temple. 1 of 48
Prophets (Talmud), a major prophet (Qur’an)
Next Time:
The Exile