Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
This book addresses one of the most timely and urgent topics in archaeology and biblical studies—the origins of early Israel. For centuries, the Western tradition has traced its beginnings back to ancient Israel, but recently some historians and archaeologists have questioned the reality of Israel as it is described in biblical literature. William Dever explores the continuing controversies regarding the true nature of ancient Israel and presents the archaeological evidence for assessing the accuracy of the well-known Bible stories.
Dever draws on 30 years of archaeological fieldwork in the Near East, amassing a wide range of hard evidence for his own compelling view of the development of Israelite history. In his search for the actual circumstances of Israel’s emergence in Canaan, Dever reevaluates the Exodus-Conquest traditions in the books of Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel in the light of well-documented archaeological evidence from the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age. Written in an engaging, accessible style and featuring many photographs that help bring the archaeological record to life, this book provides an authoritative statement on the origins of ancient Israel and promises to reinvigorate discussion about the historicity of the biblical tradition.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
Interested in ancient Israel? Be sure to check out the Eerdmans Israelite Studies Collection (5 vols.).
- Explores the continuing controversies regarding the true nature of ancient Israel
- Discusses the historicity of the biblical tradition
- Presents archaeological evidence for assessing the accuracy of well-known Bible stories
- The Current Crisis in Understanding the Origins of Early Israel
- The “Exodus”— History or Myth?
- The Conquest of Transjordan
- The Conquest of the Land West of the Jordan: Theories and Facts
- Facts on the Ground: The Excavated Evidence for the Archaeological Rediscovery of the Real Israel
- More Facts on the Ground: Recent Archaeological Surveys
- A Summary of the Material Culture of the Iron I Assemblage
- Previous Attempts at a Synthesis of Textual and Artifactual Data on Early Israel
- Toward Another Synthesis on the Origins and Nature of Early Israel
- Yet Another Attempt at Synthesis: Early Israel as a Frontier Agrarian Reform Movement
- Who Were the Early Israelites? Ethnicity and the Archaeological Record
- Salvaging the Biblical Tradition: History or Myth?
Top Highlights
“We must confront the fact that the external material evidence supports almost nothing of the biblical account of a large-scale, concerted Israelite military invasion of Canaan, either that of Numbers east of the Jordan, or of Joshua west of the Jordan. Of the more than forty sites that the biblical texts claim were conquered, no more than two or three of those that have been archaeologically investigated are even potential candidates for such an Israelite destruction in the entire period from ca. 1250–1150 b.c.” (Page 71)
“As we continue, however, it must be borne in mind that no Egyptian text ever found contains a single reference to ‘Hebrews’ or ‘Israelites’ in Egypt, much less to an ‘Exodus.’” (Pages 12–13)
“In the Egyptian records they are regarded as seasonal, donkey-mounted pastoral nomads, but also as brigands—by and large a nuisance to the faraway Egyptian authorities. Several fascinating texts make reference to a deity ‘Yhw (in) the land of the Shasu,’” (Page 150)
“Perizzites. The Hebrew etymology may mean either ‘dwellers in open country’ or ‘those who live in unwalled villages.’ The term occurs 23 times in the Hebrew Bible and is often associated with hill country sites like Shechem and Bethel.” (Page 219)
“The richly textured story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, in particular, has a distinctly Egyptian flavor (it has often been compared with the well-known 13th century b.c. Egyptian ‘Tale of Two Brothers’).” (Page 229)
This new book by William Dever is a fluent, well-written critical account of the various views on the origins of Israel and its appearance on the stage of history. Dever evaluates a wide range of previous research and suggests his own solution to the question of the origins of Israel. Excellent reading for both scholars and laypersons.
—Amihai Mazar, Eleazer Sukenik Chair in the Archaeology of Israel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
William Dever is a superb archaeologist with a deep knowledge of the issues and controversies concerning Israel’s origins. In this book he presents a compelling case for early Israel as a reformist frontier society, and along the way he demolishes many rival theories. Dever’s discussion is authoritative, polemical, and very readable. He is the exemplary heir of W. F. Albright, with the knockout punch of Mike Tyson.
—Ronald Hendel, Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies, University of California, Berkeley
William Dever treats Israel’s origins as no one before him ever has. This unique, lively synthesis of the archaeological and textual data will shape our understanding of Israel’s emergence for years.
—Baruch Halpern, Covenant Foundation Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Georgia
William G. Dever is professor emeritus of Near Eastern archaeology and anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has served as director of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology in Jerusalem, as director of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, and as visiting professor at universities around the world. He has spent 30 years conducting archaeological excavations in the Near East, resulting in a large body of award-winning fieldwork.