Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>]

Dear James,

What do you mean by quickly? Joshua seems to indicate a 7 yr conquest; even
then, the Transjordanian highlands, the central highlands were the primary
conquered areas. Judges indicates that the Israelites were to continue to the
conquest in the designated tribal inheritance areas, but this did not happen
since the tribes sinned in various ways bringing on continual cycles of
oppression and freedom. Judging (pun intended) from the accounts of Joshua,
Judges, Ruth and I Samuel, the process would be about 300-350 yrs; from 
Joshua,
ca 1407 to 1040 BC. with all the overlaps. Jephtah's remark of 300 yrs at the
time of the fight with Ammon (11:26) does indicate the Israel was in the land
for some considerable time.

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Christian" <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>
To: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 2:40 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Nation of Israel (quick conquest or not)


> 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
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