Glossary of Key Historical Terms Flashcards
What is the most common OT name for the land. Eptymology is unknown, but eventually became identified with crimson or purple dye?
Canaan
What is the earliest known reference to Canaan
18th c. BC
Who is Canaan the son of in the OT?
Ham; His descendants spread from Asia minor to Nubia
Where are Canaan’s borders described?
Genesis 10:19; Numbers 34:2-12
What is the name to refer to the modern Gaza Strip, but was later referred to as coastal plain, interior, and became official name for the province after 135 AD?
Palestine ((came from the Egyptian word referring to Philistines)
What area is Adjacent to Mediterranean Sea?
Coastal Plains
What are the 4 smaller plains of Coastal Plains?
a. ) Acre (linked with Tyre)
b. ) Dor (marshy)
c. ) Sharon (Marshy, thick forest)
d. ) Philistia (agriculture)
What is the “way of the sea” that goes through the Coastal Plains?
Via Maris
Long range of limestone hills which reached almost to Jerusalem
Galilee and Central Hill Country
Major fault line extending from mountains in Syria to Lake Malawi in Africa?
Jordan Rift Valley
What are the 2 seas located in the Jordan Rift Valley?
Dead Sea and Sea of Galillee
Elevated stretch of land alongside Jordan Valley?
Trans-Jordanian Highlands
What are the 5 subregions of the Jordian Highlands that are divided by streams?
- Bashan Plateua
- Gilead
- Plateau of Ammon
- Tableland of Moab
- Mountains of Edom
What is the Major source for MB IIA period. It involves curses against cities and their rulers in Syro-Palestine. Written on clay figurines or jars. The broken cities mentioned in these texts matched cities of the patriarchs (supports authenticity of the bible)
Execration texts
Foreign group that overthrew Egyptian dynasties during unstable period around 1730-710 BC. Ruled until the establishment of 18th dynasty in 1570 BC.
“king who did not know Joseph” was probably one of these
Hyskos
One of the store cities built by the Israelites, according to Exodus 1:11
city of Ramases
What is the name of Moses?
- Meaning has to do with Birth
- - Mose is combined with divine names to mean the god of _____ is born
Who were the Midianites/Kenites?
– Moses married daughter of Midianite priest, but also references to his wife being Cushite and his in-laws being Kenites
- Cushites and Midianites could have been blood relatives
- Kenites = status of people, like blacksmiths
What is the term of the Red Sea?
- Term is used for Red Sea and Gulf of Aqabah elsewhere in Scripture (not “Sea of Reeds”)
- Bitter Lakes is right location now
An inscription from the 5th year of Merneptah (1224-1216) mentions “Israel” as people the Pharoah encountered in Canaan.
– Inscription is consistent with an earlier date of the Exodus
Pharaoh Merneptah (Merneptah Stele)
Akkadian documents from Syro-Palestine refer to a people group, who were mercenaries by this name who were threatening their cities. Most likely a social and descriptive term, not an ethnic term for the Hebrews
Habiru
Military scribes wrote down a King’s actions in warfare in these?
This shows that Joshua 1-11 is speaking of a military conquest, not what most academics believe about Israel.
Daybook
Thutmose III’s Annals
Document where a Moabite King declares victory over Israel. Contains crucial reference. 2 non-biblical references that are helpful
Moabite Mesha Stele’s Reference to the “house of David”
The spot where the pivotal battles between Shalmaneser II of Assyria and the coalition of kings from Syria-Palestine under Benhadad took place in 853 BC.
Qarqar
Battle in which Josiah died trying to prevent Necho II of Egypt from assisting Assyria in battle against Babylon
Battle of Megiddo
Babylon (led by young Nebuchadnezzar) defeats Egypt and Assyria on the Euphrates, which opened up the land of Hatti (Syria and Palestine) to the Babylonians. Babylon now controlled all of Syria and Palestine
Battle of Carchemish
