Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Irene Riegner <iriegner AT concentric.net>]

> In a message dated 2/21/99 12:00:34 AM, Lloyd Barre wrote:
>
> > A unified "Israel" never existed.  This notion is a profound
> > misconception.
> > This new understanding requires a revised approach both to "Israelite"
> > history, to "Israelite" tradition and to "Israelite" religion in that we are
> > not dealing with one people but with two.
>  
To underscore that "Israelite" as a people encompassing Israel and Judah
is a social construct, I've started to use Judah and Judahite, and Israel
and Israelite to refer to the two political entities and their people,
even though it is a bit awkward.  I would like to draw attention to
the fact that real people with real and variant beliefs and with real,
everyday, problems who are not a monolithic, social construct called "Israel"
inhabited this area.

BTW I find it curious that Israel/Jacob from the north gave his name to the social construct that encompasses the population of both countries---especially since it is Judah that survives the longest.

irene riegner