BACKGROUND OF

THE OLD
TESTAMENT

PEOPLES, KINGDOMS, CULTURES, CHRONOLOGY,

GEOGRAPHY
 P
Come Holy Spirit,
fill my heart and mind with serenity R
and ability to focus on what I study.
Come with your gift of wisdom A
to guide my thoughts, words and actions.
Give me courage and persistence Y
to strive for quality in all my endeavors.
E
Pour into my heart the desire to search
for the essence of knowledge. R
 Transform me oh Holy Spirit so that
Christ’s ways become the ways of my life,
His truth will be the truth I stand for
And his life becomes life I live and
share with others.
Amen
Linking with the previous session

• Fertile Crescent – ‘cradle of civilization’

• Mesopotamia
• Israel
• Assyrian Empire
• Empire of Babylon
• Persia
• The reign of Darius I
• Decree of Cyrus
• Egypt
In our last session we learnt that human civilization is very old,
but our knowledge of its earliest stages was quite limited for
many centuries. Thus, the great archaeological discoveries of
the 19th and 20th centuries unveiled for us the great civilizations
of the Ancient Near East.
The cradle of civilization is a term referring to locations
identified as the areas of the arrival of civilization. In Western
European and Middle Eastern cultures, it has been applied to
the Ancient Near Eastern Chalcolithic (Ubaid period, Naqada
culture), especially in the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia and
Levant) and Egypt, but also extended to sites in Asia Minor
(Anatolia), Armenia and the Iranian Plateau (Elam).
Other civilizations arose in Asia, among cultures situated
along large river valleys, notably the Indus River in the Indian
Subcontinent present day Pakistan & north-western India and
also the Yellow River in China. Civilizations also arose
independently in Norte Chico in present-day Peru, the Andes,
Mesoamerica, and Iron Age Sub-Saharan Africa. If writing is
considered an indicator of civilization, the earliest "cradle" to
have writing was Sumer (Jemdet Nasr) in Mesopotamia.
The concept 'cradle of civilization' is the subject of much
debate. The figurative use of cradle to mean "the place or
region in which anything is nurtured or sheltered in its earlier
stage" is traced by the Oxford English Dictionary to Spenser
(1590).
Charles Rollin's Ancient History (1734) has "Egypt that served
at first as the cradle of the holy nation."
THE REVOLUTIONARY One divine power, one God
IDEA
OF THE ISRAELITES

Outside and above nature

Known through history,

events, and particular
relationships with
humankind
Egypt

was known as “the gift of the Nile” and played a large part in the
formative period of Israel's history. Northern and southern Egypt
were united early in the third millennium BC and great pharaohs
ruled the land. The Egyptian civilization developed to a high level
by the middle of the third millennium and continued largely
unchanged for three thousand years. Only in 331 BC did
Alexander the Great change the face of ancient Egypt, in fact the
face of the Middle East.
 What is meant by
“The Amarna Period”?

The Amarna Period was an era of Egyptian history during the

latter half of the Eighteenth Dynasty when the royal
residence of the pharaoh and his queen was shifted to
Akhenaten ('Horizon of the Aten') in what is now Amarna.
The early pharaohs were believed to be divine
beings in human form. The culture was
relatively stable, and the status quo was
constantly sought in Egypt. The ancient
Hebrews and the later Israelites had close
contact with this civilization. Israel was held
captive by Egypt for 400 years during the New
Kingdom (c. 1550-1100 BC), until, under
Moses, the Lord liberated them. The Exodus
took place during the second half of the
second millennium BC under Pharaoh Rameses
II (c. 1290 b.c.).
Map of Egypt in Biblical Times

During the time of Moses and the

Exodus the land of Egypt was divided
into Upper and Lower Egypt. Lower
Egypt was on the north closer to the
Mediterranean Sea, the Nile Delta.

Upper Egypt was a bit further south

from Lower Egypt, starting at
Memphis (bottom of the Nile Delta
Triangle) and extended for about
600 miles down the Nile River Valley
to Elephantine (Aswan).
After Israel's deliverance from Egypt, the
kingdom played a declining part in Israel's
history and development, but was always
there—often as a temptation to Israel to
trust in the horses of Egypt for safety and
security rather than the Lord (Isa 21:1-3).

A knowledge of Egyptian language,

culture, politics, military might, and
economics helps one to understand the
OT, especially from 2000 BC to 164 BC.
This map reveals the Egyptian Empire during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt at its
greatest extant around 1450 BC. Dynasty XVIII was a very interesting period
because Egypt reached her greatest extant during this time which was
approximately 1550 BC to 1290 BC. It is also the time period of Moses and the
Hebrew Exodus from Egypt which took place around 1400 BC, although no one
knows for certain.
History of Egypt
I. The Location of Egypt - Egypt occupies the
northeastern angle of Africa. Its boundaries appear
to have been nearly always the same. The whole
country is spoken of by Ezekiel (29:10; 30: 6), as
extending from Migdol to Syene, which indicates the
same limits to the east and south as at present.

II. The Name of Egypt - The common name of Egypt

in the Bible is " Mizriam," or more fully, " The Land
of Mizriam." The Arabic name for Egypt, Mizr,
signifies "red mud." Egypt is also called in the Bible "
The Land of Ham" (Psalm 105:23,27).
 The history of Egypt may be divided as follows:
1. Egypt under the Old Kingdom: Extending from the foundation of the
Kingdom, far back toward the period of the Flood, to the invasion of the
Shepherd Kings, including the Kings of the first fourteen dynasties. During
the reign of these Kings, it is supposed, the pyramids were built, and
toward the close, Abraham made his visit to Egypt.

2. Egypt under the Middle Kingdom: This consisted of the Kings of the
fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth dynasties, comprising the Shepherd
Kings. It was during the reign of these Kings that Joseph ruled, and the
whole family of Israel took up their residence in the Land of Goshen.
3. Egypt under the New Kingdom: From the
18th to the 13th, dynasty. The Kingdom was
consolidated by Amosis, who succeeded in
dismissing the Hyksos. Amosis was the “first
King who did not know Joseph," and began
the oppression of the Israelites. During the
rule of the thirtieth dynasty the country was
conquered by Persia, and from BC 340, till its
conquest by Alexander the Great.
4. Egypt under the Greeks; Egypt was
conquered by Alexander the Great in BC 331
and passed under the rule of the Greeks, and
so remained until BC 30, when it became a
province of Rome.
5. Egypt under the Romans: the Romans ruled
the country, with temporary interruptions, until
AD 640, when it was conquered by the Arabians.

6. Egypt under the Arabians: with some

interruptions the country remained under
Arabian domination until AD 1517, when it
became a province of the Turks.

7. Egypt under the Turks: their rule was

interrupted at various times, but the Turks have
been in the controlling power in Egypt until the
present time.
Egyptian Timeline
First Period or Old Empire

BC
2700 Beginning of Egyptian history with
first dynasty of Manetho
2450 Fourth dynasty or period Of the
Pyramid-builders
2080 Close of the Old Empire by the
Hyksos invasion
Second Period or Middle Empire

BC
2080 Hyksos conquest of Lower Egypt
1900 Complete subjugation of the whole
country
1920 Abraham's visit to Egypt
1706 Settlement in Egypt of Jacob and
his sons
1525 Expulsion of the Hyksos
Third Period or New Empire

B.C.
1525 Revival of Egyptian independence
under a Theban dynasty
1500-1200 Three most brilliant
centuries of Egyptian history
1420 Exodus of the Israelites
525 Egypt conquered by the Persians
under Cambyses
Later Events
BC
332 Egypt conquered by the Greeks
under Alexander
323 Beginning of the rule of the
Ptolemies (or Greek kings of Egypt)
after the partition of Alexander's
Empire
30 Egypt becomes a Roman province
after the death of Cleopatra
Syria-Palestine is the central point for the major events and
issues of the OT story. It did influence as much as
Mesopotamia or Egypt did; but it did foster powerful city-
states, such as Jericho and Ebla, with which Israel had to
interact at her own peril. And this area, both in ancient times
and today, served as a defense zone between super powers or
as a prize to be fought over by these same powers. Many
important trade and travel routes passed through the area
and these resulted in great wealth for inhabitants of the land.
Vivid descriptions of this area and its
religious confusion are contained in
documents from ancient Ugarit (14th
century BC) and the Tell-el-Amarna
tablets (early 14th century BC). Israel
was commanded by God to conquer the
land and destroy its inhabitants and
their religious practices because of their
utter corruption and the danger it held
for the Israelites.
Syria-Palestine was sifted and tossed by
the super powers, first Egypt, then the
Hittite kingdom, the Assyrian kingdom,
the Babylonian kingdom (old and new),
the Persian Empire, the Grecian Empire,
and finally Rome. But the central
theological fact about Palestine proper is
that is was, to foster Israel as God's
people. It is described as a land “flowing
with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8), and it was
and remains Israel's homeland.
This map includes some of the geographical features of the land of Israel including: the Valley
of Jezreel, Plain of Sharon, Coastal Plain, Central Hills, Jordan Valley, Plain of Philistia,
Shephelah, The Negev, Wilderness of Judah, and Transjordanian Highlands. These physical
features make up the country of Israel.
Israel is a small strip of land; roughly 150 miles long and 50
miles wide. It has a very strategic location bordering three
continents, and was located in the center of the ancient
world and its empires. Babylon, Persia, and Assyria to the
East, Greece and Rome to the northwest, and Egypt to the
south. The land of Israel has a very unique topography with
five natural divisions that are parallel to one another running
across the entire land from north to south like vertical strips.
Greece

The Grecian Empire established itself in the Middle East through

Alexander the Great, when he conquered Persia. Greek religion,
culture, politics, architecture, and philosophy subsequently
forced itself not only upon the Jews in Palestine and elsewhere
but upon the entire region all the way to India. Greece is
mentioned clearly in only two OT books, Daniel and Zechariah,
but is prominent in several apocryphal books.
Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC , then his empire broke up
into 4 separate political areas. The territory inherited by Seleucus I
in the north and the territory inherited by Ptolemy (Lagi) in the
south became the most important political and religious influences
on the Jews until Pompey of Rome (63 BC). The Ptolemies in Egypt
ruled in Palestine and Phoenicia until defeated by the Seleucids in
198 BC at Panium by Antiochus III. According to ancient tradition,
during the time of the Ptolemies Hebrew Scripture was translated
into Greek.
In the division Israel became a part of Syria, under the
authority of Seleucus. Shortly after Israel was ruled by Ptolemy
Soter, the ruler of Egypt, and he and his successors ruled Israel
for 120 years. In 198 BC the dominion switched to the Seleucid
line and Israel in their dominion. The Seleucid's ruled Israel
with great cruelty until 166 BC, when the Maccabees revolted
and threw off their yoke and Israel became virtually
independent for a period of more than 120 years.
This map shows the Greek Empire in 323 BC under its greatest ruler Alexander
the Great. Alexander the Great, quickly and powerfully conquered the Persians
in a brilliant series of battles, and Greece became the masters of the Oriental
World. Alexander died in 323 BC, and after his death his empire was divided into
four Kingdoms, the most important were Seleucus in Asia, and Ptolemy in Africa.
 Alexander the Great, the
greatest military leader,
quickly
and powerfully conquered
the Persians in a brilliant
series
of battles, and Greece
became the masters of the
Oriental World.
Alexander the Great

Philip's son, Alexander the Great (356–323 BC), managed to extend

Macedonian power not only over the central Greek city-states by
becoming Hegemon of the League of Corinth (also known as the
"Hellenic League"), but also to the Persian empire, including Egypt
and lands as far east as the fringes of India. Alexander's adoption of
the styles of government of the conquered territories was
accompanied by the spread of Greek culture and learning through
his vast empire.
 History of the Greek Empire

In 334 BC, Alexander went into Asia and defeated the Persians at the
river Granicus. After that he made a triumphal procession through the
liberated Greek cities. Thus, he advanced south through Cilicia into Syria,
where he defeated Darius III at Issus (333 BC). He moved on through
Phoenicia to Egypt. The Egyptians welcomed him as a liberator from
Persian oppression. Then, Alexander pressed to conquer Persia and
make himself the ruler of the world. He advanced northeast through
Syria and Mesopotamia, and defeated Darius again at Gaugamela (331
BC). Darius fled and was killed by his own followers. Alexander became
the master of the Persian Empire.
Map of Alexander's Empire at it's Height in 323 BC
At Megalopolis in 331 BC, Alexander's defeated the Spartans, who had
refused to recognize Macedonian supremacy. Alexander pressed on,
advancing through today’s Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Indus River
valley and by 326 BC he had reached Punjab. He might well have
advanced down the Ganges but his army refused to go any further.
Alexander reluctantly turned back. He died in 323 BC and soon after his
death Alexander's empire broke up, but his conquests permanently
changed the Greek world. Thus, Greek-speaking kingdoms in Egypt,
Syria, Persia, and Bactria were established and the knowledge and
cultures of east and west began to permeate and interact. It was the
beginning of Hellenistic age.
Greek Timeline
BC
498 Persian invasion of Greece
498-448 Greco-Persian Wars
336 Death of Philip of Macedon
334 Alexander the Great begins his
conquests
334 Battle of the Granicus
333 Battle of Issus
331 Battle of Arbela
323 Death of Alexander
146 Greece is made a Roman Province
 Hellenization

Alexander the Great's empire broke in pieces almost immediately

after his death, yet the effects of his battles have remained to all
time. One great result was the Hellenizing of every land that he
conquered and their assimilation to the Greek civilization, Greek
ideas and Greek way of life. "The Greek language became the
tongue of all government and literature throughout many
countries where the people were not Greek by birth, conquesting
of a large part of the world”.
These centuries of Israelite history were not lived out
in a vacuum. Rather, Israel was often plunged into life
and death struggles among themselves and against
these pagan powers, which God used more than once
to punish his apostate people (Is 1:2). But
neighboring nations overstepped their roles and
received judgment at the hands of God as well.
Geography
Even an elementary grasp of the geography of Palestine is helpful for
understanding certain parts of the OT. In fact, the correct interpretation of
certain written texts depends upon a knowledge of the layout of the land.
In the OT, the land of Palestine is called the “land of Canaan” (Lev 25:38) and
the “land of promise” (Ge 13:14-17) that was sworn to Abraham and his
descendants. After Israel was given the land as an inheritance, it became
known as “the land of Israel” (Dt 1:8), but was still ultimately God's land
(2Ch 7:20).
OT Palestine extended from Dan to Beersheba
(Jdg 20:1) in its north-south axis, and was
bounded on the west by the Great Sea
(Mediterranean) and on the east by the Jordan
Valley. During the time of the Judges and later,
Israel included territory east of the Jordan, termed
Transjordan. But even under David and Solomon,
Israel did not possess all of the area promised to
Abraham (Nu 34:1-12). The geographical location
of the land was strategic, forming as it did a land
bridge that connected many nations, empires, and
three continents (Europe, Asia, Africa).
The north-south features of the land are major
features of the coastal plain running along the
edge of the Mediterranean, the lowlands east
of the sea, then the central mountains lying
west of the Jordan valley. At the northern edge
of the coastal plain, Mt. Carmel juts out into
the Mediterranean Sea, which in ancient times
provided a spectacular theatre for Elijah's
defeat of the prophets of Baal (1Ki 18:18-46).
Moving east, the next prominent geographical feature of
Palestine is the Jordan rift area. The Jordan River runs
southward, fed by its upper tributaries and the Sea of Galilee. It
follows a meandering path for about two hundred miles and
empties its salt-laden waters into the Dead Sea, the lowest body
of water in the world (1,290 ft. below sea level). Waters do not
flow out of the Dead Sea. Eastward across the Jordan River lies
the Transjordanean Plateau.
The major areas in Palestine were northern Israel which
encompassed Galilee (the northernmost part of the
country) and Samaria, and southern Israel, Judah, and
the Negeb, a high steppe area south of Beersheba, which
received little rainfall. Farther south lies the Sinai
Peninsula; northeast and southeast are the sprawling
Syrian and Arabian deserts.
Israel inhabited the central mountain ranges for the most part,
and were called a “people of the hills” in the OT (1King 20:28).
The Palestinian area has two seasons, rainy (December-March)
and dry (May-September). Sometimes rains fell both earlier and
later than usual, and the OT refers to these as “early” and
“latter” rains (cf. Jer 3:3, 5:24; Joel 2:23). The rainfall, however,
occurs on the western slopes of the central mountain ranges and
the western side of the Transjordanean Plateau.
The eastern parts of these two geographical
features are unfertile. They yield little produce
or vegetation of any kind. The disunity of Israel
is sometimes considered a result of her broken,
fragmented geographical features, but Israel's
God and Israel's revealed religion from Yahweh
would have been enough to overcome this
natural barrier to unity. Isaiah did not attribute
the nation's failures to geographical barriers,
but to Israel's refusal to pay attention to
Yahweh's guidance (Is 47:18-19).