Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>]

>
>
> <Liz>
> Then it was Canaan.
>
> <Bill>
> Of course - I should have known that! Your breakdown of labels will be
> helpful and I'll keep it on hand.
>
> I do think that the ambiguity of the term is a hinderance to
> the average
> reader. For example, do you agree that this usage refers to the
> "promised land?":
No. The promised land is Israel.
That's the whole point, in fact.
That's why Isaiah refers to YHWH as the god of Israel.
Israel is both Judah and Samaria combined, the Southern Levant.
Isaiah doesn't refer to the God of Judah, or of the Jews.
Yet, while in Babylon the people refered to themselves as Jews
from Judah, and the returnees referred to themselves
as Jews, as did the Jews in Elephantine.
But YHWH is the god of Israel even in Ezra (Ezra 1:3).

Liz