1

University of Eastern Africa, Baraton

School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of Theology and Religious Studies

RELB081 SURVEY OF THE BIBLE TIME (2 CREDITS)

LESSON 3: HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDS OF THE OLD

TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT WORLD1

I.BEFORE ABRAHAM

Biblical historical data prior to Abraham (Genesis 1-11) is not easy to analyze at
the strict historical point of view. For example, the creation historical narrative: no
human being was there to record God’s activities during the first week of creation, since
Adam himself was the last creature. Under God’s inspiration, Moses wrote Genesis 1-11.
It is possible that from Genesis 12 (call of Abraham), one can start getting some light
from extra-biblical material to clarify some Biblical historical accounts. Despite this
limitation, archeology endeavors to divide human history into different periods that
attempt to shed some light on what might have happened before Abraham.

Ia. IN THE BEGINNING

From ancient times until today, people individually and collectively have sought
answers to questions such as Who are we? Where have we come from? Where do we go
or What do we become after this life? Where did the universe come from? How does it
operate? The first Biblical statement that attempts to address these questions is “In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). This is a proclamation of the
origin of the universe. In the next 11 chapters of Genesis, the author then describes the
beginning of many things, such as the human race, sin, agriculture, cities, and so forth.
Other cultures of the ancient Near East, in particular Egypt and Mesopotamia,
have different accounts of how the universe began. Because much of the time described
in Genesis 1–11 preceded the invention of writing, historians often refer to Genesis 1 as
protohistory or prehistory. Much of our knowledge of this proto-historic period comes

1
The current lesson is built on the work of Currid and Barrett.
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from archaeological investigation. It is appropriate at this point to provide the chronology

of the prehistoric periods as defined by archaeologists, and then to give a brief
description of the relics and ruins of each period as discovered through archaeology.

Ib. THE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (PRE-10,000 B.C.)

According to archaeologists, the Paleolithic period can be defined as one in which
people were hunters and gatherers. In other words, they did not produce their own food
through either herding or agriculture. The dwelling places of the time were primarily cave
settlements, and the tools were stone.

Ic.THE EPI-PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (10,000–8000 B.C.)

Although there is debate regarding precisely when the domestication of plants and
animals occurred, the evidence seems to argue for the Epi-Paleolithic or “Natufian”
period. Because of this transition to agriculture and herding, many consider this to be the
period in which permanent settlement really began.

Id. THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD (8000–4000 B.C.)

The sedentarization that began at the end of the Natufian period continued into the
subsequent Neolithic period. The settlements, however, became larger and more
elaborate. Pottery came into use in this final phase of the Neolithic era, and its
importance for the reconstruction of chronology and life in the ancient Near East cannot
be overstated.
In fact, during the Neolithic period, pottery made its first appearance in the
ancient Near East. Pottery is a most valuable tool for the archaeologist, and it is the most
basic and useful tool for developing chronology. It not only helps to determine the dating
of layers of an individual site, but the archaeologist can compare pottery gathered from
various sites to establish a relative dating sequence for a region.

Ie. THE CHALCOLITHIC PERIOD (4000–3200 B.C.)

Some very important changes occurred in the Chalcolithic period, from the
previous “dark age” of the Pottery Neolithic. There was an increase in population
throughout the ancient Near East, and there were more and larger settlements. The first
known use of metal for tools and weapons occurred at this time; locations for copper
smelting have been discovered.

If. THE EARLY BRONZE AGE (3200–2200 B.C.)

The Early Bronze Age was characterized by urbanization, a shift from village life
to city dwelling. This was the time of the first great empire building in the ancient Near
East, with grand states formed in Egypt and in Mesopotamia.

*Egypt
It was during the Old Kingdom, Dynasty four (2620–2480 B.C.) that came the
culmination of the building of the pyramids in Egypt with the great monuments built at
Giza by Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus. The pyramids at Giza were royal tombs for
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the god/king for continued existence in the afterlife. The Egyptian historian Manetho
claims that the pyramids put to work 100,000 people out of an Egyptian population
between 1 and 2 million. In addition, each pyramid had subsidiary structures, such as
temples in which the dead king could be worshiped. Tombs of the royal family and high
officials of the court were also found next to the pyramids. The pyramids are in a sense
symbolic of the centrality of the king to the Egyptian society of the time.
#Illustration of Pyramids

*Mesopotamia
Among many dominant groups in Mesopotamia, two can be highlighted: the
Sumerians and the Akkadians.
1.The Sumerians. The dominant group in Mesopotamia during the third
millennium B.C. was the Sumerians. We will consider these first period due to its
outstanding contribution to human civilization. Probably the most important event of the
Uruk period was the invention of writing. Since the oldest tablets we possess were
written in Sumerian, the Sumerians have been credited with the invention of writing. The
first writing was pictographic (i.e., a picture representing an action), then ideographic (a
symbol representing an idea), and, finally, syllabic (a symbol representing the sound of a
consonant and a vowel together). Almost all Sumerian texts were written in cuneiform,
that is, wedge-shaped characters etched in clay tablets with a stylus.
A temple economy was one in which the god owned everything; in other words,
all property belonged to the deity. His dwelling was in the temple in the city, and all
Sumerian society centered on the temple. At Uruk, two temples dominated the urban
landscape: one dedicated to the god Anu and the other to Inanna. The temple of Anu was
built on a terrace constructed of mud-brick; this was a forerunner of the later ziggurat
that became characteristic of Mesopotamian religious architecture.
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#Illustration of a Ziggurat1

*Illustration: Table of Nations, c. 2200 B.C. (Genesis 10:1–32). Many of the people
groups mentioned in Genesis 10 can be identified with relative certainty. In general, the
descendants of Ham settled in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean coast, the
descendants of Shem in Mesopotamia and Arabia, and the descendants of Japheth in
Europe and Asia Minor.

1
Ziggurats are monumental temple-towers found throughout the area of ancient Mesopotamia.
They were commonly built of sun-dried mud and straw bricks held in position with bitumen as mortar.
Stairways ascended to the top of these structures, where a small temple/shrine sat on the summit. The
illustration below depicts the Great Ziggurat of Nanna at Ur, which was constructed during the reign of Ur-
nammu (c. 2113–2095 B.C.). Its area covered 150 × 200 feet (46 × 61 m), and its height was 80 feet (24
m). It is commonly believed that this type of structure was being built in the Tower of Babel episode (Gen.
11:1–9). The text indicates that the builders of Babel had discovered the process of making mud bricks and
that they employed “bitumen for mortar” (v. 3). On the basis of that invention, the builders decided “to
build . . . a tower with its top in the heavens” (v. 4).
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II. THE WORLD OF THE PATRIARCHS

Toward the end of the Middle Bronze I and into the Middle Bronze II period
(2000–1550 B.C.), a grand scale re-urbanization took place throughout the ancient Near
East. This is the time in which many scholars place the progenitors of the people of
Israel: Abraham1, Isaac, and Jacob. And, although these men are never mentioned in any
extrabiblical sources of the time, their stories in Genesis 12–50 accurately reflect the
Middle Bronze II period.
Central to the argument for this date is the discovery of thousands of tablets from
the Middle Bronze II levels at Mari, in western Mesopotamia. The setting described by
the Mari tablets is quite similar to that found in Genesis and the patriarchal age. Customs
in Mari texts and the Pentateuch are quite similar, such as census taking, inheritance
laws, covenant oaths, and the prominence of genealogies. The same personal names and
place names are found in the literary corpus of each culture: for example, Haran and
Nahor. The Sitz im Leben or life setting of the Middle Bronze II period fits well with the
Genesis accounts of the patriarchal period.

IIa. EGYPT
In Egypt, this was the time of the Middle Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.) and the
Second Intermediate Period (1640–1550 B.C.). At this moment, attention is given to
the Second Intermediate Period. At the close of the Thirteenth Dynasty, a foreign group
called the Hyksos usurped much of the power in Egypt. The term “Hyksos” is a Greek
translation of an Egyptian phrase that means “ruler of foreign lands.” Kamose was
probably the firstking to take decisive steps to expel the Hyksos. After his death, the
resurgence of a united Egypt began to take place during the New Kingdom (1550–
1070 B.C.).

IIb. MESOPOTAMIA
The Babylonians (1800–1595 B.C.): In the early eighteenth century B.C., the
city of Babylon became the center of a kingdom that would soon include most of central
and southern Mesopotamia. The most important ruler of this Babylonian dynasty was
Hammurabi (1792– 1750 B.C.). [Some scholars consider Hammurabi to be a
contemporary of Abraham]. He fought a series of long-drawn-out battles against foreign
kings and native rulers of city-states. By the close of his reign, Hammurabi had most of
Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule. He was more than a warrior, however. He not only

1
Abraham (1950-1755 BC) See Andrews Bible Commentary, 116.
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achieved the unification of Mesopotamia but also carried out massive societal reforms.
One of these was the famous law-code that bears his name “Code of Hammurabi.”1

JOURNEYS OF THE PATRIARCHS

The depiction of the lifestyle of the patriarchs in Genesis 12–50 is congruous with
what we know about the Middle Bronze II period.
1. Journeys of Abraham
According to Genesis 11:27–28, the Hebrew patriarch Abraham was a native
of Ur of the Chaldeans. The location of Abraham’s Ur has been a matter of dispute.
Some scholars argue that this Ur was not the well-known Ur in southern Mesopotamia,
that is, the central city of the Third Dynasty of Ur (2050–1950 B.C.), but rather should be
identified with an Ur located somewhere in northwestern Mesopotamia. The evidence for
a northern Ur is weak, however, and a strong case can be made for Ur in the south.2
From Ur, Abraham’s family probably traveled to Haran along the banks of the Euphrates
River. Abram Travels to Canaan, at around 2000 B.C. Haran was an important city in
the second millennium B.C.
From Haran, Abraham and his kin journeyed southwest to the land of Canaan.
The precise route of Abraham’s trip is uncertain. When he arrived in Canaan, he first set
up camp near Shechem (Gen. 12:6). Shechem is the modern Tel Balatah.
In Genesis 12:10–20, Abraham fled to Egypt because of a famine in Canaan and
ended up sojourning there. From Egypt, Abraham returned the way he had come: he
traveled through the Negeb, into the hill country, and then made camp at Bethel. Later, he
moved his tent near Hebron (Gen. 13:18). Hebron is approximately 20 miles (32 km)
south of Jerusalem in the Judean highlands.

1
The Code of Hammurabi was a series of royal decisions, duly recorded and collected together to
be used as a reference by judges of future generations. Indeed, it may reflect a centuries-long tradition of
Mesopotamian common law. Hammurabi ordered that copies of the law be carved on stelae and placed in
temples throughout the empire. Various fragments of these law codes have been unearthed throughout
Mesopotamia. The purpose of the law code: It was written by “Hammurabi, the devout, god-fearing prince,
to cause justice to prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil, that the strong might not
oppress the weak.” A list of 282 laws forms the central part of the code. These laws deal with a myriad of
societal issues, such as crime, trade, marriage and family, property, wages, slavery, and legal problems.
There are, however, even earlier ones, such as the Lipit-Ishtar Lawcode and the Laws of Eshnunna, both
of which date to the nineteenth century B.C.
2
Ur was the birthplace of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham (Gen. 11:27–32). The ancient city of
Ur lies 186 miles (300 km) southeast of modern Baghdad on a bend of the original course of
the Euphrates River. Major excavations took place at the site in 1922–1934 under the direction
of Sir Leonard Woolley. Ur became an important city in Mesopotamia near the end of the third
millennium B.C. The governor of Ur, a man named Ur-Nammu (c. 2113–2095 B.C.), brought
the city to great prominence. He took the titles “King of Ur, King of Sumer and Akkad.” Thus
was founded the Third Dynasty of Ur (2050– 1950 B.C.). This period was one of great peace
and prosperity, the high point of the city’s existence.
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2. Journeys of Isaac
The patriarch Isaac apparently was content to lead a nomadic existence. Isaac also
often set up camp in the vicinity of Beersheba (Gen. 26:23–25). Even when there was a
famine in the land, Isaac did not leave the Negeb but rather migrated to Gerar, which is in
the Negeb nearer to the coastal plain (Gen. 26:1–17).
3. Journeys of Jacob
The two sons of Isaac, Jacob and Esau, also spent their early years as nomads in
the Negeb. However, after Jacob had stolen Esau’s birthright and blessing, he fled the
Negeb from before his brother’s wrath. Jacob fled from Beersheba to go to Haran, the
place where Abraham had left Terah and much of his family before entering the land of
Canaan. The way from Beersheba to Bethel was a well-worn travel route through Canaan
known as the “spine,” going along the highlands from north to south. It was the route by
which Abraham had traveled to Beersheba, and so Jacob was retracing his grandfather’s
journey from Haran.
Jacob arrived in Haran (Gen. 29:4–8) and, after at least 14 years in which he
worked for Laban to secure his two wives, he made plans to flee from Laban and return
to the land of Canaan. Jacob returned to Canaan at around 1900 B.C. (Genesis 31:3–
35:21). After a meeting between Jacob and Esau, the two brothers separated. Esau
returned to Edom in the south, and Jacob traveled west to Succoth. Succoth is probably to
be identified with Tell Deir ‘Alla, a site located directly west of Peniel where the Jabbok
River runs into the Jordan Valley. From there, Jacob entered Canaan and came to
Shechem in the middle of the highlands of Canaan. He journeyed on to Bethel and then to
Hebron, where Isaac was living (Gen. 35:27–29).
4. Joseph in Egypt
Asiatic migration into Egypt was the setting of the story of Joseph (Genesis 37–
50). There was a significant substratum of foreign slaves in Egypt during the Middle
Kingdom. Many came as booty from war, but there was also a huge slave trade. So many
of them came from Asia that the generic Egyptian word for “Asiatic” became
synonymous with the word “slave.” The Time of Joseph in Egypt can be set at around
1800 B.C.
After a long term of imprisonment, Joseph was released and rose to a prominent
position in Egypt. The means of his elevation was God’s bestowing upon him the divine
gift of dream interpretation. He was able to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, and he
predicted a coming time of famine, for which the Egyptians were therefore able to
prepare. At least as early as the Middle Kingdom the Egyptians believed that dreams
were a means used by the gods to reveal the future to humans. Because he predicted
the famine, Joseph rose to the position of vizier or prime minister of Egypt, that is, one
who was second only to Pharaoh in power.
Famine was a common occurrence in Egypt in antiquity. It normally occurred
when low levels of the Nile reduced the area of cultivation and limited agricultural
productivity. The famine reported in Genesis 41–42 struck not only Egypt. Its severity
in the land of Canaan was the reason that Joseph’s family traveled to Egypt; according to
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Genesis 41:57, people from all the known lands of the Near East were traveling to Egypt
for relief from the famine. Egypt had always been the land of grain for Palestine during
rough times.

II.d. ANCIENT NEAR EAST TEXTS AND THE BIBLE1

Some Ancient Near East texts contain certain biblical themes such as Creation,
Flood, Ritual, Sacrifice, Worship, etc. Among many ANE texts, one can retain the
accounts of Enuma Elish, Atra-Hasis, Gilgamesh, and Instruction of Merikare.
*Most of these ancient texts have to with creation or origin of the cosmos (world or
universe), creation humanity, and the flood.
*The general view of Critic scholars is that Biblical writers borrowed from ancient Texts
of the ANE to produce their writings.
*However, it should be noted that the ANE accounts have not only similarities with
Biblical narratives but also very deep differences. It can be considered that in most
cases, the ANE accounts are distorted accounts of true Biblical accounts.

1
Read Roberto Ouro, “Similarities and Differences between the Old Testament and the
Ancient Near Eastern Texts” Andrews University Seminary Studies 49, no.1 (2011):5-35.