The rise of ancient Israel in Canaan presents one of the greatest cruxes of modern critical Biblical studies: Where, when and how did the Israelites first appear in the Promised Land? Did they enter as conquerors from east of the Jordan River, as the Bible says; were they nomads who gradually settled down more or less peacefully; or were they Canaanites who revolted against their overlords and took to the hills? Since 1978, Adam Zertal has been stalking the mystery by conducting a meticulous archaeological survey of the territory allotted in the Bible to the tribe of Manasseh. This […]
