The Space and Time
Perspective:
Geographical and Historical
Backgrounds
Here’s a Question for You
• Which of the following cities is located in
northwestern Mesopotamia?
Ur
Shechem
Sumer
Haran
And why is that important?
Definitions
• Geography – study of the land
• History (simply) – the succession of events
Announcements
• Review session Thursday evening – J226 at
9:00
• Open Forum this evening at 7:15 pm – any
questions are welcome (J237)
Psalm 133:1
• HINNEH MAH TOV U-MAH
• Behold
how good and how
(is)
• SHEVET
AḤIM
• (the) sitting (of) brothers
• GAM
YAḤAD (twice)
• also
together
• HINNEH MAH TOV (twice)
• Lai lai lai ……..
NA’IM
pleasant
Rationale for study
• Geography shapes where and how people
live and therefore, it helps us understand
how the history unfolds
• History contains lessons for us as we see
both the pattern of endless human
disobedience and the patience and grace
of God as He intervenes on behalf of His
people
Geography of the Ancient Near
East
Geography of the Ancient Near
East
• Large land structures, barriers, and land
bridge
– Mesopotamia (Aram/Syria at NW “corner”)
– Egypt
– Anatolia
– Great deserts (Arabian and Sinai)
– Mediterranean Sea
– “the land between”
The Fertile Crescent
Water sources: Vital for life and
culture
• The Fertile Crescent
– Rivers of Mesopotamia – Tigris and
Euphrates
– Effects of the Mediterranean Sea
• Nile in Egypt
Land Formations in Israel and
Neighboring Regions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Coastal plain
Shephelah
Hill country
Wilderness
Rift Valley
Transjordan
Negev
Northern lands
Longitudinal Zones
Coastal Plain: Ashkelon
Shephelah: Elah Valley
Hill Country of Judah and Benjamin
Judean Wilderness
Rift Valley: The Dead Sea
Rift Valley: Jericho and Jordan
Valley
Transjordan: Petra
Petra
Negev
The Galilee
The Galilee: Headwaters of Jordan
River at Dan
Travel Routes
• Adequate water
• Even terrain
• International Coastal
Route
• Transjordanian
Highway (“Kings’
Highway”)
• Ridge route (route of
the patriarchs)
Trade and Commerce
• Largest communities built up around major
travel routes
• Routes accommodated military and commercial
traffic
• Caravan routes from southwestern Arabia which
produced myrrh and frankincense. Spices from
India, silks from China
• It was not easy to move these materials by ship.
Thus, the “ship of the desert” – the camel.
Climate of Israel
Effects of Sea, Desert and Mountains
Meteorological principle: Rising air cools and
loses its moisture as it moves from sea over dry
desert land. Rainfall increases with higher
elevation.
• Rainfall decreases from north to south, west to
east, and high elevation to low
• This is also the “land between” climate belts –
cyclone and sub-tropic belts; thus, it enjoys two
seasons
Margin of the Fertile Crescent
Produce of the Land
• Grain, new wine, oil (Deut 11:14; Joel 1:10) – order in
which they are harvested
• “Bread” is synonymous with “food” – in antiquity people
got approximately 50% of daily calories from bread.
• Wine provided iron in diet since there was not meat on
regular basis; it was also a water purifier.
• Olive oil for light, medicinal purposes; pits and hulls for
fuel and animal food; food
• In some areas, there were large herds (bulls of Bashan).
Natural vegetation was trees (oaks of Bashan) and rich
pasture. What happened to the trees?
A “Marginal” Region
• Agriculturally dependent on rainfall –
importance of “early and latter rains”
• Geo-politically vulnerable
• The “testing ground of faith” (Deuteronomy
11:10-17)
Adding History to Geography
• From patriarchs to Jesus – a general
scheme:
Abraham Moses David Ezra Jesus
_________________________________
2000
1450 1000 460 BC/AD
International Powers
• Egypt
• People from the north (Hittite/Hurrian)
• Political entities in Mesopotamia:
Ur (a major city-state)
ca. 2000
Old Babylonian empire
1800-1700
Time of external domination (Amorites)
Assyrian empire
1350-612
Neo-Babylonian empire
612-539
Persian empire
539-333
Neighboring “nuisances”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Amorites
Canaanites
Edomites
Moabites
Ammonites
Midianites/Ishmaelites
Amalekites
Philistines
Aram/Syria