DOCSLIB.ORG

The Conquest of the Promised Land: Joshua

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Conquest of the Promised Land: Joshua TABLE OF CONTENTS Brief Explanation of the Technical Resources Used in the “You Can Understand the Bible” Commentary Series .............................................i Brief Definitions of Hebrew Grammatical Forms Which Impact Exegesis.............. iii Abbreviations Used in This Commentary........................................ix A Word From the Author: How This Commentary Can Help You.....................xi A Guide to Good Bible Reading: A Personal Search for Verifiable Truth ............. xiii Geographical Locations in Joshua.............................................xxi The Old Testament as History............................................... xxii OT Historiography Compared with Contemporary Near Eastern Cultures.............xxvi Genre and Interpretation: Old Testament Narrative............................. xxviii Introduction to Joshua ................................................... 1 Joshua 1.............................................................. 7 Joshua 2............................................................. 22 Joshua 3............................................................. 31 Joshua 4............................................................. 41 Joshua 5............................................................. 51 Joshua 6............................................................. 57 Joshua 7............................................................. 65 Joshua 8............................................................. 77 Joshua 9............................................................. 86 Joshua 10............................................................ 94 Joshua 11........................................................... 104 Joshua 12........................................................... 111 Joshua 13........................................................... 115 Joshua 14........................................................... 124 Joshua 15........................................................... 128 Joshua 16........................................................... 138 Joshua 17........................................................... 140 Joshua 18........................................................... 144 Joshua 19........................................................... 149 Joshua 20........................................................... 154 Joshua 21........................................................... 158 Joshua 22........................................................... 164 Joshua 23........................................................... 172 Joshua 24........................................................... 177 Appendix One: Brief Historical Survey of Powers of Mesopotamia ................ 186 Appendix Two: Chart of the Whole Old Testament ............................. 195 Appendix Three: Statement of Faith .......................................... 197 SPECIAL TOPICS TABLE OF CONTENTS Geographical Locations in Joshua.............................................xxi The Old Testament as History, Introduction .................................... xxii OT Historiography Compared with Contemporary Near Eastern Cultures, Introduction . xxvi Old Testament Narrative, Introduction ...................................... xxviii Names for Deity, Josh. 1:1.................................................... 8 Righteousness, Josh. 1:6 .................................................... 14 Bob’s Evangelical Biases, Josh. 1:7............................................17 The Red Sea, Josh. 2:10..................................................... 25 Lovingkindness (Hesed), Josh. 2:12 ........................................... 27 Cubit, Josh. 3:4 ........................................................... 33 Holy, Josh. 3:5............................................................ 34 The Pre-Israelite Inhabitants of Palestine, Josh. 3:10 .............................. 36 Thousand, Josh. 3:17 ....................................................... 40 The Number Twelve, Josh. 4:1 ............................................... 42 Forever (’Olam), Josh. 4:7................................................... 44 Ancient Near Eastern Calendar, Josh. 4:19...................................... 49 The Angel of the Lord, Josh. 6:2.............................................. 59 Horns Used by Israel, Josh. 6:4............................................... 60 Ancient Near Eastern Weights and Volumes, Josh. 7:21 ........................... 72 Fire, Josh. 7:25............................................................ 75 Sacrifices In Mesopotamia and Israel and Their Significance, Josh. 8:31 ............... 82 Covenant, Josh. 9:6 ........................................................ 90 Chariots, Josh. 11:4....................................................... 106 Israel, Josh. 13:14 ........................................................ 120 Where Are the Dead?, Josh. 15:8.............................................131 Know, Josh. 23:14........................................................ 176 Believe, Josh. 24:14....................................................... 181 Brief Explanations of the Technical Resources Used in the “You Can Understand the Bible” Old Testament Commentary Series I. Lexical There are several excellent lexicons available for ancient Hebrew. A. Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. It is based on the German lexicon by William Gesenius. It is known by the abbreviation BDB. B. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, translated by M. E. J. Richardson. It is known by the abbreviation KB. C. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by William L. Holladay and is based on the above German lexicon (#A). D. A new five volume theological word study entitled The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, edited by Willem A. Van Gemeren. It is known by the abbreviation NIDOTTE. Where there is significant lexical variety, I have shown several English translations (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, TEV, NJB) from both “word-for-word” and “dynamic equivalent” translations (cf. Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 28-44). II. Grammatical The grammatical identification is usually based on John Joseph Owens’ Analytical Key to the Old Testament in four volumes. This is cross checked with Benjamin Davidson’s Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament. Another helpful resource for grammatical and syntactical features which is used in most of the OT volumes of “You Can Understand the Bible” Series is “The Helps for Translators Series” from the United Bible Societies. They are entitled “A Handbook on .” III. Textual I am committed to the inspiration of the consonantal Hebrew text (not the Masoretic vowel points and comments). As in all hand-copied ancient texts, there are some questionable passages. This is usually because of the following: A. hapax legomenon (words used only once in the Hebrew OT) B. idiomatic terms (words and phrases whose literal meanings have been lost) C. historical uncertainties (our lack of information about the ancient world) D. the poly-semitic semantic field of Hebrew’s limited vocabulary E. problems associated with later scribes hand-copying ancient Hebrew texts F. Hebrew scribes trained in Egypt who felt free to update the texts they copied to make them complete and understandable to their day (NIDOTTE, pp. 52-54). There are several sources of Hebrew words and texts outside the Masoretic textual tradition: 1. The Samaritan Pentateuch 2. The Dead Sea Scrolls 3. Some later coins, letters, and ostraca (broken pieces of unfired pottery used for writing), but for the most part, there are no manuscript families in the OT like those in the Greek NT manuscripts. For a good brief article on the textual reliability of the Masoretic Text (A.D. i 900's) see “The Reliability of the Old Testament Text” by Bruce K. Waltke in the NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 51-67. The Hebrew text used is Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia from the German Bible Society, 1997, which is based on the Leningrad Codex (A.D. 1009). Occasionally, the ancient versions (Greek Septuagint, Aramaic Targums, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate) are consulted if the Hebrew is ambiguous or obviously confused. ii BRIEF DEFINITIONS OF HEBREW VERBAL FORMS WHICH IMPACT EXEGESIS I. Brief Historical Development of Hebrew Hebrew is part of the Shemitic (Semitic) family of southwest Asian languages. The name (given by modern scholars) comes from Noah’s son, Shem (cf. Gen. 5:32; 6:10). Shem’s descendants are listed in Gen. 10:21-31 as Arabs, Hebrews, Syrians, Arameans, and Assyrians. In reality, some Semitic languages are used by the nations listed in Ham’s line (cf. Gen. 10:6-14): Canaan, Phoenicia, and Ethiopia. Hebrew is part of the northwest group of these Semitic languages. Modern scholars have samples of this ancient language group: A. Amorite (Mari Tablets from 18th century B.C. in Akkadian) B. Canaanite (Ras Shamra Tablets from 15th century in Ugaritic) C. Canaanite (Amarna Letters from 14th century in Canaanite Akkadian) D. Phoenician (Hebrew uses Phoenician alphabet) E. Moabite (Mesha stone, 840 B.C.) F. Aramaic (official language of the Persian Empire used in Gen. 31:47 [2 words]; Jer. 10:11; Dan. 2:4-6; 7:28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26 and spoken by Jews in the first century in Palestine) The Hebrew language is called “the lip of Canaan” in Isa. 19:18. It was
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Book of Judges Lesson One Introduction to the Book
    The Book of Judges Lesson One Introduction to the Book by Dr. John L. May I. The Historical Background - Authorship Dates of the events of the book are uncertain. It is a book about and to the children of Israel (Judges 1:1). Since the book is a continuation of history following the book of Joshua, many scholars believe that it was written after the death of Joshua (after 1421 BC). However, others think that it was written even later than this, for Judges 18:1 and 19:1 imply that there was a king in Israel at the time of writing. That would necessitate a date of 1095 BC or later. If you base your belief upon Judges 1:21, 29, a date of approximately 1000 BC would be a date that would place its writing during the time of Samuel and the reign of the kings. This would tie in nicely with the Jewish tradition that the author was Samuel. There is neither an inspired statement nor an implication as to the place of composition To determine the time span involved in this book, it is unlikely that the years each judge is said to have ruled could be added together, for the total would exceed 490 years. However, Wesley states in his notes on the Book of Judges that the total is only 299 years. The reason for this is that their years of service may coincide or overlap with the years of some or other of the judges and this allows Wesley to arrive at his figure.
    [Show full text]
  • JOSHUA: the LORD IS SALVATION Joshua’S Call Joshua 1:1-18 Layne Lebo June 12, 2016
    JOSHUA: THE LORD IS SALVATION Joshua’s Call Joshua 1:1-18 Layne Lebo June 12, 2016 Today, we’re beginning our summer sermon series that will carry us through the end of August. Summer tends to be a very disjointed time at McBIC. People’s travel and vacation schedules, along with our church scaling back on some of our normal activities make it a challenge to stay connected during summer. Personally, I’m in the midst of a 5-week stretch where between vacation and some business trips I I’ll be spending time in North Carolina, Nashville, Kansas and Orlando. Realizing how disjointed things can get in June, July and August, we typically preach a summer-long series on a book of the Bible. That way, in the midst of people coming and going and a variety of people preaching, we have the constant of staying in one book of the Bible. To help you stay connected we’ve put together a simple bookmark that lists scriptures you can read whether you’re at home or on vacation that keep you in step with the passages we’re preaching on this summer. This summer we’ll be walking through the Old Testament Book of Joshua. Joshua is the 6th book in the Bible—coming immediately after the books known as the Pentateuch or the Law. Bible scholars aren’t sure who the author of Joshua is. It appears that parts of the book were written by Joshua himself, but other portions were likely passed along through generations of Jewish people as oral history.
    [Show full text]
  • Can You Answer These Questions?
    SERIES XV LECTURE IX c"qa CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? 1. Describe the events that occurred immediately after the death of Joshua and the elders. 2. Describe the three ways in which the people of Israel were punished during the period of the Judges. 3. Describe five aspects which were common to both the Judges and the Kings of Israel. 4. Describe five aspects which distinguished the Judges from the Kings of Israel. 5. Who was the first of the Judges? This and much more will be addressed in the ninth lecture of this series: "The Period of the Judges: Part One". To derive maximum benefit from this lecture, keep these questions in mind as you listen to the lecture and read through the outline. Go back to these questions once again at the end of the lecture and see how well you answer them. PLEASE NOTE: This outline and source book were designed as a powerful tool to help you appreciate and understand the basis of Jewish History. Although the lectures can be listened to without the use of the outline, we advise you to read the outline to enhance your comprehension. Use it, as well, as a handy reference guide and for quick review. This lecture is dedicated to the honor and merit of Dr. and Mrs. Gabriel Sosne and their family. THE EPIC OF THE ETERNAL PEOPLE Presented by Rabbi Shmuel Irons Series XV Lecture #9 THE PERIOD OF THE JUDGES: PART ONE I. The Emergence of the Judges A. lM¨ z`¥ E`x¨ xW¤ `£ r© EWFdi§ ix¥g£`© min¦ i¨ Ekix¦`¡d¤ xW¤ `£ mip¦ w¥ G§d© in¥ i§ | loke§ r© Wª Fdi§ in¥ i§ loM 'c z`¤ mr¨ d¨ Eca§ r© I©e© FzF` ExA§ w§ I¦e© :mip¦
    [Show full text]
  • Buy Cheap Levitra
    Excavating a Battle: The Intersection of Textual Criticism, Archaeology, and Geography The Problem of Hill City Just as similarities or variant forms of personal names can create textual problems, the same .( ֶּ֖ג ַבע) and Geba (גִּבְע ָ֔ ה) is true of geographic names. A case in point is the confusion of Gibeah Both names mean “Hill City”, an appropriate name for a city in the hill country of Benjamin, where other cities are named Lookout (Mizpeh) and Height (Ramah). Adding to the mix is the The situation is clarified (or confused further) by the modifiers that .( ִּג ְב ֥עֹון) related name Gibeon are sometimes added to the names. The difficulty of keeping these cities distinct is increased by textual problems. Sometimes “Geba” may be used for “Gibeah,” and vice versa. To complicate matters further there are other Gibeah/Geba’s in Israel (Joshua 15:57—Gibeah in Judah, Joshua 24:33 —Gibeath in Ephraim). That Gibeah and Geba in Benjamin are two different places is demonstrated by Joshua 18:24, 28, which lists ( ִּג ְב ַַ֣עת and Gibeah (here in the form ( ֶּ֖ג ַבע) both Geba among the cities of Benjamin. Isaiah 10:29 also The Gibeah we are discussing here is near .( ִּג ְב ַ֥עת ש ֶּ֖אּול) distinguishes Geba from Gibeah of Saul the central ridge, near Ramah, north of Jerusalem. Geba is further east on the edge of the wilderness, near a descent to the Jordan Valley. It is across the valley from Michmash. Gibeah Gibeah is Saul’s capital near Ramah. It is a restoration of the Gibeah destroyed in Judges.
    [Show full text]
  • Battle of Jericho and Rahab LESSON Joshua 1-4 10
    The Battle of Jericho and Rahab LESSON Joshua 1-4 10 Old Testament 4 Part 2: Joshua Leads God’s People SUNDAY MORNING Old Testament 4 Class Attendance Sheet provided in activity sheets (NOTE: The document is interactive, allowing the teacher to type in the Class, Teacher, and the children’s names.) SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Joshua 1-4; 6; Hebrews 11:30-31; James 2:25 MEMORY WORK: YOUNGER CHILDREN: “…[D]o not be afraid…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). OLDER CHILDREN: “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS (SEE END OF LESSON FOR WORDS): A song book and audio recordings of many of the curriculum songs are available on the curriculum Web site. • “Rahab and the Spies” • “Walls of Jericho” • “Israel Crosses Jordan into Canaan” • “Jericho’s Falling” • “Fall of Jericho” LESSON VISUALS AND TEACHING AIDS (NOTE ANY DISCLAIMERS): • See AP’s Pinterest page for ideas on bulletin boards, visuals, crafts, etc. [DISCLAIMER: Pins may sometimes need to be adjusted to be Scriptural.] • God’s People and Joshua Bible fact cards (provided under “O.T. 4 Bible Facts” on curriculum Web site) • “Summary of the Bible” from “Kids Prep” CD by Jeff Miller • Betty Lukens’ felt pieces • Joshua A Beka Flash-A-Card Series (DISCLAIMER: use the cards, not the lesson book) • Map of the Conquest of Canaan (provided in map section of curriculum Web site) 3/1/18 www.apologeticspress.org Page 75 O.T.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Conquests of Canaan
    ÅA Wars in the Middle East are almost an every day part of Eero Junkkaala:of Three Canaan Conquests our lives, and undeniably the history of war in this area is very long indeed. This study examines three such wars, all of which were directed against the Land of Canaan. Two campaigns were conducted by Egyptian Pharaohs and one by the Israelites. The question considered being Eero Junkkaala whether or not these wars really took place. This study gives one methodological viewpoint to answer this ques- tion. The author studies the archaeology of all the geo- Three Conquests of Canaan graphical sites mentioned in the lists of Thutmosis III and A Comparative Study of Two Egyptian Military Campaigns and Shishak and compares them with the cities mentioned in Joshua 10-12 in the Light of Recent Archaeological Evidence the Conquest stories in the Book of Joshua. Altogether 116 sites were studied, and the com- parison between the texts and the archaeological results offered a possibility of establishing whether the cities mentioned, in the sources in question, were inhabited, and, furthermore, might have been destroyed during the time of the Pharaohs and the biblical settlement pe- riod. Despite the nature of the two written sources being so very different it was possible to make a comparative study. This study gives a fresh view on the fierce discus- sion concerning the emergence of the Israelites. It also challenges both Egyptological and biblical studies to use the written texts and the archaeological material togeth- er so that they are not so separated from each other, as is often the case.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Doctrine of Ishmael 1. Ishmael Was the Firstborn Son of Abraham By
    Doctrine of Ishmael 1. Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham by Hagar, an Egyptian maid of his wife Sarah. Abraham was 86 at the time and had lived in Canaan for 11 years. 2. Sarah, the barren wife, in keeping with customs of her times as seen in the Babylonian law code of Hammurabi, gave her slave Hagar to Abraham to produce an heir for the family. 3. When Abraham was 99 God renewed His covenant with him and enjoined circumcision of Ishmael as a sign of his membership in the covenant community. 4. God also announced that He would fulfill the divine promise through his wife Sarah, although Abraham looked on Ishmael with deep affection and prayed that he might be the promised heir (Gen 17:18). Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 5. When Ishmael was circumcised, Abraham and his household (those born to the men and women who had grown up in his employ and newcomers to the household through purchase from foreigners) were also circumcised. 5.1 Ishmael was 13 years old at the time of his circumcision. Many Arab tribes still circumcise their youths at the age of 13. 6. Fourteen years after the birth of Ishmael, Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham. The jealousy that had long separated Sarah from Hagar came to a breaking point at the time of the weaning of Isaac.
    [Show full text]
  • Bible Readings and Commentaries Book 5 of 6
    Bible Readings and Commentaries Book 5 of 6 Fifth Half-Year of Triennial Torah Cycle For Sabbath Service © 2005 All rights reserved Congregation Beikvot HaMashiach (Followers of the Messiah) P. O. Box 13031 Seattle WA 98198-1001 WWW.MESSIANIC.WS 1 Triennial Torah Cycle from the Ancient Holy Temple The first Sabbath of the Month Nisan (the month that begins two weeks before Passover), every third year, is the time to start the triennial Torah reading cycle. This is the reading cycle that was used in the Holy Temple, and apparently the one that Yeshua followed. As the readings progress through the three years, the subjects will be seen to correspond to times of festivals and major events. Each Sabbath's readings are called a seder (order of service). Each seder includes a portion of the Torah (meaning Instruction), Haftara (meaning Completion of the Torah -- a reading from the Prophets), and a Psalm to be sung. The cycle begins with Bereshit (In the beginning) / Genesis 1, and Psalm 1, and a portion of Isaiah on the same subject. A reading of corresponding topic from the Apostolic Writings (NT) is suggested for each Sabbath. The title of a Torah reading is the first significant word(s), which predates today’s common system of chapters and verses. The Psalms, used in numerical order, agree in subject with the Torah portions throughout the three years. These blessings are to accompany the Bible readings: Before Torah Reading: "Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, Who chose us from among all peoples by giving us Your Torah.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    British Journal for Military History Volume 7, Issue 1, March 2021 What’s in a name? Identifying military engagements in Egypt and the Levant, 1915-1918 Roslyn Shepherd King Pike ISSN: 2057-0422 Date of Publication: 19 March 2021 Citation: Roslyn Shepherd King Pike, ‘What’s in a name? Identifying military engagements in Egypt and the Levant, 1915-1918’, British Journal for Military History, 7.1 (2021), pp. 87-112. www.bjmh.org.uk This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The BJMH is produced with the support of IDENTIFYING MILITARY ENGAGEMENTS IN EGYPT & THE LEVANT 1915-1918 What’s in a name? Identifying military engagements in Egypt and the Levant, 1915- 1918 Roslyn Shepherd King Pike* Independent Scholar Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT This article examines the official names listed in the 'Egypt and Palestine' section of the 1922 report by the British Army’s Battles Nomenclature Committee and compares them with descriptions of military engagements in the Official History to establish if they clearly identify the events. The Committee’s application of their own definitions and guidelines during the process of naming these conflicts is evaluated together with examples of more recent usages in selected secondary sources. The articles concludes that the Committee’s failure to accurately identify the events of this campaign have had a negative impacted on subsequent historiography. Introduction While the perennial rose would still smell the same if called a lily, any discussion of military engagements relies on accurate and generally agreed on enduring names, so historians, veterans, and the wider community, can talk with some degree of confidence about particular events, and they can be meaningfully written into history.
    [Show full text]
  • Genesis 25 By: Dr
    XLI. Genesis in Biblical Perspective The Gospel of Christ from Genesis “The Last Words and Deeds of Abraham” Genesis 25 By: Dr. Harry L. Reeder III We are going to bring to a conclusion the life of Abraham as we come to the Lord’s Supper in Genesis 25. Genesis 25:1–18 says [1] Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. [2] She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. [3] Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. [4] The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. [5] Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. [6] But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. [7] These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. [8] Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. [9] Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, [10] the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. [11] After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. [12] These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy Land but Did Not Enter It and Where a Church and a Monastery Were Built to Honor Him
    Content Jordan’s Religious Legacy 1 Baptism Site/Bethany Beyond the Jordan 3 Hill of Elijah 4 Pisgah / Mount Nebo 5 Medeba / Madaba 6 Machaerus / Mukawir 7 Anjara 7 Prophet Elijah’s Shrine 8 Mephaath / Umm Ar-Rasas 9 Gadara / Umm Qays 10 Gerasa / Jerash 11 Rabbath-Ammon/ Amman 12 Petra 13 Arnon Valley / Wadi Mujib 14 Pella / Tabaqat Fahl 15 Umm Al-Jimal 16 Lot’s Cave 17 Heshbon/ Hisban 18 Rehab 19 Dibon / Dhiban 19 The Early Church in Aqaba 20 Map of Biblical Jordan 21 Jordan’s Religious Legacy The land of modern day Jordan has been the site of signifcant events in the history of Christianity spanning across centuries throughout the New and Old Testaments. It is because of this religious signifcance that sites all around Jordan have been designated as pilgrimage sites and have been visited by Pope John Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis within the past half century. As a land dedicated to religious coexistence, the country of Jordan maintains these religious sites for the use of pilgrims from all around the world. 1 Jordan’s Religious Legacy Today I am in Jordan, a land familiar to me from the Holy Scriptures – a land sanctifed by the presence of Jesus Himself, by the presence of Moses, Elijah and John the Baptist; and of saints and martyrs of the early Church. Yours is a land noted for its hospitality and openness to all. Pope John Paul II during his Jubilee Pilgrimage in 2000 Pope John Paul VI Pope John Paul II at Mount Nebo Pope Benedict XVI at the Baptism site Pope Francis 2 Baptism Site/ Bethany Beyond the Jordan The Bible narrates that people used to travel from Jerusalem and Yahuda and from the countries bordering Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist.
    [Show full text]
  • The Philistines Were Among the Sea Peoples, Probably of Aegean Origin, Who First Appeared in the E Mediterranean at the End of the 13Th Century B.C
    The Philistines were among the Sea Peoples, probably of Aegean origin, who first appeared in the E Mediterranean at the end of the 13th century B.C. These peoples were displaced from their original homelands as part of the extensive population movements characteristic of the end of the LB Age. During this period, the Egyptians and the Hittites ruled in the Levant, but both powers were in a general state of decline. The Sea Peoples exploited this power vacuum by invading areas previously subject to Egyptian and Hittite control, launching land and sea attacks on Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, to which various Egyptian sources attest. The various translations of the name Philistine in the different versions of the Bible reveal that even in early times translators and exegetes were unsure of their identity. In the LXX, for example, the name is usually translated as allopsyloi ("strangers"), but it occurs also as phylistieim in the Pentateuch and Joshua. In the Hebrew Bible, the Philistines are called Pelishtim, a term defining them as the inhabitants ofPeleshet, i.e., the coastal plain of S Palestine. Assyrian sources call them both Pilisti and Palastu. The Philistines appear as prst in Egyptian sources. Encountering the descendants of the Philistines on the coast of S Palestine, the historian Herodotus, along with sailors and travelers from the Persian period onward called them palastinoi and their countrypalastium. The use of these names in the works of Josephus, where they are common translations forPhilistines and Philistia and, in some cases, for the entire land of Palestine, indicates the extent to which the names had gained acceptance by Roman times.
    [Show full text]