Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George Athas" <george.athas AT moore.edu.au>]

>> The first reference I heard of a "Dan" outside of the Bible
referred
>> to a kingdom in what is now southern Turkey, along the coast, that
was
>> named Dan. That kingdom was overthrown between 1300-1100 BC. I came
>> across a couple of other mentioned places, but did not follow up on
>> them.
>
> I've been studying the history of the ANE for 20 years and have
never
> heard of such a place.

 

The reference is not to a place in what is now southern Turkey, but
rather to a people group. They have been variously called DANOI,
DANAOI, or DANAANOI (or other close variants). Sometimes they are
associated with the Sea Peoples and there is one theory that the
Danites were these people arrived in the Levant. They may be mentioned
in the Phoenician inscription of Kilamuwa from Zencirli, Turkey
(ancient Sam'al/Ya'di). They are probably mentioned in Homer's Iliad.

 

Best Regards, 

GEORGE ATHAS 
Moore Theological College (Sydney) 
1 King St, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia 
Ph: (+61 2) 9577 9774