Israel in ancient Canaan

Going back to the analogy of the jigsaw puzzle, there are two primary ways we can begin to assemble the “pieces” of the Bible. The first is to take a topical approach, and the second is to view it from a historical perspective.

Prof. Ze’ev Herzog of the Archaeology Faculty at the University of Tel Aviv, asserts that there is no evidence in the archaeological record that Israel was ever a powerful force, whether at the time of the Merneptah stele or at any other point in antiquity.

The conditions in ancient Palestine were inhospitable for urban settlement or the development of any kingdom for that matter, and certainly no showcase projects such as the Egyptian shrines/temples or the Mesopotamian palaces could have been established there.

Egyptian documents make no mention of the Israelites’ presence in Egypt and are also silent about the events of the Exodus. Nevertheless, documents do mention the custom of nomadic shepherds to enter Egypt during periods of drought and hunger and to camp at the edges of the Nile Delta.

However, this was not a solitary phenomenon: such events occurred frequently over thousands of years and were hardly exceptional.

In his article “Deconstructing the Walls of Jericho“, appearing in Ha’aretz (29 October 1999), Ze’ev Herzog, an Israeli archaeologist with over 30 years’ experience in excavating the whole land of modern day Israel (alleged ancient Canaan) shocked the world, not only the Zionist state of Israel, with his evidence-based findings;

“Following 70 years of intensive excavations in the Land of Israel, archaeologists have found out: The patriarchs’ acts are legendary stories, we did not sojourn in Egypt or make an exodus, and we did not conquer the land. Neither is there any mention of the empire of David and Solomon. Those who take an interest have known these facts for years, but Israel is a stubborn people and doesn’t want to hear about it.”

Having clarified that chapter of the history of ancient Canaan in the late Bronze Age during which Egypt practically controlled all of Canaan and practically most of the Levant, it is becoming less of a puzzle for us why Egypt hardly mentioned or referred to Israel in its records whereas the Israelite's were raving about Egypt all the time.

In retrospect, that will definitely shock many, because the real land which witnessed the Israelite’s stories was never in ancient Palestine or Egypt. And Egypt was never the land of the Israelite's Exodus nor Palestine their Promised Land!

Food for thought, indigestion and a probable bleeding ulcer!