Biblical Peoples and Ethnicity: An Archaeological Study of Egyptians, Canaanite

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Society of Biblical Lit, 2005 - History - 362 pages
Ancient Israel did not emerge within a vacuum but rather came to exist alongside various peoples, including Canaanites, Egyptians, and Philistines. Indeed, Israel’s very proximity to these groups has made it difficult—until now—to distinguish the archaeological traces of early Israel and other contemporary groups. Through an analysis of the results from recent excavations in light of relevant historical and later biblical texts, this book proposes that it is possible to identify these peoples and trace culturally or ethnically defined boundaries in the archaeological record. Features of late second-millennium B.C.E. culture are critically examined in their historical and biblical contexts in order to define the complex social boundaries of the early Iron Age and reconstruct the diverse material world of these four peoples. Of particular value to scholars, archaeologists, and historians, this volume will also be a standard reference and resource for students and other readers interested in the emergence of early Israel.
 

Contents

Peoples and Ethnicity in the Biblical World
1
The Eastern Mediterranean
21
Empire and Imperialism in the Late
51
Conclusions
81
An Ethnic Mosaic
93
A Mixed Multitude
149
Urban Colonists of the Early Iron Age
197
Identifying the Egyptians Canaanites Philistines
247
Bibliography
253
Index of Primary Sources
335
Index of Modern Authorities
347
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About the author (2005)

Ann E. Killebrew, Assistant Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Jewish Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, is a seasoned field archaeologist and co-editor of Jerusalem in Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period (Society of Biblical Literature, 2003).