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INTRODUCTION Some writers see these sources as being in conflict. See The Bible And History for several views as to how the sources may be reconciled. This is a controversial subject, with implications in the fields of Religion , Politics and Diplomacy . This article attempts to give a scholarly view which would currently be supported by most historians. The precise dates and the precision by which they may be stated are subject to continuing discussion and challenge. There are no biblical events whose precise year can be validated by external sources before the early 9th century BCE (The rise of s. The accuracy in which dates are represented here reflects a Maximalist view, namely one that believes in the historical accuracy of the core stories of the Bible. Others, known as ''. EARLY HISTORY The Mousterian Neanderthal s were the earliest inhabitants of the area known to archaeologists, and have been estimated to date to c. 200,000 BCE. The first anatomically modern humans to live in the area were the Kebarans (conventionally c. 18,000 - 10,500 BCE, but recent paleoanthropological evidence suggests that Kebaran s may have arrived as early as 75,000 BCE and shared the region with the Neanderthal s for millennia before the latter died out). They were followed by the Natufian culture (c. 10,500 BCE - 8500 BCE), the Yarmukian s (c. 8500 - 4300 BCE) and the Ghassulians (carbon dated c. 4300 - 3300 BCE). (Note that not one of these names appears in any classical sources, and were all devised as conventions in recent times by archaeologists, to refer to the lowest strata of remains.) The Semitic culture followed on from the Ghassulians. People became Urbanized and lived in City-state s, one of which was Jericho . The area's location at the center of routes linking three continents made it the meeting place for religious and cultural influences from Egypt , Syria , Mesopotamia , and Asia Minor . It was also the natural battleground for the great powers of the region and subject to domination by adjacent Empire s, beginning with Egypt in the late 3rd Millennium BCE . Traditions regarding the early history found in later works such as the '' Kebra Nagast '' and commentaries of Rashi , Philo , and numerous others, (besides of course, the Tanakh ) refer to the early inhabitants as the sons of Shem and also speak of an invasion by the people known as Canaan ites descended from Ham . The Book Of Jubilees states that the land was originally allotted to Shem and Arphaxad (ancestor of the Hebrews) when it was still vacant, but was wrongfully occupied by Canaan and his son Sidon . Jubilees makes this, then, the true justification for the later war to drive out the Canaanites. The Kebra Nagast , however, speaks of the Canaanites invading existing cities of Shem and Ibn Ezra , similarly notes that they had seized land from earlier inhabitants. Rashi mentions that the Canaanites were seizing land from the sons of Shem in the days of Abraham. THE PATRIARCHAL PERIOD The patriarchal period begins with Abraham . Most Bible commentaries place the events surrounding Abraham (originally Abram) circa 1800 BCE , give or take 100 years. The account of his life is found in the Book of Genesis , beginning in Chapter 11, at the close of a Genealogy of the sons of Shem (which includes among its members Eber , the Eponym of the Hebrews ). His father Terah came from Ur Kasdim . His father moved his family, including his son Abram, from Ur Kasdim to the city of Haran . God called Abram to faith and obedience. Abram married his half-sister Sarai. He and his extended clan then moved to the land of Canaan . According the Bible, God called Abram to go to "the land I will show you", and promised to bless him and make him (though hitherto childless) a great nation. Trusting this promise, Abram journeyed down to Shechem , then to a spot between Bethel and Ai . He then moved to the oaks of Mamre in Hebron . The name ''Abraham'' was given to Abram (and the name Sarah to Sarai) at the same time as the covenant of Circumcision (chapter 17), which is practiced in Judaism and Islam to this day. At this time Abraham was promised not only many descendants, but descendants through Sarah specifically, as well as the land where he was living, which was to belong to his descendants. The covenant was to be fulfilled through Isaac , though God promised that Ishmael would become a great nation as well. Some modern historians dispute the historical accuracy of the patriarchal narratives in the Bible, and hold these events to be largely, or perhaps entirely, mythical. Others consider them to be largely historical, and presented in terms reflecting the understanding of the times. Abraham's grandson Jacob was later renamed Israel, and according to the Biblical account, his twelve sons became the fathers of the Twelve Tribes Of Israel {Link without Title} {Link without Title} EGYPTIAN DOMINATION The narrative behind how the Israelites became slaves, or if they did at all, is still unclear in many sources. A few historians believe that this may have been due to the changing political conditions within Egypt. In 1600 BCE , Egypt was conquered by tribes, apparently Semitic, known as the Hyksos by the Egyptians. The Hyksos were later driven out by Kamose , the last king of the seventeenth dynasty. Ahmose I reigned approximately 1550 - 1525 BCE , founded the 18th Egyptian Dynasty , and a new age for Egypt, the New Kingdom . Thutmose III established Egypt's empire in the western Near East. From then on, the chronology can only roughly be given in approximate dates for most events, until about the 7th century BCE.
Ancient Israelite History begins with the or Tutimaios . Tutimaios was the last Pharaoh of the Thirteenth Dynasty . His reign ended in disaster and confusion, with the collapse of the Egyptian nation. The Second Intermediate Period ensued. In every way, Tutimaios makes a much better candidate than Ramesses II for the Pharaoh of the Exodus. This would place the Exodus about three hundred years earlier than the older theory above. WANDERING YEARS After leaving Egypt and wandering in the desert for a generation, the Israelites invaded the land of of Egypt. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites then wandered in the desert for 40 years, and eventually came to "the promised land" in Canaan . Moses died before entering Canaan, and Joshua became the next leader. (If, however, the parting of the Red Sea was caused by the eruption of the Santorini Volcano , then The Exodus might have happened around 1500 BCE .) PERIOD OF THE JUDGES The Hebrews migrated into Canaan circa 1200 BCE , a time when the great powers of the region were neutralized by troubles of various kinds. In their initial attacks under Joshua , the Hebrews occupied most of Canaan, which they settled according to traditional family lines derived from the sons of Jacob and Joseph (the "tribes" of Israel). No formal government existed and the people were led by ad hoc leaders (the "judges" of the biblical Book Of Judges ) in times of crisis. Around this time, the name "Israel" is first mentioned in a contemporary archaeological source, the Merneptah Stele . 1200 BCE . The Hittite empire of Anatolia was conquered by allied tribes from the west. The northern, coastal Canaanites (called the Phoenicia ns by the Greeks) may have been temporarily displaced, but returned when the invading tribes showed no inclination to settle. {Link without Title} Circa . Nineteenth-century Bible scholars identified the land of the Philistines (''Philistia'' or ''Peleshet'' in Hebrew meaning "invaders") with ''Palastu'' and ''Pilista'' in Assyria n inscriptions, according to ''Easton's Bible Dictionary'' (1897). The name is used in the Bible to denote the coastal region inhabited by the Philistines. The five principal Philistine cities were Gaza , Ashdod , Ekron , Gath , and Ashkelon . Modern archaeology has suggested early cultural links with the Mycenean world in mainland Greece. Though the Philistines adopted local Canaanite culture and language before leaving any written texts, an Indo-European origin has been suggested for a handful of known Philistine words. 1140 BCE the Canaanite tribes tried to destroy the Israelite tribes of northern and central Canaan. According to the Bible, the Israelite response was led by Barak , and the Hebrew Prophetess Deborah . The Canaanites were defeated. THE UNITED MONARCHY Increasing pressure from the Philistines and other neighboring tribes forced the Israelites to unite under one king. The notion of kingship was for a long time anathemetised, as it was seen as one man being put in a position of reverence and power that in their faith was reserved for the one true God . According to the Bible, it was Samuel , one of last of the judges, to whom the nation appealed for a king. Although he tried to disuade them, they were resolute and Samuel anointed Saul Ben Kish from the tribe of Benjamin as the first king of the Israelites in approximately 1020 BCE . It was his successor, David c. 1006 BCE , who was responsible for consolidating the monarchy and creating the first Hebrew state. David waged several successful military campaigns, annexing Philistia , Edom , Moab , Ammon , and parts of ancient Aram (roughly modern Syria ) known as Aram-Zobah , and Aram-Damascus . Aram itself became a vassal state of Israel under David. Perhaps the most important event of David's reign was his capture of Jerusalem from the Canaanite Jebusites. By moving his capital from Hebron and making Jerusalem his capital, David ensured its lasting importance as a religious center. David was succeeded by his son Solomon around 965 BCE . Solomon's reign was largely peaceful and the kingdom prospered, becoming an international power and a center of culture and trade. But maintaining his splendid court life and ambitious building projects, including the First Temple at Jerusalem , proved burdensome to his people. Some Hebrews were used as forced labor and territory was ceded to Tyre in return for supplying craftsmen and materials. He was criticized for tolerating the pagan religious practices of the many non-Hebrew wives he had acquired from diplomatic marriages. However, on Solomon's death in c. and Samaria ), and the kingdom of Judah in the south (containing Jerusalem). Most of the non-Hebrew provinces fell away. THE PERIOD OF THE KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH , c. 800 BCE .]] In 922 BCE , the Kingdom Of Israel was divided. Judah , the southern Kingdom, had Jerusalem as its capital and was led by Rehoboam . It was populated by the tribes of Judah , Benjamin , and Simeon (and some of Tribe Of Levi ). Simeon and Judah later merged, and Simeon lost its separate identity. [http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/facts/hist/fhist2.html#divided Jeroboam led the revolt of the northern tribes, and established the Kingdom of Israel, consisting of nine tribes: Zebulun , Issachar , Asher , Naphtali , Dan , Menasseh , Ephraim , Reuben and Gad (and some of Levi), with Samaria as its capital. [http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/History/Judah.html Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721 BCE ; Judah fell to the Babylonians a little over a century later, in 597 BCE . THE PERIOD OF CAPTIVITY In 722 BCE , the Assyrians, under Shalmaneser , and then under Sargon , conquered Israel (the northern Kingdom), destroyed its capital Samaria, and sent many of the Israelites into exile and captivity. The ruling class of the northern kingdom (perhaps a small portion of the overall population) were deported to other lands in the Assyrian empire and a new nobility was imported by the Assyrians.
These two kings reversed Hezekiah's reforms and officially revived idolatry. According to later rabbinical accounts, Manasseh placed a grotesque, four-faced idol in the Holy of Holies.
REBUILDING THE TEMPLE
During this time period, Alexander The Great conquered the Near and Middle East. {Link without Title} Development of early Democracy . Height of Athenian culture. {Link without Title} -->
THE LEGACY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE DAWN OF RABBINIC JUDAISM
ROMAN CONQUESTS In 63 BCE , Pompey conquered the region and made it a client kingdom of Rome. In 6 CE, Caesar Augustus made it a Roman Province under a Procurator . From 40 BCE - 4 BCE , Herod The Great is King of Judea. In 20 BCE , Herod Antipas , son of Herod The Great is born. In 4 BCE - 4 , Jesus is born. From 4 BCE - 6 , Herod Archelaus is Ethnarch. From 26 to 36 Pontius Pilate was the governor of the Roman province of Judea. In 66 , the Great Jewish Revolt broke out, lasting until 73 . In 67 , Vespasian and his forces landed in the north of Israel, where they received the submission of Jews from Ptolemais to Sepphoris. The Jewish garrison at Yodfat (Jodeptah) was massacred after a two month siege. By the end of this year, Jewish resistance in the north had been crushed. In 69 , Vespasian seized the throne after a civil war. By 70 , the Romans had occupied Jerusalem. Titus , son of the Roman Emperor, destroyed the Second Temple on the 9th of ''Av'', ie. ''Tisha B'Av'' (656 years to the day after the destruction of the First Temple in 587 BCE). Over 100,000 Jews died during the siege, and nearly 100,000 were taken to Rome as slaves. Many Jews fled to Mesopotamia (Iraq), and to other countries around the Mediterranean. After 70 the Romans, seeking to suppress the name "Judaea", reorganized it as part of the province of Syria-Palestine . In order to worsen the humiliation of the defeated Jews, the Latin name ''Palaestina'' was chosen for the area, after the Philistines , whom the Romans identified as the worst enemies of the Jews in history. From then on the region was known as Palestine. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai escaped from Jerusalem. He obtained permission from the Roman general to establish a center of Jewish learning and the seat of the Sanhedrin in the outlying town of Yavneh. Judaism survived the destruction of Jerusalem through this new center. The Sanhedrin became the supreme religious, political and judicial body for Jews worldwide until 425 CE , when it was forcibly disbanded by the Roman government, by then officially dominated by the Christian Church . {Link without Title} In 73 the last Jewish resistance was crushed by Rome at the mountain fortress of Masada ; the last 900 defenders committed suicide rather than be captured and sold into slavery. In 132 Simon Bar Kokhba led a revolt and declared an independent state in Israel. By 135 this revolt was crushed by Rome. 200 BCE - 100 CE. At some point during this period the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible , Old Testament ) was canonized. SEE ALSO Notable people Old Testament genealogy The following chart shows the genealogy of Israel in relation to the peoples of the world: Partial list of kings of Israel
Archealogist Finkelstein in The Bible Unearthed pg. 20 has differing years: David 1005-970 BCE Solomon 970-931 BCE Jeroboam 1st 931-909 BCE Omri 884-873 BCE Ahab 873-852BCE Joash above as Jeohash 800-784 BCE Jeroboam 2nd 788-747 BCE See above listing for further dating and lineage. Partial list of kings of Judah
Notable places
Religious places and objects
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