Palestine during Genesis
Canaan : Collection of city-states Major collapse in 2200 B.C. Reasons unknown. Weather? Internal conflicts? External invasion? Abraham enters shortly after collapse (ca B.C.) Nomadic life Lived in tents (“tent” 22x in Gen) No major cities found through archaeology
Canaan Place of both WEALTH and WORRY WEALTH Abraham was loaded Gen. 14:14 he has 318 trained men Tons of livestock Lot was loaded (has to part from Abe) “Extrabiblically it is known that patriarchal Palestine was a prosperous, but precarious place to live” (Hoerth, 96). WORRY Archaeology shows many layers of destruction “War of the Kings” (Gen 14)
The Canaanites
Canaan (i.e. while Israel was in Egypt Return to urbanization (city-states) I.e. Canaan during Genesis looks different than Canaan during Joshua. Between 1700 and 1550, Canaanites known as the “Hyksos” invaded and ruled over Egypt. Expelled in 1550, when Ahmose (Egyptian ruler) took over Egypt on the rise Canaan subject to Egyptian empire