Section outline

    • 2.1 Overview

      • Overview of geography of the “Land of the Bible”
      • The problem of beginning of history of ancient Israel, the nature of Bible as a historical source
      • From Solomon temple to the fall of Samaria
      • Judah: from the fall of Northern Kingdom to the Babylonian Exile
      • The Exile and the Second Temple period until the end of the Persian period
      • From Alexander the Great to the Roman rule

    • 2.2 Comment

      Students get an overview of the main periods in the history of Israel. They understand the biblical periodization of history in the context of history of Ancient Near East. They know the most important dates (the fall of Samaria, the beginning and the end of the Babylonian Exile, of the Persian period, the Maccabean revolt). Also, the main geographic features of Syria-Palestine – the Land of the Bible – are introduced.

    • 2.3 Literature for individual study

      Bandstra, Reading the Old Testament, 10–14.

      Boadt, Reading the Old Testament, 33–36.

      Coogan, The Old Testament, 22–32.

      Rendtorff, The Old Testament, 1–6.

    • 2.4 Verifying comprehension

      1. Describe geography of the Land of the Bible. What are the natural borders? What are its main north-south zones?
      2. What are the important stages in the Old Testament story line?
      3. How does the biblical story relate to the modern view of history of Ancient Near East? Include the most important dates.
      4. From which century do we have some external historical data relating to the accounts in the Old Testament (e.g. persons in the Bible known from other sources)?
      5. Why is it difficult to uncover the earliest history of Israel by modern critical historiography?
      6. What is the Mesha Stela, why is it important?

    • Geography of the Land of the Bible File