Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter_Kirk AT SIL.ORG]

Dear Jonathan,

I understand your difficulty here. But I wonder if the various 
conquest narratives can really be shown to be unhistorical, or simply 
that they cannot all be confirmed by archaeology etc. Yes, there are 
some difficulties with particular sites and with the details of 
particular passages, though I did understand that Hazor was destroyed 
and burned at about the right time. But as I understood it, the 
archaeological record does indicate a break at the right time, with 
the destruction or abandonment of many and the further occupation of 
some at a lower level of sophistication. Maybe the Sea Peoples were 
partly responsible, but I do not see any contradiction with the 
general picture of an Israelite invasion and partial occupation at 
that time.

I have no trouble in accepting that the Israelite invaders were not 
all physical descendants of Jacob but included others who joined them 
in Egypt (the "mixed multitude" of Ex. 12:38) and during the 
wilderness period. The genealogies in 1 Chronicles make it clear that 
absolute racial purity was not an issue even at quite a late period.

As for the question of XEREM at Jericho, well, we have the evidence 
that it was not reoccupied for several centuries, until a time which 
accords with the notice in 1 Kings 16:34 that it was rebuilt in Ahab's 
time - a notice which also picks up Joshua's curse. Note also 2 Kings 
2:19-22 which surely reflects a (different?) tradition that Jericho 
was abandoned because of bad water, but that some measures were taken 
to provide good water in the rebuilt city.

Peter Kirk