ReViews: Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?

The recent debate over the historicity of the Bible has generated heat from both the scholarly community and the general public. The debate involves much more than a quest for a better understanding of the past, however. It has strong political and cultural overtones and implications. Of special significance is the attempt by the Biblical minimalists—those who think the Bible has little or no historically reliable information— to erase “ancient Israel” from the map. Over the last decade, the questions of “who were the Israelites and were did they come from?” have therefore turned into one of the most […]