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Israel's Settlement in Canaan the Biblical Tradition and Its Historical Background

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Israel's Settlement in Canaan the Biblical Tradition and Its Historical Background THE BRITISH ACADEMY Israel's Settlement in Canaan The Biblical Tradition and its Historical Background By The Rev. C. F. Burney, D.Litt. Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture in the University of Oxford Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford Canon of Rochester The Schweich Lectures 1917 SECOND EDITION London Published for the British Academy By Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press Amen Corner, E.C. 1919 PRlNTED AT OXFORD, ENGLAND BY FREDEI!ICK HALL PBlNTER TO TH.I!: UliiVERSITY TO THE REV. CHARLES JAMES BALL, D.LrTT. IN AFFECTIONATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MUCH INSTRUCTION AND INSPIRATION IN BIBLICAL STUDIES PREFACE WHEN I was honoured by the President and Council of the British Academy with an invitation to deliver the Schweich Lectures of 1917, the suggestion was made that I should choose some subject in connexion with the commentary on the Book of Judges on which I have been engaged for some years. The subject which I chose, though not falling within the period of the Judges of Israel as defined by the limits of the Book of Judges, is one which is brought prominently forward by the introductory section to the book, eh. i. 1-ii. 5, which raises immediately the question of the relation of the summary which it gives of the tribal settlement in Canaan to the fuller and in many respects discrepant account of .that settlement which we find in the Book of Joshua. Even apart from this preface to the Book of Judges, the narratives dealing with the various Israelite leaders, which form the material of the book as a whole, picture (at any rate in the old sources themselves as contrasted with the editorial framework) so slight a cohesion among the various tribal units of Israel, and their holding of so precarious a footing in Canaan in the midst of alien races, that the question presses itself upon the student whether the theory of a closely organized body of twelve tribes, effecting under a single leader a complete subjugation of the greater part of Canaan-i.e. the theory of the Book of Joshua in its present form-is at all consistent with such a state of affairs in the period immediately subsequent to the settlement. I welcomed the opportunity, there­ fore, of examining, a.s systematically as I was able to do within the brief compass of three lectures, a subject the right understanding of which forms a necessary preliminary to the study of the period of the Judges, and of bringing together and supplementing the vi PREFACE conclusions at which I had arrived in my more or less isolated discussions of particular points as they arose in the course of preparation of my commentary. Fortunately, my larger work is completed, and would ere now have seen the light had it not been for the great difficulties connected with publication at the present time ; and I have utilized material embodied in it for many of the questions which call for discussion in the present lectures. I have cited it throughout as Burney, Judges, and have been able for the most part to give reference to the pages in which the points in question receive fuller discussion. Lecture III is based in the main upon work which I have embodied in the introductiol} to the commentary (§ 6), which will be found there to stand in a fuller and more detailed historical setting of events in Western Asia 'so far as they have a bearing on the contemporary history of Canaan; and I have also drawn largely on the book in stating my views as to the conquest of the Negeb by a northward advance from Kadesh-Barnea (pp. 28 ff.; cf. Judges, pp. 44 ff.), and as to the fortunes of the tribe of Levi (pp. 44 ff.; cf. Judges, pp. 436 ff.). The reader of these lectures who expects to find a continuous narrative of Israel's settlement in Canaan must inevitably be disappointed by the scantiness of the material, especially upon the archaeological side, and the fragmentary character of such con­ clusions as can be drawn with reasonable safety. The weaving of a fuller and more connected narrative might have been accom­ plished by paying less strict regard to the scientific method and allowing more free play to the imagination ; but a real advance in historical knowledge can only be secured by frankly facing the facts that the sources of information at our disposal are inadequate for the construction of such a connected scheme, and that we can only advance by slow degrees in our endeavour to ascertain the truth. Our best hope for any further gain in knowledge of Israel's early history lies in fresh archaeological discovery ; and it~ as we trust, the near future is to witness a new regime in Palestine, and the opening up of larger facilities for scientific excavation, the munificent provision of the Schweich Fund, founded in memory of the late Mr. Leopold Schweich, of Paris, for the furtherance of PREFACE vii such excavation will prove of unique value, and the wisdom in placing this object in the forefront of the scheme may receive abundant justification. The lectures are published in the form in which they were given; though the time-limitation made it necessary to omit considerable portions in delivery. C. F. B. Mal'ch, 1918. CONTENTS SYMBOLS EMPLOYED TO DENOTE THE BIBLICAL SOURCES P· xi LECTURE I Introduction. Choice of subject. An endeavour to reach historical results through evidence of literary and historical criticism combined with evidence of archaeology. Period chosen makes a special call for historical investigation. Position taken by lecturer as to historical value of Biblical sources for period (pp. 1-11). The Biblical Tradition examined. Survey of conquest of Canaan as related in Book of Joshua. Southern campaign as related in the old narratives JE. Deuteronomic redactor of these narratives (Rn) increases results of successes, making them extend to conquest of all southern Canaan except Philistine plain. Contrary evidence of Judges i. Northern confederation of Canaanites against Israel. Magnitude of this northern campaign and its results again intensified by Rn (pp. 11-16). Judges i portion of old document of first importance for history of Israel's settlement. Describes gradual and partial manner in which settlement was effected. Due largely to efforts of individual tribes, who in most cases settled down side by side with races which they failed to eradicate. Choice between presentation of settlement as offered by this old document, and that offered by Rn in Joshua and by the Priestly author (P) of Joshua xiii. 15-xxi. 42 (account of the division of the land by lot among the tribes) (pp. 16-26). LECTURE II The Biblical Tradition examined (continuation). Point in which Judges i seems in present form to agree with conception of Rn and P in Joshua. Tribes seem to be pictured as starting from common point, and as having each its special heritage predetermined by lot. Reasons for regarding this conception as unhistorical. Two outstanding illustrations. (1) J udah and Simeon make their iettlement by advance from south, not from .Tericho as pictured in Judges i.' 16, 17. (2) Migration of Manassite clans across Jordan from west to east ascribed by old J narrative to Joshua's initiative, but really a movement which took place at a later period (pp. 27-34). What credence, then, can we attach to tradition of Israelite invasion of conquest under Joshua 1 Joshua a genuinely historical figure, but probably leader of the Joseph-tribes only. If this is so, tribes led out of Egypt by Moses probably not the whole of Israel ; but certain elements which ultimately formed part of the nation gained footing in Canaan independently of Moses and Joshua, and at an earlier period. Sphere of our inquiry thus extended to traditions of patriarchal age (pp. 34-7). X CONTEms Simeon and Levi, Genesis xxxiv and xlix. 5-7. Story not a reflection of events in time of Judges, but prior to period when Joseph-tribes occupied central Hill-country. Genesis xlviii. 22. Simeon in far south as sequel to Genesis xxxiv. What became of Levi 1 If this tribe followed fortunes of Simeon, we expect to find it in far south on borders of Egypt. This hypothesis would explain (1) connexion of Simeon and Levi with J oseph-tribes in Egypt (Moses a Levite) ; (2) identification of main part of Levi with fortunes of Judah in south. Remaining Leah-tribes, Reuben, Issachar, Zebulun. Earliest positions of Leah-tribes in Canaan. Handmaid-tribes. Tribal names of Handmaid-tribes and full Israelite tribes contrasted (pp. 37-58). LECTURE Ill External evidence. Brief outline-sketch of history of Canaan from Hyksos period, giving chronological presentation of all possible allusions to Israel in external sources. Jacob-el a Hyksos chieftain before 1580 B. c. Jacob-el and Joseph-el (?) place-names in Canaan c. 1479 B.C. 'Apuriu mentioned in Egyptian documents from time of Thutmosi Ill onwards. 'IJabiru pressing into Syria-Palestine c. 1375 B. c. The lJabiru question and its importance. Detailed examination of proposed identification with Hebrews. Rival theories. Name Asher occurs in western Galilee c. 1313 B.O. Mineptal;l defeats a people called Israel in Canaan c. 1223 B. c. (pp. 59-82). Conclusions. Decision as to approximate date of Exodus a necessary pre­ liminary before we can form working theory as to relation between Biblical and archaeological d~. Biblical evidence bearing on early migrations of Israel's ancestors westward into Canaan. Period at which Israel (the Joseph­ tribes) most likely to have entered Egypt.
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