Glossary of Key Historical Terms

Question 1

What is the most common OT name for the land. Eptymology is unknown, but eventually became identified with crimson or purple dye?

Answer 1

Canaan

Question 2

What is the earliest known reference to Canaan

Answer 2

18th c. BC

Question 3

Who is Canaan the son of in the OT?

Answer 3

Ham; His descendants spread from Asia minor to Nubia

Question 4

Where are Canaan’s borders described?

Answer 4

Genesis 10:19; Numbers 34:2-12

Question 5

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?

Answer 5

Palestine ((came from the Egyptian word referring to Philistines)

Question 6

What area is Adjacent to Mediterranean Sea?

Answer 6

Coastal Plains

Question 7

What are the 4 smaller plains of Coastal Plains?

Answer 7

a. ) Acre (linked with Tyre)
b. ) Dor (marshy)
c. ) Sharon (Marshy, thick forest)
d. ) Philistia (agriculture)

Question 8

What is the “way of the sea” that goes through the Coastal Plains?

Answer 8

Via Maris

Question 9

Long range of limestone hills which reached almost to Jerusalem

Answer 9

Galilee and Central Hill Country

Question 10

Major fault line extending from mountains in Syria to Lake Malawi in Africa?

Answer 10

Jordan Rift Valley

Question 11

What are the 2 seas located in the Jordan Rift Valley?

Answer 11

Dead Sea and Sea of Galillee

Question 12

Elevated stretch of land alongside Jordan Valley?

Answer 12

Trans-Jordanian Highlands

Question 13

What are the 5 subregions of the Jordian Highlands that are divided by streams?

Answer 13

• • Bashan Plateua
• • Gilead
• • Plateau of Ammon
• • Tableland of Moab
• • Mountains of Edom

Question 14

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)

Answer 14

Execration texts

Question 15

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

Answer 15

Hyskos

Question 16

One of the store cities built by the Israelites, according to Exodus 1:11

Answer 16

city of Ramases

Question 17

What is the name of Moses?

Answer 17

• • Meaning has to do with Birth

- - Mose is combined with divine names to mean the god of _____ is born

Question 18

Who were the Midianites/Kenites?

Answer 18

– 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

Question 19

What is the term of the Red Sea?

Answer 19

• • Term is used for Red Sea and Gulf of Aqabah elsewhere in Scripture (not “Sea of Reeds”)
• • Bitter Lakes is right location now

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Pharaoh Merneptah (Merneptah Stele)

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Habiru

Question 22

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.

Answer 22

Daybook

Thutmose III’s Annals

Question 23

Document where a Moabite King declares victory over Israel. Contains crucial reference. 2 non-biblical references that are helpful

Answer 23

Moabite Mesha Stele’s Reference to the “house of David”

Question 24

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.

Answer 24

Qarqar

Question 25

Battle in which Josiah died trying to prevent Necho II of Egypt from assisting Assyria in battle against Babylon

Answer 25

Battle of Megiddo

Question 26

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

Answer 26

Battle of Carchemish