Unit 1:
Old Testament
Worlds
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The Geography of the Old Testament World
 

Physical Features of Israel/Canaan

There are two main differences between what we can see today from a satellite hovering over the east end of the Mediter-ranean Sea and what would have been seen thirty-five hundred years ago.  First, Lake Huleh north of the sea of Galilee is nearly gone.  Also called the waters of Merom, Lake Huleh has been steadily silting up for millennia. 

The second thing we would notice is that the Dead Sea has shrunk.  It is literally drying up and is probably half the size it was in Old Testament times.


The Tribes of Israel

The Tribes of Israel

Here are the approximate allotments of the tribes of Israel made by Joshua at the time of the conquest. (Joshua 13-21)  Notice that the tribe of Manasseh received a double portion, and the tribe of Levi received no territory only cities.

You may note that the tribe of Dan is in two locations.  They took over the northern location when they lost the southern location (their original allotment) in battle.  (Joshua 19:40-48, Judges 18)


Israel from the Conquest Through Solomon

Israel from the Conquest Through Solomon

Note these other peoples
     Phoenicia,
     The Philistines,
     Ammon,
     Moab, and
     Edom

Note Shiloh where the Tabernacle stood for many years.

Note Jerusalem which David will make his capital.

Note Bethlehem where David will be born.


The Two Kingdoms

The Two Kingdoms

After the death of King Solomon the tribes in the north separated from the tribes in the South.  The southern kingdom took the name of it's largest tribe Judah.

Israel would be conquered in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians and Judah would continue as a kingdom until 586 B.C. when it would in turn be conquered by Babylon.

After seventy years in exile, many of the refugees from the southern kingdom were allowed to return and rebuild Jerusalem.

The Cultures of the Old Testament World

The earliest stories in the Old Testament that lend themselves to dates are the stories of Abraham and Sarah.  We usually locate the events of their lives in the Nineteenth Century before Christ.  Among the last events recorded in the Old Testament would be the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple after the Exile in about 500 B.C.

Things change a lot in thirteen centuries.  Customs, traditions, even languages change.  Many biblical scholars archaeologists, and linguists spend their lives sorting out the distinctions among the different periods and accurately dating the stories in scripture.  As you study the Bible, try to be aware of the time period the story is set in and of the date of the writing of the passage.  Good study Bibles provide information about the date of the event and of the writing in the introductory articles at the beginning of the passage and in margin notes and footnotes.

The events recorded in the Old Testament took place in several countries and different cultures.  Keep in mind the setting of each story as you read scripture.  Is this a time Abram was wandering in Egypt?  Is this set in a unified Israel or during the exile in Babylon?  Good study Bibles also provide information about the cultural context in the introductory articles at the beginning of the chapter or book and in margin notes and footnotes.  Please use them as you pursue your own Old Testament study.

For Further Study

The World Wide Study Bible

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