BSFL: Genesis 16:1-5

Abraham’s Travels

10 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR / FALL 2012 ’s Travels

By Alan Ray Buescher rchaeologists in Haran nor how long they lived care little for wandering there (perhaps 50 years at most— Interior of a nomads—they leave little or quite an extended stay), nor why Bedouin tent. A Continuing still no material evidence of their lives they had intended to go to . today, Bedouin for future generations to discover. Nevertheless, after Terah died, God have a long-estab- So likewise with Abraham, who called Abram to go to the land that lished tradition of extending hospi- built no cities or buildings, and left He would show him: their original tality to travelers no potsherds, tools, or jewelry in destination of Canaan. and visitors. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ MIKE garbage dumps or tombs (at least Abram’s (and his entourage’s) RUTHERFORD (59/1111) that anyone has discovered). The entry into Canaan brought them concept of Abraham as a nomad along the ridge route through the or semi-nomad, however, may not central hill country (12:6-8), far- survive the test of scriptural scru- ther south to the (v. 9), and tiny. Old Testament scholar, D. J. then down to Egypt after famine Wiseman, described Abraham’s life- struck (v. 10). Eventually they returned style more akin to pastoral nomad- to the Negev and back into the central ism as described in the Mari texts, hill country of Canaan, with Hebron in which seasonal farming accompa- becoming their primary place of nied the herding of flocks and cattle residence after a brief excursion close to town and cities.1 further north “by stages” to Bethel When Abram set out from Ur of (13:3, HCSB; see also v. 18). Eleven the Chaldeans with his father, Terah; years after arriving in Canaan his wife, Sarai; and his nephew, Lot; (including the brief time in Egypt), they had chosen Canaan as their final Hagar gave birth to Abram’s first son, destination (Gen. 11:31). Genesis pro- Ishmael (16:3,15-16). They remained vides no reason for their settlement in Hebron for the next 13 or 14 years

FALL 2012 / BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 11 before moving to Gerar in the Negev but, agriculture did not rank as the sojourned in the land of Canaan. where was born (17:1; 20:1; 21:5). primary means of earning a living. God indicated that the Hebrews Scripture provides no reason for The numerous ancient remains dis- would endure 400 years of enslave- Abraham’s departing Hebron for the covered at sites in the Negev reveal ment in Egypt (15:13). More than 110 Negev. Twenty-five years provides their main function as caravan sta- years elapsed from Abraham’s death ample time to consider a place home. tions for trade merchants traveling at the age of 175 to Joseph’s death at Leaving Hebron would have required to and from Egypt.2 age 110. Jacob was 15 years old when a good reason. Seeking better pasture Perhaps Abraham participated Abraham died (see 25:26). So Joseph for flocks due to climatic changes in this trade, which could account did not arrive into this world until would qualify as a good reason, espe- partially for his wealth accumula- after Abraham’s death, after which, cially since famine had once sent tion. He had flocks, cattle, and however long it took that generation Abraham and his family to Egypt; camels; he also possessed flour for to die (see Ex. 1:6), a new pharaoh but Scripture’s silence breeds only baking (18:6-8) either from farm- enslaved the remaining Hebrews. speculation. ing or via trade with sedentary Add almost 40 years for the wilder- Abraham’s time in the land of farmers in nearby settlements. He ness wanderings under the lead- promise significantly illustrates his possessed much silver and gold ership of Moses, and more than lifestyle: he spent most of those (13:2), which he earned or inher- 550 years elapsed from Abraham’s 100 years settled in Hebron or in the ited from his time spent in Haran. death until his descendants settled Negev (in Gerar and ), Additionally, he may have accu- in Canaan. although he apparently lived in mulated some wealth in Egypt and The earliest extra-biblical writ- tents rather than permanent struc- Canaan through market transac- ten record for ’s entry into the tures (e.g., see 13:18; 18:1). In the tions. Regardless, Abraham knew land of Canaan is on a stone carv- Negev, the area around Beersheba how to handle his finances. ing known as the Merneptah Stele, provides the only land available for Scholars have debated the spe- which is dated sometime between farming without water irrigation; cific time period in which Abraham 1213 and 1203 b.c.3 This inscription

12 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR / FALL 2012 Left: Camels graz- ing in central Israel. HAVE GOLD, WILL TRAVEL

Lower right: Ruins of Beersheba in southern Israel; farmland is in the distance.

Below: Ruins of the palace at Mari in modern Syria. Mari was the capital city of the Amorites from about 2000– 1750 B.C. The pal- ace covered over 6 acres and had over 300 rooms. One of the most remark- able finds at Mari was the 15,000- plus texts that Genesis 13:1-3 - Fragment and an infra- describes Abram coming from Egypt into detailed everyday red photo of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. the Negev. It reads, “from Egypt...in sil- life in Mari before The text comes from Genesis 13:1-3 and ver and gold...between Bethel and....”

its fall. Many of the FERRINI AND BIONDI (29/19/7,8) COURTESY PHOTO/ BOB SCHATZ/ ILLUSTRATOR names on the texts are the same as some from the Old Testament, includ- ing , Abram, Laban, Jacob, Benjamin, and Levi. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ MIKE RUTHERFORD (59/1894) ILLUSTRATOR ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ JAMES MCLEMORE (21/28/15) ILLUSTRATOR

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ BRENT BRUCE (60/8831) in the Middle Bronze IIA period the fourth year of his reign over (abbreviated MBIIA), or about Israel” (HCSB). Solomon’s reign 2000–1800/1750 b.c. The Merneptah began about 970 b.c., so this presents would thus indicate the date for Stele does not indicate, however, the a date of about 1446 for the exodus. Abraham’s death at approximate- date the Israelites entered the land, Add 510 years (400 years of enslave- ly 1753 b.c. at the latest, with the but that they had settled in the land ment and 110 years for Joseph), and date for Abraham’s first entry into by this date. First Kings 6:1 states, Abraham’s death is pushed back to Canaan at approximately 1853 b.c. “Solomon began to build the temple about 1950 b.c., still in MBIIA. at the latest, and his birth at about for the Lord in the four hundred Israeli archaeologist Amihai 1928 b.c. at the latest. These cal- eightieth year after the Israelites Mazar believes the archaeological culations place Abraham’s lifetime came out of the land of Egypt, in discoveries of the Middle Bronze II

FALL 2012 / BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 13 ISTOCK PHOTO period provide similarities with the Above: The modern Isaac, Jacob, and patriarchal record in the Bible that city of Hebron, Leah are buried. located in what is cannot be ignored. The Canaanite now the West Bank. Right: In southern culture became established primar- The prominent Israel, the north- structure in the cen- ern Negev Desert ily along the northern coastal plain ter marks the cave where it meets the and eastward through the valleys of the patriarchs central plains. The of Jezreel and Beth-shean during in which Abraham, Judean hills rise in , , the background. MBIIA. The Canaanites built large fortified cities that had huge man- This Amorite population made earth ramparts, suggesting continued to migrate east into strong organization, either public Babylon during MBIIB-C (ca. or private. These Canaanites likely 1800/1750–1550 b.c.), spreading its came from the coastal plain around culture throughout the northern Tyre and also from Aram (modern portion of the Fertile Crescent. Syria). Egyptian documents from During this time, foreign rul- Byblos as well as documents from ers known as the Hyksos came to Mari during MBIIA contain West power in Egypt. These outsiders Semitic (Amorite) names among were none other than Canaanites. the population of Aram and Canaan. Thus a West-Semitic/Amorite/ One of the Mari texts contains the Canaanite culture extended from earliest record of the designation Egypt, northward along the coastal “Canaanite” as one of the popula- plain of the promised land, across tion groups of the area. Furthermore, the Jezreel valley, and north along West Semitic or Amorite names the Fertile Crescent to Babylon. PHOTO/ KEN TOUCHTON (2/3/11) ILLUSTRATOR correspond closely to Canaanite This Canaanite influence that began the Egyptians and in names.4 Significantly, customs dur- in MBIIA, likely could have made a the Negev. Akkadian, a Semitic ing the Middle Bronze Ages con- Semitic language the common lan- language, became the universal lan- tinued for hundreds of years if not guage of the day for international guage of scribes, priests, and the legal longer, making chronological dating trade purposes, and could explain community throughout the ancient of events that much more difficult.5 how Abraham communicated with Near East by MBIIB-C and likely

14 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR / FALL 2012 HOLMAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS began its dominance in MBIIA, Hebron, the Hittites also respected goal to establish a nation. He sim- especially since the cultural transi- Abraham greatly, yet Abraham con- ply inhabited the land by faith in tion between MBIIA and MBIIB-C sidered himself “a resident alien,” spite of famine, in spite of nearly proceeded gradually with no clear owning only one piece of property: allowing Pharaoh and Abimelech distinction between the two.6 a burial cave. to tamper with the mother of his Abraham lived in the Negev for Genesis provides a simple expla- descendent of the promise, and in perhaps 37 years (from the birth of nation of why Abraham went to spite of living as a man without a Isaac to Sarah’s death at age 127 in Canaan: he believed and obeyed country most of his life. External Hebron; see Gen. 23:1). Abraham God. God did not promise to give and internal factors did not spent the remaining 38 years of his the land solely to Abraham (15:7) thwart God’s plan. As Psalm 37:3 life in Hebron; there Ishmael and but to his descendents as well instructs, Abraham simply trusted Isaac buried him with Sarah in the (12:7; 15:18). Perhaps for this rea- God and lived accordingly. i cave he had purchased from the son Abraham considered himself 1. D. J. Wiseman, “Abraham Reassessed” in Essays of Hittites for Sarah’s burial. Twenty- no more than a sojourner; God’s the Patriarchal Narratives [Essays], ed. A. R. Millard and five years in Hebron, 37 years in covenant contained no severabil- D. J. Wiseman (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1983), 145. 2. A. Reifenberg, The Struggle between the Desert the Negev, and then 38 years back ity clause concerning Abraham’s and the Sown: Rise and Fall of Agriculture in the Levant in Hebron: Abraham did not trav- descendents and the land. Abraham (Jerusalem: Publishing Department of the Jewish Agency, 1955), 19. el much. Southern Canaan had simply did not live long enough 3. Amihai Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, become home, and yet, he never to see his seed possess the land 10,000–568 B.C.E. (New York: Doubleday, 1990), 234. 4. Ibid., 174-89. truly possessed the land. In the (Heb. 11:13). 5. M. J. Selman, “Comparative Customs and the Patriarchal Age” in Essays, 134. Negev, he “lived as a foreigner in Abraham lived in Canaan in 6. Mazar, 191-93, 224. the land of the for many anticipation of God’s future fulfill- days” (21:34, HCSB). Abimelech ment of his promise concerning respected Abraham, and they lived Abraham’s descendents. Abraham Alan Ray Buescher is a free- peacefully as neighbors despite a had no message about God to deliv- lance writer living in Nashville, couple of misunderstandings. In er to a foreign people. He had no Tennessee.

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