Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Hi all,

recently in connection with other discussions Karl made a reference to the
bible giving the impression of a quick conquest of Canaan. But is that the
impression we really get in the historical writings?

If we are to read only the build up given in the Torah and then the account
of the conquest in Joshua that would seem to be the case - that Canaan was
conquered rapidly. But then we read Judges and the conquest seems to be far
from complete. Then we read Samuel and several hundred years later the
struggle continues even if much concentrated on Philistine coastal cities.
It's only once we get to the reign of Solomon that we really get an idea of
Kingdom of Israel in *all* of Canaan (now Israel). This doesn't seem to last
long and the kingdom is quickly divided once Solomon is no longer on the
scene.

Therefore, as seen from outside sources is it really of any surprise that we
would hear of nomadic skirmishes to Canaanite towns in the times of or just
before Joshua? And is it any surprise that we would see a reference to Ysrir
as a semi nomadic people populating a substantial area of Canaan in the
period of Judges (still no palace, the temple is still a tent which can be
put up wherever they feel like it)? And is it any surprise that we only get
solid references to a King of Isreal after the kingdom has been firmly
established in the days of David and Solomon?

The external viewpoints in the external data, at least to me, seems to be
exactly what we would expect when compared with the internal account.

James Christian