A multitude of studies has been dedicated to these two themes, usually separately. Scholars are likewise divided whether the Israelite God, Yhwh, originated from the Near Eastern cultural environment or from the desert. One believes the early Israelites came from outside the Land of Cana‘an and conquered it, while the other believes they rose from within Cana‘an, forming a new polity and culture. The origin of ancient Israel has been questioned and intensively discussed for almost two centuries by many researchers, from two main schools of thought. By including materials which were previously underutilized or overlooked, these themes may be integrated to form a reasonable scenario of a chapter in the history. This article attempts to examine the connection between the two through several themes: desert roots in the culture of ancient Israel, the origin of Yhwh, Asiatics in Sinai and the Negev, desert tribes and the copper industry, the location of biblical Paran, Nabataean data from Sinai which illuminate biblical issues, and others.
Scholars are likewise divided whether the Israelite God, Yhwh, originated from the Near EasternĬultural environment or from the desert. In important ways, our understanding of Israelite religion and identity hinges on these important debates.ĪBSTRACT The origin of ancient Israel has been questioned and intensively discussed for almost two centuries by many researchers, from two main schools of thought. But that theory is now being questioned vigorously by scholars who accentuate the role of nomadic pastoralists in the highland settlements. At present, the most popular theory among scholars is that the settlers migrated into the highlands from the Canaanite lowlands, so that the earliest Israelites were essentially Canaanites. The key question is where these early highland settlers came from. Scholars agree that the Israelites, or their ancestors, first appeared in the highlands of Palestine around 1200 bce. Because these events are not wholly confirmed by the archaeological and historical evidence, modern scholars are attempting to reconstruct Israel's early history on the basis of the archaeological evidence, ancient textual evidence, and a critical reading of the Bible.
According to the Bible, early Israel originated as a group migrant slaves who escaped from Egypt, spent an extended time in the wilderness as pastoral nomads, and then fought their way into the highlands of Palestine.
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