Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Banyai Michael" <banyai AT t-online.de>]

Walter Mattfeld wrote:

> Dating the Pentateuch: Abraham, Gerar and Beer-Sheba
>
> De Vries understands that Abraham was born ca. 2167 BCE. According to the
> Bible's chronology, he died at the age of 175 yrs.(Ge.25:7), making his date
> of death ca. 1992 BCE (Anchor Bible Dictionary, 1.582 "Chronology Old
> Testament," S.J. De Vries, 1992). This approximate date places Abraham in
> the period known to archaeologists as Middle Bronze I, ca. 2200-2000 (p.931,
> Vol.3, "Chronological Tables," Michael Avi-Yonah & Ephraim Stern,
> Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, Prentice-Hall,
> Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1977).

This is just a date among others. Appart of this, I don´t know how do you 
want
to take in count the 175 yrs. (Ge.25:7) for any kind of discussion.

I however prefer a date about 1940-1915. About half a dozen antique 
sources
link, according to W.Helck, Abraham with Amenemhet II. 
This is of course a question of what we consider the kernel of the Abraham 
story
to be. If we reduce it to be the story of some king, leading the Hebrews 
to
Palestine, than we could have a good fitting with this last pharaoh´s 
reign.
Since this is probably the time as the Retenu penetrated Palestine, coming 
from Jordan, where the Sinuhe story still situates them during the time of 
Sesostris I. Later on, during Sesostris III we are to see them acting in 
association with the Sichemites and associated (probably as a protection) 
with the Egyptian Sinai expeditions.


> We are told that Abraham had dealings with Abimelech, the king of Gerar, who
> happened to be a Philistine (Ge.20:1-18; 21:22-34). Later Abimelech's men
> attempt to claim the well of Beer-sheba, which we are given to believe was a
> creation of Abraham and his sons.
>
> Gerar is currently identified with Tel Haror. Excavations reveal that it was
> founded during  Middle Bronze II-III, ca. 18th-16th centuries BCE. There is
> no evidence suggesting that it existed in the Middle Bronze I, understood to
> be Abraham's world (ABD 2.988, Eliezer D. Oren, "Gerar," 1992).

So far no problem with the Tel Haror stratigraphy. This doesn´t change, 
with the attribution of the narrative to the later patriarch, Isac, as J. 
Saphren suggested.

> As noted by May, Beersheba was excavated and found not to have existed in
> the Patriarch's time:
>
> "The Patriarchs...Excavations at Beersheba show no city there in their
> time." (p. 108, "Archaeology and the Bible-Patriarchs," Herbert G. May, Ed.,
> Oxford Bible Atlas, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, New York, [1962],
> 1983)
>
> Manor noted that the earliest occupational levels at two different sites,
> Bir es-Seba and Tell es-Seba (further to the east) were no older than the
> Iron Age. He also noted the presence of Philistine pottery in the earliest
> levels at Tell es-Seba:

We have to make the difference between the Gerar story, involving the 
existence of a city during the time of the patriarchs, and the Beer-sheba 
story. The Beer-sheba story belongs together with the Jacob story (Gen. 
31,44-52) concerning Mizpa in Gilead to a category of stories regarding the 
boundaries of the new land, boundaries which one regarded as remounting to 
the time of the patriarchs. None of the names mentioned therein do 
necesarilly involve the existence of cities at Beer-Sheba or Mizpa during 
the time of the patriarchs.
They involve but the errection of a Kudurru and of a well (the perfect 
landmark in the Negev).

There is thus no contradiction with the archaeologic finds, which of course 
can state nothing about such a watering place.

It is clear, the text is in confusion whether to attribute the Beer-Sheba 
story to Abraham or Isac, in the manner it happens also with some other 
stories too. The main message of the stories remains unaffected: the 
boundaries of Israel against Aram and the Philistine were laid already 
during the patriarch´s period.


This is a view of the conquest as a sort of spanish reconquista.



> I thus understand that the Abraham narratives are a creation hundreds of
> years after the 12th century BCE arrival of the Philistines (when memories
> had forgotten just when the Philistines had arrived). 

Dear Walter, there was already a lot of discussion on the ANE concerning 
the arrival of the Philistines. As a result, one should speak with at least 
some caution about an arrival in the 12-th century. There is just a first 
occurence of the name of the Philistines in 12-th century documents, not 
the testimony of their arrival during the period.

Best regards,

Banyai Michael