The emergence of Israel in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE 9781589836334, 9781589832626

Table of contents :
Frontmatter
Abbreviations (page xi)
Timetables (page xv)
Map: Palestine in the Iron Age (page xvii)
Acknowledgments for Figures (page xviii)
I. The Biblical Portrait of the Era (page 1)
I.1. Representation (page 1)
I.2. Questions (page 8)
II. Historical Reconstruction of the Epoch (page 67)
II.1. Chronological Framework (page 67)
II.2. Canaan at the End of the Late Bronze Age (page 70)
II.3. The Resettlement of the Land in the Early Iron Age (1200-1000) (page 82)
II.4. The Land Acquisition (page 117)
II.5. The Life of the Tribes in the Cultivated Land (page 139)
II.6. The Religion of Yahweh (page 157)
II.7. The Philistines (page 182)
II.8. Neighboring Peoples (page 197)
III. The Literature of the Era (page 209)
III.1. Hymns of praise (page 210)
III.2. Riddles (page 216)
III.3. Fables (page 220)
III.4. The Role of Oral Tradition (page 224)
III.5. On the Concept of the Legend (page 235)
IV. The Theological Significance of the Epoch (page 241)
Index of Place Names (page 247)
Index of Modern Authors (page 249)
Index of Biblical References (page 255)

Citation preview

THE EMERGENCE OF ISRAEL IN THE TWELFTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES B.C.E.

Society of Biblical Literature

Biblical Encyclopedia Leo G. Perdue, Series Editor

An English Translation of Biblische Enzyklopadie Walter Dietrich and Wolfgang Stegemann, Editors

Volume 2

The Emergence of Israel in the Twelfth and Eleventh Centuries B.C.E.

THE EMERGENCE OF ISRAEL IN THE TWELFTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES B.C.E.

by

Volkmar Fritz

Translated by James W. Barker

Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta

THE EMERGENCE OF ISRAEL IN THE TWELFTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES B.C.E.

Copyright © 2011 by the Society of Biblical Literature

A translation of Die Entstehung Israels im 12. und 11. Jahrhundert v. Chr. (1996), published under license from © W. Kohlhammer GmbH Stuttgart. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Office, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fritz, Volkmar. [Entstehung Israels im 12. und 11. Jahrhundert v. Chr. English] The emergence of Israel in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE / by Volkmar ; translated by James W. Barker. p.cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature biblical encyclopedia series ; no. 2) Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN: 978-1-58983-262-6 (paper binding : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-58983-633-4 (electronic format) 1. Jews—History—To 1200 B.C. 2. Bible. O.T.—History of Biblical events. 3. Judaism—History. I. Title.

222'.2095—dc23 2011042797 DS121.F7513 2012

19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 I1 54321 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, recycled paper conforming to ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) and ISO 9706:1994 standards for paper permanence.

Dedicated to the memory of Aharon Kempinski, colleague and friend

BLANK PAGE

CONTENTS

Abbreviations .........eeeecssescescesecssescescesseseeseesceacesesseeseecceeccscsesseeseeseessessessesseeseeseee Xd Timetables .........ccccescsssssssscssscsscescsscescssesseeseessessessessessessseseeessssessessessesetsssesssssesseseee XV.

Map: Palestine in the Iron Age oo... eecssesecesseceecessesceseeeceeeeeeceeeseeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeXVIL Acknowledgments for Figures 00.0... sesssescesseeseceececeeceeesceeceeseeseeeeceeseetseeeeees XVILT

I. The Biblical Portrait of the Era... eee ceesesseeseeseeeseesessessesessesssesseeeeee I LL. Representation ....... ee eeeecssseeecsseceeeseeeessseceesseesesseceessseeessseeeeesseeesseeeeesseeeee L

[I.1.1. Sojourn in the Eastern Transjordan (Num 21-36)... eee 2 I.1.2. Moses Farewell Speech (Deut 1-34) oo. ceeeeceeseeseeseeeseeeeteees O

1.1.3. Taking the Western Transjordan (Josh 1-24)... eee 4 I.1.4. The Period of the Judges Judg 1-21) wee ceecteeteeeeeeeteeeeee T.2. QUeSTIONS .... eee eeeeceeseeeeseceessececsscesseecessceesseceesseeesseeessnesesseeeeseeesssesesseeesseeeeseeeO

[.2.1. Sojourn in the Eastern Transjordan (Num 21-36).................12 [.2.1.1. The Supplements (Num 25-31 and 33-36) uc cceseeeeeeeeeeee LS [.2.1.2. The Balaam Oracles (Num 22-24) voici eeecccsssscesssessssseeeeee LO

[.2.1.3. Taking the Eastern Transjordan (Num 21 and 32)..................18 I.2.1.4. Repetition of the Trip from Horeb to the Jordan (Deut 1-3) ..23

[.2.2. Taking the Western Transjordan (Josh 1-24)... eeeeeeee 20 [.2.2.1. Conquest of the Land (Josh 1-24) wo... eeseseeteeeeeeeeeteeeeeeee 20

[.2.2.2. Allocation of the Land (Josh 13-19) we eeeeccsssreessssseere DL [.2.2.3. Joshuas Farewell Speech (Josh 24)... ccscsssssssesteeeeeeeeeeeeeseeee DO

I.2.3. Judges and Deliverers Judg 1-21)... eeseeeseeeeseeeteeteeeenees DD [.2.3.1. History of the Deliverers (Judg 3-16)... eeeteeteeeteeteeteene OT [.2.3.2. The Appendices (Judg 17-21)... eeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeseeeteeteeeeeeee OL [.2.3.3. The Prologue Judg 1:2) occ ssseseesseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeseeeseeseeeeees O4 1.2.4. The Tribal Sayings oe. escessscesceeeeceeeesceseeeeeesseeaseeseeseeneeneees OO T.2.5. Syntheses oe eeccsesssceeceseeseeececceceeeeeceeesceseeeeeeesceaseeseesseeseeeseeeseees Ol

II. Historical Reconstruction of the EpOch ou... csssssesseeeeestesseeeeeeeeses 7 IT.1. Chronological Framework ..0... ce eecscscesesseeceecesceeeeeceeeaeecceecscesceaeeneeeseeeeees OZ

Vill CONTENTS IJ.2. Canaan at the End of the Late Bronze Age ....... eee eeesesseseeceeceseeteeeeseesees ZO

1.2.1. The Collapse of the Canaanite City-States 00... eeeeteeneeee 72 T1.2.2. The Carmaanites.......ccccccccccsscsscsccsccsecseeseesecseeseeseeeeseseseeseesseeseesee 20

11.2.3. Israel and the Merneptah Stele ...... ee eeeseeteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee OO

II.3. The Resettlement of the Land in the Early Iron Age (1200-1000) .......82 IT.3.1. Settlement ReQions....... ee ceescscceceeeeesceeceseeseesceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees OO 11.3.2. Settlement FOr .0... eee eeeeesceceeceeceeeeaseecsceeseesscesceeeeaeeeeeeeeeees OD

11.3.3. Economic System and Social Structure... eeeeeeseeeeeeeee LO3 11.3.4. Material Culture on. ecscsscsceseeseeseesesseesessessessessessseseeeeeees LOD 11.3.5. Alphabetic Script 0... ccc cessesseeeceeseeeeeeeeeseeseeeseeseeeeeeseeeteeteeeee LLS IT.4. The Land Acquisition... ccccessesscscecceccseessssscsesseeseessescesseeseeseessecseeseeee LLZ

1.4.1. Land Acquisition Theories ...........cccecsesseseeteeteeeeeeeeeeteeteeeee L2O TT.4.2. The Ha piru...ceeeccccsescsscscescessesescesseneecceceseeseeeeseeseeaseeseesseeeseesseeeee L2O

11.4.3. Nomads in the Second Half of the Second Millennium .......130 11.4.4. The New Settlement Form and the Origin of Its Inhabitants... eeecesececcecescessescesceseeseeeceeeeeeeaeeeseeseeseeseeeeeeeeee LOD

II.5. The Life of the Tribes in the Cultivated Land... ee eeeeteeteeteeee LO 11.5.1. The System of the Tribes... cessesseeeceteeeeeceeeeseeeseeeteeeeeee LOD 1.5.2. Yalhwelh Wat.......cccccccsssssscesseseccecececcecceeseeeeeceseeeeeeseesseeseeesseeeeeee LAD

11.5.3. The Tribes’ Habitations ........ ee eeesescescseeeceseeeeeeseeeeeseeeeeeeeee LAT IT.6. The Religion of Yahweh occ essseessscseeececeseesseceseeseeeeeeseeeseeseeesseeeetees LOT 11.6.1. The Name of Yahweh ou... ccccscsscsscscessesessecssssessessessessesseseesee LOD

11.6.2. Local Deities... ccscssssceseesecseesecseeecseeeeeeseeesseeeseeeeeseeeeseeees 106

11.6.3. The God of the Ancestors.......ccsescseseeseeseeteeseeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeee ZO 11.6.4. Culltic Artifacts... ccscssssccsccecceccecceceseeseeseeseesessessseeeesseeeeeeeree LZ O 1T.6.4.1. The Ark... eccccccscsseessesscsseesscssesssessesseesssssesssessssssesssesssessseee LZ O 1T.6.4.2. The Teraphim ....... ccc ccccccsscsssssessesseeeseeseeseescesceeceeceesescsessesseeseee 7D

I1.6.4.3. The Oracle by Casting Lots occ cesseescessececeeecteeeeeeteeseeeee LZ TT.6.5. Culltic Sites... cecceseeceeceececescescesceseeseessseeeeeeasseeeeseaseeseeeeeeeeee LIQ IL.7. The Philistimes........ cc escsscseseesceseesceseeccsecsecsecsecsecssessesessesseseseeseeseeseeees LOD

IL.7.1. Name and Origin... cccscesseeeeceececeeeeeceeseeeseeseeeeseeseeeseeeee LOO 11.7.2. Settlement History 0... ceeeseeeeceseeeeeeseeseeeeeeseceseeeeeeseeeeeees LOO I1.7.3. Material Culture 0... essessesseseecesceeseeseeceeseeceeseeseesseeeeeees LOO TT.7.3.1. ArchitectUre occ ecescsscesesccsccscesececeesseeseeseeseeseeeseseeseeseeseeeeees LOO

TT.7.3.3. Burial...c.cccccccesceccecceccscescesseeeceseesesseseceecesseeseeseesescsessessesseeseeseee LOL

IL.7.3.4. POtterya.. eee esccseeceseeceseecssesssescsseeessescssscssesessessssesesssessesesseees LOD

CONTENTS 1X TT.7.3.5. Metallurgy 0... esesescessecseccseccesceeseccsceeseesscescesseaseeesseaseeseeeeeeee LOD

11.7.4. History and Significance... eesesssceseeseeeseececeeseeseeeseeeeeeseeeeee 196 IL.8. Neighboring Peoples... eessseeseeseceeeeseesecesceaseseececesseesseeaseeeeseeeseeeeee LOZ IT.8.1. PhOeNICIANS .................eeeeeessssssssssscssesssccccccccccccccccccccccccccececcccceeeeee lL 9S T1.8.2. ALramme@an.......... ccc eeecscccsscccssccccssccccsscccsscccessccessscccsscccessccessccesesseee LOYD

11.8.3. AMMONITES 2.0... eecccesscccsscccsscccsssccassccccsscccsscccsssccssscessseeee DQ TI.8.4. Moabites .............ccccccssssssssssssscssssssssecccccccccscscsccccccccccccccccceccseceeeees 202 TT.8.5. EECOmite .................cscssssssssssssssscecsececscecccccccccccccccccccecccsccesssssseeseees DOD TT.8.6. Midianites...................csssssssssssssssesecececccccecsccccccccccccceccccccecececeeaaeeee QOD

11.8.7. Amalekites................cccccccsssssessscssssssssscsscsecsccccccccccccccccccecessseseseees DU7

Il]. The Literature of the Era.iecccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccsccscsscsssssssssssseseseee DUO

TIT.1. Hymns Of praise... eeescssceescseceeccescscccccescescesceseseesaeeaceaesaseaseeseeseeeeeeee 2 LO TID.2. Riddles ...........cccccccsssssssssssssssssscseccccccececcccceccccccccccccccecccsccsssssssssssssssstessseseeeee DLO

TIL.3. Fables..............ccccccssssssssssssscscsssscccccccccecceccecccccccccccccccseccccesscssssscsssssstssssssesees DOO

III.4. The Role of Oral Tradition ..........ccccccccccccccccccccsscccccccccccccccccsccccesssscscssssssees 204

III.5. On the Concept of the Legend... eescesseseeeeececeeseeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeee DOD

IV. The Theological Significance of the Epoch oo... eeeeseeteeteeeeeeeeeeee D4L Index of Place Names..u.........ccccccccscsesssssccccccccccccccccccccccccccecccccccsccacsccccsssssssssseseeeee 47

Index of Modern Authofs........ccccccccccccccccccccccccscccccccccccccccccccccccsccssssscssssssssssseseseee 249 Index of Biblical References .............c.ccccccccceeecsecceccccccccccccccccccccccccssssssssssstsssssseees DDD

BLANK PAGE

ABBREVIATIONS

AA Archdologischer Anzeiger AA Agyptologische Abhandlungen

AASF Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae AASOR Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research

AAT Agypten und Altes Testament

AB Anchor Bible

ABLAK Aufsdatze zur Biblischen Landes- und Altertumskunde

ADAJ Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan ADPV Abhandlungen des Deutschen Palastinavereins

AJA American Journal of Archaeology AJBI Annual of the Japanese Biblical Institute

AnBib Analecta Biblica ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Edited by James B. Pritchard. 3rd ed. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Universitiy Press, 1969.

AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament

AOS American Oriental Series ASOR American Schools of Oriental Research ASTI Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute ATANT Abhandlungen zur Theologie des Alten und Neuen Testaments

ATD Das Alte Testament Deutsch

BA Biblical Archaeologist BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research

BBB Bonner Biblische Beitrage BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium

Bib Biblica

BK Biblischer Kommentar BN Biblische Notizen BTAVO Beihefte zum Tiibinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients BWANT Beitrage zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament BWAT Beitrage zur Wissenschaft vom Alten Testament

BZ Biblische Zeitschrift

_xi-

Xil ABBREVIATIONS BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

CahRB Cahiers de la Revue biblique CBOT Coniectanea Biblica, Old Testament Series CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

EvT Evangelische Theologie

FB Forschung zur Bibel

FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments

HAL Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, and J. J. Stamm. Hebrdisches und Aramdisches Lexikon zum Alten Testament. New ed. Leiden: Brill, 1967-1995.

HAT Handbuch zum Alten Testament HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs HTR Harvard Theological Review HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual

IEJ Israel Exploration Journal IWW Internationale Wochenschrift fiir Wissenschaft, Kunst und Technik

JBL Journal of BiblicaL Literature Jdl Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archdologischen Instituts JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies JPOS Journal of the Palestine Oriental Society JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series

JSS Journal of Semitic Studies JTS Journal of Theological Studies

KS Kleine Schriften zur Geschichte des Volkes Israel LA Lexikon der Agyptologie. Edited by Wolfgang Helck, Eberhard Otto, and Wolfhart Westendorf. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1972.

MAOG Mitteilungen der Altorientalischen Gesellschaft MDOG Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft

MThSt Marburger Theologische Studien MUS] Meélanges de [Université Saint-Joseph NEAEHL The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Edited by Ephraim Stern. 4 vols. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society and Carta, 1993.

OA Oriens Antiquus

OBO Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis OLA Orientalia lovaniensia analecta

OTL Old Testament Library

ABBREVIATIONS X11 OTS Oudtestamentische Studien PEFA Palestine Exploration Fund Annual PEFQS Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement PEQ Palestine Exploration Quarterly

PJ Palastina-Jahrbuch

QDAP Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities of Palestine

RB Revue biblique

RIA Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archdologie. Edited by Erich Ebeling et al. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1928-.

SAVK Schweizerisches Archiv fur Volkskunde SBLDS Society of Biblical Literarture Dissertation Series SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series

SBS Stuttgarter Bibelstudien SBT Studies in Biblical Theology SEA Svensk exegetisk arsbok SHAJ Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan SJOT Scandanavian Journal of the Old Testament

SMA Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology

SS Studii Semitici, Rome

SSN Studia semitica neerlandica

ST Studia Theologica

STANT Studien zum Alten und Neuen Testament TB Theologische Biicherei: Neudrucke und Berichte aus dem 20. Jahrhundert

TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry. Translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and D. E. Green. 15 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974-.

ThSt Theologische Studien ThWAT Theologisches Worterbuch zum Alten Testament. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 1970-.

TLZ Theologische Literaturzeitung TRE Theologische Realenzyklopddie. Edited by Gerhard Krause and Gerhard Miller. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1977-.

TRu Theologische Rundschau TTZ Trierer theologische Zeitschrift TUAT Texte aus der Umwelt des Alten Testaments. Edited by Otto Kaiser. 3 vols. Giitersloh: Mohn, 1982-1997.

TynBul Tyndale Bulletin

TZ Theologische Zeitschrift

X1V ABBREVIATIONS UF Ugarit-Forschungen VT Vetus Testamentum VTSup Supplements to Vetus Testamentum WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament

WO Die Welt des Orients

WVDOG Wissenschaftliche Verdffentlichungen der Deutschen Orientgesellschaft

ZAW Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ZDMG Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlandischen Gesellschaft ZDPV Zeitschrift des deutschen Paldstinas-Vereins

TIMETABLES

Nearly all the sketches of ancient Near Eastern chronology differ from one another, even the ones in the individual volumes of the Biblical Encyclopedia series. The dates in this volume take the following timetables as a basis. ERAS OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

Neolithic 8000-4000 Chalcolithic 4000-3150

Early Bronze I 3150-2950 Early Bronze II 2950-2650 Early Bronze III 2650-2350 Early Bronze IV 2350-2150 Middle Bronze I 2150-1950 Middle Bronze II A 1950-1750 Middle Bronze II B 1750-1550

Late Bonze I 1550-1400 Late Bonze II 1400-1200

Iron I 1200-1000 Iron IIA 1000-900 Iron IIB 900-700 Iron II C 700-587

Iron III 587-332

CHRONOLOGY OF EGYPTIAN HISTORY

Predynastic Kings ca. 3000-2950 -XV-

XVvl TIMETABLES Early Dynastic Period

Ist Dynasty ca. 2970-2950 2nd Dynasty ca. 2770-2640

Archaic Period ca. 2640-2155

3rd Dynasty ca. 2640-2570 4th Dynasty ca. 2575-2465 5th Dynasty ca. 2465-2325 6th Dynasty ca. 2325-2155

7th Dynasty ca. 2155

8th Dynasty ca. 2155-2134 First Intermediate Period 2134-1991 9th-11th Dynasties

Middle Kingdom 1991-ca. 1650

12th Dynasty 1991-1785

13th Dynasty ca. 1785-1650 14th Dynasty ca. 1715-1650 Second Intermediate Period (Hyksos) ca. 1650-1551 15th-17th Dynasties

New Kingdom 1552-1070 (1540-1070) 18th Dynasty 1551-1306 (1540-1295) 19th Dynasty 1306-1186 (1295-1188)

20th Dynasty 1186-1070

Late Period

21st Dynasty 1070-945 22nd Dynasty 945-722 23rd Dynasty 808-715 24th Dynasty 725-712 25th Dynasty 712-664 26th Dynasty 664-525

Persian Rule 525-404

a— YY, SS YYx”oF N\ —rt—“‘iOCCUCOC—r———C—CCML Os

=~ < e Damascus &,

Tyre Abel beet>r-Ns oO |. maacah \(yban

—rrr—CC « aadeshe© [ opw ee |, Taq fea Ly s- < \ Gallilee .

—— > aa@ pr | CCC oN T i, ooP nm le o SSS SS ee ee ey > Ey

Saag ° EE e =

— Jezreel < ooMegicdo e = e Ramoth-gilead ee Taanach —_Beth-shean