Ancient Israelite Hisory: The Patriarchal Period, by Jacob Gluck

1. Ancient Israelite History
The Patriarchal Age: Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob
by Jacob Gluck

2. Patriarchal history in a nutshell (prior to
Exodus):
Abram son of Terah leaves Ur in southern
Mesopotamia and travels to Haran in NW
Mesopotamia.
He then moves on to the land of Canaan. Isaac is
born in Canaan.
Isaac’s son Jacob descends to Egypt due to a
famine and his progeny is enslaved there until
they are led out by Moses.

3. Abraham’s Migratory Journey

4. Patriarchal history is characterized by private affairs. Few references to
public events. None correspond to persons/events of general hisory.
No extra-biblical record of events in Gen 14 (war of five kings of the
plain vs. four Mesopotamian kings lead by Chedorlaomer king of
Elam). No record of the names of the 9 kings involved.
No record of Melchizedek king of Salem (Gen 14).
No record of Abimelech king of Gerar (Gen 20, 26).
No mention of Potiphar (Egyptian officer), Hamor son of Shechem or
Ephron the Hittite (citizen of Hebron).
List of Edomite kings (Gen 36) appears only in the bible.
Pharaoh of the Joseph story and Exodus is not mentioned by name.

5. Question: When did the patriarchs live?
Abraham 75-100, Isaac 60, Jacob 130. Total years spent
in Canaan: 215
Period of slavery in Egypt: 430 (Exodus 12:40)
Construction of temple in 4th year of Solomon: 480
(1Kings 6:1)
Solomon is believed to have died approx. 930 BCE. 4th
year of Solomon is 966 BCE

6. Biblical chronological scheme:
2091 BCE: Abraham’s departure for Canaan.
1876 BCE: Descent of Jacob’s family into Egypt.
1446 BCE: Exodus from Egypt.
966 BCE: Construction of Solomon’s temple.

7. Problems with biblical chronology:
1. Impossibly long life spans
2a. 430 years is too long for 4 generations.
2b. Internal inconsistencies (4th gen. vs. 12th gen. ; avg
143 vs. avg 39).
3. Conquest of Canaan in 1406 BCE? (40 years after
exodus). No archeological evidence of widespread
conquest in late 15th cent.
Changes in material culture associated with appearance
of Israelites is dated to 13th-12th cent. BCE (cf.
Merneptah Stele 1207 BCE).

8. Listen to snippet of lecture by Israel Finkelstein
History and Rationality Series, Hebrew University, 2007.
retrieved from youtube.
• Camels (Tel Jemmeh increase in adult camel bones in 7th
cent.)
• Arabian goods: gum, balm and myrrh (common during
Assyrian empire 8-7th cent.)
• Philistines (not before 1200 BCE)
• Gerar (tel haror; in 8-7th cent it became heavily fortified
assyrian administrative stronghold in south).
• Arameans (not mentioned before 1100 BCE.; establishment
of stone boundary by Jacob and Laban).
• Ur of the Chaldees
• Edom (no kings before 8th cent. Settlements reached peak in
7th cent.

9. The Merneptah Stele — also known as the
Israel Stele or Victory Stele of Merneptah — is
an inscription by the Ancient Egyptian king
Merneptah (reign:1213 to 1203 BC), which
appears on the reverse side of a granite stele
erected by the king Amenhotep III. It was
discovered by Flinders Petrie in 1896 at
Thebes.
The stele has gained much fame and notoriety
for being the only Ancient Egyptian document
generally accepted as mentioning "Isrir" or
"Israel". It is also, by far, the earliest known
attestation of the demonym Israel. For this
reason, many scholars refer to it as the "Israel
stele".
The black granite stela primarily
commemorates a victory in a campaign against
the Libu and Meshwesh Libyans and their Sea
People allies, but its final two lines refer to a
prior military campaign in Canaan in which
Merneptah states that he defeated
Ashkelon, Gezer, Yanoam and Israel among
others.[1]

10. Israel is wasted, its seed is no longer.
NOTES: Full stanza: Canaan is captive with all woe. Ashkelon is conquered, Gezer
seized, Yanoam made nonexistent; Israel is wasted, bare of seed
Material: Black granite
Language: Hieroglyphic
Discovery: 1896 by Flinders Petrie: "Won't the reverends be pleased”
Determinative used is for “people”, not country.
The stele was discovered in 1896 by Flinders Petrie who located it in the first court of
Merneptah's mortuary temple at Thebes.[2] It is now in the collection of the Egyptian Museum
at Cairo, and a fragmentary copy of the stele was also found at Karnak.[3] Flinders Petrie called
upon Wilhelm Spiegelberg, a German philologist in his archaeological team to translate the
newly found massive granite stela. Towards the end of the text, Spiegelberg was puzzled by the
mention of one symbol, that of a people or tribe whom Merenptah had victoriously smitten--
"I.si.ri.ar?"[4] Petrie quickly suggested that it read: "Israel!"[4] Spiegelberg agreed that this
translation must be correct. "Won't the reverends be pleased?" remarked Petrie.[4] At dinner
that evening, Petrie who realized the importance of the find said: "This stele will be better
known in the world than anything else I have found."[4]

11. Conclusion: patriarchal narrative in Genesis cannot be
used as a historical resource. It should be interpreted
on the basis of…
1. distinctive literary history and purpose of
composition
2. development of the traditions upon which literary
narrative is based.

12. Composite nature of patriarchal narratives: JEPD documentary
hypothesis (JE during first temple, PD in exilic or post exilic
period).
On the surface, therefore, biblical patriarchal history reflects
the political and religious viewpoint of the (first temple)
Judean monarchy and priesthood. “Ve’eskha legoy gadol”.
Accordingly, the figures in Gen 12-50 are typological pre-
figurations of later Israelites and their neighbors --In many
cases, eponyms.
Jacob assumes the eponym Israel and his twelve sons are the
eponymous ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel.

13. Eponymous ancestors of Israel’s enemies are born of
incestuous union of Lot and his daughters Moab and
Ben-ammi.
Jacob outwits Esau – who is called Edom-- and wins
birthright and blessing.
Ishmael eponymous ancestor of desert tribes is child of
Abram and Sarai’s Egyptian maid Hagar.
We need procedures to shed light on the “development
of the traditions”, the pre-literary history of the Genesis
stories 12-50.

14. Archaeological Method: William Foxwell Albright (Father
Roland De Vaux, G.E. Wright, Ephraim A. Speiser & mid-
nineteenth cent. archaeologists) school of thought:
Patriarchal narratives were composed no earlier than tenth
cen. BCE. They are based on historically reliable traditions and
preserve authentic details.
Certain personal names, social customs, and legal practices in
Bible correspond to known features of second-millennium
culture in Mesopotamia, Syria and Canaan; yet are
incompatible with the culture of the Israelite monarchy (time
of its composition). Therefore, must be authentic.
General cultural milieu could best be identified with early
second-millennium BCE.

15. As a whole the picture in Genesis is historical and there is no
reason to doubt the general accuracy of the biographical
details and the sketches of personality which make the
patriarchs come alive with a vividness unknown to a single
extra-biblical character in he whole vast literature of the
ancient Near East – W. F. Albright, The Biblical Period from
Abraham to Ezra, 1963
We shall probably never be able to prove that Abram really
existed, that he did this or that, said thus and so, but what we
can prove is that his life and times, as reflected in the stories
about him, fit perfectly within the early second
millennium, but imperfectly with any later period. – G. Ernest
Wright, Biblical Archaeology, 1962

16. Ur III rulers complaining of nonurban peoples (Amurru-
westerners) laying claim to city land (invasion or
immigration -- Amorite Hypothesis).
Abraham’s wanderings associated with Amorite
movement, according to Albright.
Problem: Absence of urban centers

17. Patriarchal Period according to Albright
MB I 2100-1900 Arrival of new peoples; Abraham
BCE
MB II A 1900-1750 Un-walled villages in Syria and
BCE Canaan; city-states encouraged
by Egyptians
MB II B 1700-1600 Egypt weakened; independent
BCE city-states prosper; Jacob; old-
babylonian period/Hammurabi,
“age of Mari” in Syria.
MB II C 1600-1550
BCE

18. Mesopotamia in 2nd millennium BC showing Mari in
relation to Babylon
Royal archives at Mari (tel hariri) show co-existence of
nomads with urbanites.

19. A depiction of the
ancient city of
Mari, located in present-
day Syria, western bank
of Euphrates river
Years active: 2900-1759
Destroyed by: Hammurabi
Famous for: over 25,000 cuneiform clay tablets in Akkadian language; Ishtar
temple; “most westerly outpost of Sumerian culture”.
Excavated by: Andre Parrot 1933-1975
Traded with: Hazor and laish in northern Canaan
Bnai Yamin nomads, peaceful people, census-takers,

20. Tablet of Zimri-lim
Tablet of King Zimri-Lim of Mari, ca. 1780 BC, Louvre Museum

21. 1. Names in patriarchal narratives are of Amorite type:
Jacob, Abram?, Isaac, Joseph
2. Social and legal parallels between bible and second-
millennium ANE.
2a. According to Nuzi tablets (Hurrian culture, kingdom
of Mitanni 1500-1300 BCE) barren wife must provide
slave woman. Sarai-Hagar. Child may not be expelled
(cf. Ishmael). Slave adoption. Hurrian influence
widespread in Canaan.
2b. Wife-sister parallel (according to Speiser).
Summary: customs are without parallel in later times.
Thus, early second-millennium origin of biblical
traditions.

22. Map of the near east circa 1400 BCE showing the
Kingdom of Mitanni at its greatest extent
Hurrian-speaking people. 1500-1300 BCE.
1372 – Hittites conquer Mitanni, west of the Euphrates
Eastern portions (including Nuzi) are conquered by Assyria.
Capital was located at headwaters of the Khabur river valley

23. Google map of upper Euphrates
Arrow points to modern Kirkuk, Iraq, near town of Yorghan Tepe, where ancient Nuzi was
located. Nuzi was the site’s Hurrian name. Akkadians called it Gasur. Excavations under
auspices of ASOR 1925-31. approx. 5,000 tablets discovered to date.

24. Nuzi Tablets
From the website COJS.org (Center for Online Judaic Studies)

25. Problems with Albright’s reconstruction of events.
1. New evidence suggests pastoral peoples had been
present all along. Cause of urban collapse:
overpopulation, drought or famine. No widespread
immigration. Period is part of EB age.
2. Dimorphic lifestyle present all along and presumably
continued into LB age.
Therefore, no reason to associate with Abram’s
wanderings.

26. 3. Nuzi practices reflect widespread Mesopotamian
custom.
4. Amorite names continued into LB age (Ugaritic
names of “Joseph” type and Amarna Canaanite names).
Attestation of Abram is dubious, while certain in LBA.
Joseph-type name is widely distributed across ANE
history.
5. Barren woman practice common in later periods. Ex:
marriage contract from Nimrud 7th cent.
6. Adopting “brother” is usually not future husband.
7. Wife-sister claim is deception, not legal procedure.

28. A Different Approach to pre-literary history: Martin
Noth and (his teacher) Albrecht Alt
Israel was formed by a gradual amalgamation of clans
and tribes.
It’s impossible that all tribes knew all the traditions
about pre-settlement period:
patriarchs, captivity in Egypt and Exodus, wandering in
the wilderness, revelation at Sinai, conquest of Canan
Noth drew on the “form-critical” method devised by
Hermann Gunkel; “history of traditions”
(reconstruction of history).

29. Form-critical method of determining origin of biblical
patriarchal traditions: connection with a particular
place/region.
Patriarch Region Place-names
Abraham Judean hills Oaks of Mamre,
(Sothern Canaan) near Hebron;
Isaac Negev Beersheba; Beer-
(southwestern lahai-roi
Judah)
Jacob Central hill Shechem; Bethel;
country Gilead?
(Ephraimite hills)
Joseph || Shechem;
Dothan

30. History of Religion
(die religionsgeschichtliche Schule).
commentary on Genesis (1901) in
which he applied his “form-critical”
method. Goal: identify the sitz im
leben that produced a given text.
Distinguished from source criticism.
Further developed by Martin Noth.

31. Noth: Most immediate ancestor of Israel, Jacob, is linked with
heartland; therefore, oldest tradition.
Genealogical additions: Isaac & Abraham.
Blending of traditions is southern; therefore, priority of
Abraham.
Blending took place not before Davidic monarchy (when Judah
was ascendant over Israel) but before authorship of J
patriarchal narrative.
NOTE: Earliest tribal list makes no mention of southern tribes
(Judges 5:14-18). (Slide 35)
Development of the tradition is coeval with development of
Israel itself.
Patriarchs are inaccessible as historical figures (only
“tradition” can be traced).

32. Criticism of Noth
Homeric and Ugaritic literature are characterized by
extended, complex narratives (at oral stage of
transmission).
Anthropological research shows that: kinship patterns
are central to self-definition, creating complex
genealogical narratives as a device for self-definition.
Stories are NOT mere etiologies of ethnic relationships.
Genealogical structure of story is a feature of pre-
literary development.

33. A modern Approach: Selective application of past methods:
Archaeology, philology and tradition history, supplemented by
sociology and anthropology.
Patriarchal stories (Gen 12-50) contain kernel of authentic
history.
Patriarchal narratives are ideology, not history.
Biblical writers are drawing upon and interpreting pre-Israelite
traditions.
Gunkel: Sign of older tradition - one that is anomalous in its
present literary context but intelligible in an earlier context.
“fragments of an earlier whole”. Example: sexual escapades of
sons of God with daughters of men (Gen 6) which perhaps is
pre-Israelite, Canaanite tradition (sons of “El” – high god of
Canaanite pantheon).

34. 1. Priority of Abraham suggests inter-tribal relationship
of Davidic-Solomonic period (12 tribes).
Judges 5 (Song of Deborah) preserves different tribal
list. No mention of Judah and Simeon. Machir and
Gilead replace Manasseh and Gad (ca. mid 12th cent
BCE, after authorship of Merneptah Stele).
Israelite identity derived is authority and found
expression in the ancestral traditions of biblical
patriarchal narratives.

35. -
-
-
--
Total of ten tribes. Gilead replaces Gad. Makhir replaces Manasseh. Simeon and
Judah missing (Levi is not counted as tribe).

36. Central hill country:
Ephraim, Benjamin.
Galilee:
Issachar, Zebulon, Da
n, Naphtali.
Transjordan:
Reuben, Makhir, Gile
ad.
Phoenician coast:
Asher

37. 2. Ethnic boundary-marking.
Most Early Israelites were probably indigenous to
Canaan. Conflict with valley dwellers caused them to
identify in provenance and genealogically with the
“east” (Mesopotamia, Transjordan, Aram) and not the
Egypto-Canaanite west.
“Hebrew” came to assume the meaning “beyond the
river”.
Genealogical structure of patriarchal tradition is of LBA.

38. Indications of traditions being rooted in pre-Israelite period.
1. Theophoric names (indicate that patriarchs worshipped El).
2. Location of patriarchal homeland in Syro-Mesopotamia.
1a. “Names of tribes do not give single indication of Yahweh’s
existence.” – Albrecht Alt. Explicit by E and P.
Ishmael, Israel, Bethuel in J while generally referring to the
deity as Yahweh until Moses’ time: Joshua, Jochebed.
1b. High god of Canaanite pantheon is El according to Ugaritic
texts – F. M. Cross. (El shaddai – sacred mountain. El Elyon).
See www.theology.edu/ugarbib.htm for more)
1c. “Israel” of pre-monarchic times.

39. E – Ex - -
3:13-16 - -
-
-
- -
-
P - Ex 6:2- - -
4 -- - -
-- - -
-

40. 2a. Haran is in middle Euphrates region of Syro-
Mesopotamia. (slide 45) Later, Aram. “Arami Obhed
abhi”. Before 12th cent BCE, region of Haran was home
of Amorites. This provides historical context for this
anomalous tradition.
2b. Amorites were pastoralists and agriculturalists.
Spoke NW semitic. In Akkadian “El Amurru”.
Equivalence between El and Yahweh was made by the
Moses group who escaped from Egypt via Midian.
Traditions then merged into a single epic.

41. Haran in Syria

42. Are the Patriarchs genealogical fiction?
Amorite dynasties of Hammurabi and Shamshi-Adad
share common genealogical tradition.
Jerahmeel, great-grandson of Judah, an Israelite tribe in
the Negev.
Other fictitious eponyms: Moab, Ben-ammi, Shechem
son of Hamor. Ishmael, possibly.
In Edomite Geneaology, Eliphaz is hero of past, whereas
Teman, his son, is tribal name. In Job, Eliphaz the
Yemenite.
Some traditional heroes vs. many fictitious eponymic
names.

43. 1Sam -- -
27:10 -
- -
- - - -
-
1Sam -
30:29
-
-
1Chro 2:9 - --
- --
- - -
-- --
- - - -- -

44. Abraham. Link to page 3 map
Abraham never appears as tribal or local designation.
He may have been historical individual before he
became legendary. Abram and Abraham are variants.
Abraham’s origin in Mesopotamia could be ethnic
boundary-marking. Still connection to Haran is very
precise in J narrative and thus seems authentic. Terah,
Nahor and Serug are eponymous ancestors of towns in
vicinity of Balikh river. Assyrian text (mari archives?): Til
Turakhi, Til Nakhiri, and Sarugi.
Abraham seems to unite all of early Israelite
settlement.
“Abraham” appears in Sheshonk inscription 925 BCE
(Pic follows).

45. Haran on Balikh river in
Syria
Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of
Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles (44 kilometers) southeast of Şanlıurfa. The location is in a district of Şanlıurfa Province
that is also named "Harran".
A few kilometers from the village of Altınbaşak are the archaeological remains of ancient Harran, a major
commercial, cultural, and religious center first inhabited in the Early Bronze Age III (3rd millennium BCE) period. It
was known as Ḫarrānu in the Assyrian period; possibly Ḥaran ( ) in the Hebrew Bible; Κάῤῥαι or Carrhae under
the Roman Empire; Hellenopolis (῾Ελληνὀπολις 'pagan city') in the Early Christian period; and Ḥarrān ( ) in the
Islamic period. [1][2]

46. Temple at Karnak where Sheshonk inscripion was found
The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—comprises a vast mix of ruined
temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive
structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II (ca. 1391–1351 BC). Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is
located near Luxor, some 500 km south of Cairo, in Egypt. The area around Karnak was the ancient
Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the eighteenth
dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes.
Karnak contained an early temple built by Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). link to youtube video: raiders
of the lost ark

47. - -
- - - - - -
1Kings 14:25
Indiana: "The Hebrews put the broken
pieces in the Ark. When they settled in
Canaan, they put it in the Temple of
Solomon ."
Colonel Musgrove: "ln Jerusalem."
Indiana: "Where it stayed for many
years, until, whoosh, it's gone."
Major Eaton: "Where?"
Indiana: "Nobody knows where or when.
An Egyptian Pharaoh, Shishak, invaded
Jerusalem about 980 BC, and may have
taken the Ark to the city of Tanis and
hidden it in a secret chamber called the
Well of Souls. About a year after the
Pharaoh returned to Egypt, the city of
Tanis was consumed by the desert in a
year-long sandstorm. Wiped clean by the
This Karnak temple wall depicts a list of city states wrath of God."
conquered by Shoshenq I in his Near Eastern military
campaigns.

48. Isaac.
Clear biblical associations with northern negev.
This area not settled before end of Late Bronze Age.
Archaeology shows deep well dug in 13th cent BCE.
Late tradition (12th cent.). Perhaps southern development of
the tradition in Davidic times.
Isaac is unattested outside the bible. Could be
personal, tribal, or geographic. “may god smile”.
Amos 8th cent. uses Isaac as parallel to Israel.
-
Northerners made pilgrimage to Beersheba (Amos 5:5, 8:14).
- -
Gen 21:25 - -
- - - Gen 26:25

49. Isaac’s
sojourn
in
Canaan

50. Jacob.
Founder of Bethel and builds altar in Shechem.
In contrast to other patriarchs, Jacob is NOT associated
with south.
1. Jacob-El, common west semitic personal name in
MBA.
2. Jacob-El is also place-name. occurs in list of sites
conquered by Thutmosis III (1479-1425 BCE). Precise
location is unknown; somewhere in central hill country
(vicinity of Beth-shean).
“Let El protect”.
Noth: Israel was assigned to Jacob at a late stage in the
development of the tradition.

51. Jacob’s travels

52. Israel.
No hint of the use of Israel before Merneptah.
Name may have been imported by one of the arriving
peoples.
Jacob and Esau: cultural memory of ascent of herders
over hunters. Civilization vs. nature

53. Ethnic boundary-marking in Jacob-
Esau fraternal relationship
Jacob Esau
man of tents (civilized habitat) man of steppe (wild habitat)
cooking hunting
cunning intelligence stupidity
smooth skin hairy skin
domestic animals wild game
blessing and political dominance curse and subjection
cf. Ishamel vs. Isaac and Enkidu vs. Gilgamesh
Cultural self-definition may predate identification
of Esau with Edom.

54. Joseph.
Joseph-El, may god increase. Could be personal (hero of
the past), tribal or geographic (fictitious eponym).
“House of Joseph” suggests the latter.
No references to the tribe of joseph suggests the
former.
Prominence of joseph in biblical narrative reflects
eminence of the joseph tribes.
Joseph epic, originated independently and depicts
Joseph as preeminent and the favorite. Rags to riches.
Joseph may be rooted in historical fact: Hyksos period
(c. 1670-1550), Egypt ruled by Asiatic princes. Also,
Hyksos capital was in eastern Delta, site of Goshen.

55. Details in Joseph story, however, seem more in line
with historical romance; fashioned from widespread
narrative motifs and folklore of ANE.
Potiphar’s wife - Tale of two brothers (13th cent Egypt).
Dream interpretation, seven lean years: common
motifs.
East wind scorching pharaoh’s grain? Gen 41:23 (Should
be south wind). Also, titles and offices in Joseph story.
Authentic details that correspond to author’s times:
Pharaoh- great house, not used before Thutmosis.
Rameses region, Ramesses II (1279-1213 BCE).
Therefore, story is not older than Davidic era.

56. Nefertari (Rameses II’s consort) Tomb (in Abu Simbel).
Painting of seven cows and bull.

57. Tale of Two Brothers
Sheet from the Tale of Two Brothers, Papyrus D'Orbiney, British Museum

58. The Hyksos.
Asiatic named Irsu seized power in Egypt in end of 19th
dynasty.
Perhaps Joseph was leader of tribe in Shechem-Dothan
area seeking pasturage in Egypt in time of drought. A
frontier official in Merneptah’s rein reports:
We have finished letting the Shasu tribes of Edom pass the fortress of
Merneptah Hotep-hir-Maat…which is in Tjeku (Sukkoth), to the pools of Per
Atum (Pithom) of Merneptah Hotep-hir-Maat, which are in Tkeku, to keep
them alive and to keep their cattle alive… (translated by Siegfried Herrmann)

59. Tomb painting of khnum hotep, Egyptian official, in the proximity of Amarna (south egypt).

60. Jacob’s other sons.
Asher. Egyptian name of coastal region north of Carmel.
Judah, Ephraim and Naphtali. Names of hill-ranges.
Benjamin. Sons of the south.
Simeon and Manasseh. They seem to be personal
names.

61. Tribal
Alloment

62. Summary:
During the process of community formation (c. 1200 BCE)
tribal names were already firmly established. Political alliance
was expressed in the form of kinship as 12 brothers.
Israelite tradition first germinated among pastoralists of
Canaanite hill country, shepherds who themselves as distinct
from the city folk in the coastal plains.
Israel/highlands was sheltered from Egyptian influence due to
its remoteness from trading routes and populations centers.
This sparked a national identity crossing city-state allegiances.