The
Israelites
Geography and Demography
• Extends from the western edge of the Assyrian Empire to the “Upper
Sea”
• Negev and Sinai Desert Wastelands
• Hills of Shephelah and Galilee
• Relatively fertile
• Jordan River and The Dead Sea
• Land also known as Palestine and Canaan
• Peoples called Israelites, Hebrews, and Jews
• Crossroads linking Anatolia, Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia
• Place of significance throughout history
• Few natural resources
Geography and Demography
• Hebrew – Semitic Language
• Related to Phoenician & Aramaic Languages
• Language parallels ethnic relations
Historical Documentation and
Discoveries
• Archaeological excavations
• The royal annals of Egypt and Assyria
• The Hebrew Bible contains information about the history
of Israel compiled from many sources
– Different interpretations of past events
– Orally transmitted until the 6th century BCE
– Canonical text first appears around the 5th century BCE
• Some text added later but very little
• Reflects the views of those in control of The Temple
• Accuracy can be debated but few other options exist
History and the Hebrew Bible
• Hebrew Bible tells the story of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob
• Israel promised to Abraham by Yahweh
– Story of Abraham may compress the journey of generations to
who moved through the grazing lands between the Tigris &
Euphrates and the Mediterranean
• Other stories may also parallel the conflict between the
newly arrived Israelites and the settled peoples of the
area
– Cain and Abel as well as Sodom and Gomorrah
History and the Hebrew Bible
• According to the Hebrew Bible many Israelites were
taken as slaves by the Egyptians
– Biblical account skips over the period of time when the
Hyksos ruled over Egypt
• Rise and fall of the Hyksos in Egypt possibly connected to the
enslavement of Israelites
– Egyptian records mention Apiru slaves
• Class rather than ethnicity
– Coincided with ambitious building projects
• Moses leading the freed Israelites from Egypt,
although filled with folklore, could be the result of
oral stories of the emigration evolving over time
History and the Hebrew Bible
• The freed Israelites , led by
Joshua, attacked and destroyed
Jericho and other Canaanite
Cities
– 1250-1200 BCE
– Unified Israelite attack on Canaan is a
point of contention among scholars
• Some believe that it is more likely the
Israelites and other groups simply
took advantage of a period of
widespread decline in cities in the
region
History and the Hebrew Bible
• The new peoples of the area created a common
ancestry in “The Children of Israel”
– Common at the time
• Land split between 12 Tribes Descended from the sons
of Joseph and Jacob
– Each tribe had one or more chiefs
– Judges – A class of charismatic figures, War heroes, or Skilled
arbitrators who transcended tribal boundaries
– Tribes bound together by access to the shrine at Shiloh that
housed the Ark of the Covenant
History and the Hebrew Bible
• As the Israelites arrived in their
new home the Mediterranean
area was in a period of Chaos
• The Philistines and Israelites
fought frequently
– Wars immortalized in biblical stories
like those of David and Samson
History and the Hebrew Bible
UNIFICATION
• Saul’s throne handed over to David who unified the
Israelites under a monarchy
– Capital city moved to Jerusalem along with the Ark
– Jerusalem becomes a unified center for politics and religion
• David created “cities of refuge” where people could flee
from retribution and blood feuds
• Record keeping and government innovations
• Expanded Israel’s borders through military victories
History and the Hebrew Bible
UNIFICATION
• Peak of ancient Israel
civilization came under
King Solomon
– Created Alliances with
neighboring cultures
– Built and deployed a fleet of
ships to bring treasure,
materials, and exotic animals to
Israel
– The Mythical visit from the
Queen of Sheba reflects the
trade relationship with Seba and
the people of the Horn of Africa
– First Temple completed in 960
BCE
CULTURE
• Lived with extended family under the authority of the eldest
male
• Marriages were arranged
• The brother of a sonless man was expected to marry his
brother’s wife should he die
• Women provided many vital services and were regarded with
respect
– Relatively equal status with their husbands
• Some restrictions: Divorce, Inheritance, extra-marital affairs
– Deborah the Judge fought alongside men and led troops against
the Canaanites
• Women could be educated
• The reality of women’s rights in Israel obscured by male bias
in biblical text
• Urbanization diminished women’s status
Division and Fall
• Split in to two kingdoms after the death of Solomon
– Israel in the north and Judah in the south
– Sometimes at war and other times allies
• Syria and Israel united in response to Neo-Assyrian
aggression
– Israel destroyed and its people deported
– New ethnicities were brought in and Israel was stripped of much
of the religion and culture of the Israelites
– Would be separated from the Jewish people and their culture for
much of history
Division and Fall
• Judah survives the Neo-Assyrians
– The Temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of the Neo-Babylonian
empire in 587 B.C.E.
• The Jewish Diaspora originates at this time
– Synagogues and other institutions allow the Jewish People to
maintain connections and keeps their religion and culture alive
• Babylonian Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the
Temple (The Second Temple) in 515 BCE
– Established the Deuteronomic code
– Hebrew bible compiled
– With Isolation came a strong sense of community that survives
today