Asher Studies

Abraham’s Journey – Geographical References

Personal Reflection

I am not a lover of archaeology or geography; I just love stories, usually fiction more than history. But when I studied in Israel for a year, learning modern Hebrew, I made a point of knowing the land and its people, the landscape, weather patterns, people’s attitudes and habits, and the Mediterranean food and culture. I visited archaeological sites, even sneaking into the West Bank unaccompanied so I could take a closer look at Samaria (modern Sebastia). I worked closely with a very renown Bible historian, Israel Eph’al, Assyriologists, and my favorite biblicist, Yair Zakovitch. I was a serious student who wanted to demonstrate my awareness of the land and dedication to the rigor of the ‘sciences’ and ‘literature’ of biblical studies. I even joined the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research center. Granted, I spent more time drinking tea with archaeologists than digging at archaeological sites. I wasn’t into all that digging under the sizzling sun.

Yet in teaching a course on Geography to high school students (yes, I taught at a high school and it lasted for one semester), I began to truly understand the importance of geography on the development of the politics, history, and culture of a region. It is not just knowing where the countries were or their capital cities, but the natural resources and the neighboring countries who wanted more than their share of them. It was fascinating, more interesting to me than to my high school students. I learned more than they did, which is not saying much since my students were not interested in anything I had to say.

The reason why I am particularly interested in geography and the stories that circulated about specific sites is the current state of geopolitics, Russian-Ukraine war, Iran-US war, and Lebanon-Israel conflict. So much has been said and done, so much is being said and done, all in the name of religion that I wanted to examine the ancient claims to territories. How was it claimed? What was claimed? And why did it matter to have a claim on land? And to whom did they need to justify these claims? All very interesting and probably very polarizing questions. We may not know all the answers but nevertheless, the task of asking these questions may lead to interesting insights about Israel’s self-understanding.

Ancient Context

What is the significance of the brief references to geographical locations in Abraham’s journey? Is it a statement about his piety, how he made a point of worshipping God along his way in the land of Canaan?  Or is it a way to inform the audience where he made a pit stop on his way to the south-north route, checking in with his neighbors and making friends? But why these particular spots, Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Beersheba? Most likely, there were many more towns along Abraham’s journey but somehow, these cities are the main ones that are mentioned over and over again, not only with Abraham but also with other patriarchs and Israel’s kings. So what is going on?

One can argue, as a number of Christians have done, that the visit to these key geographical locations was a declaration of Abraham’s religiosity. He made a point of worshipping God wherever and whenever he stopped on his journey. But was it the only reason? Why didn’t Abraham worship God at other towns and cities and why are they not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. So we need to take a closer look at the cities that are mentioned, where they are located and what may have been their significance?  How are these stories of Abraham’s journey relevant to the conversation about the geopolitics of the Middle East?  And what does Zionism have anything to do with these stories? All interesting questions we will tangentiality explore in this article.

Israel’s Claim to Land

To understand the importance of the names that are mentioned along Abraham’s travels, I will outline the locations and their significance in Israel according to the patriarchal narratives. So here are the sites that are explicitly mentioned where Abraham either sets up an altar and/or calls on the name of God

• Shechem 
  • Abraham set up an altar where God appeared to him (Genesis 12:6-7; 13:3) which Jacob purchased and set up an altar named, El Elohe Israel (Genesis 33:18-20).
• Bethel
  • Abraham built an altar where he called on the name of God (Genesis 12:8).  It is the site where Jacob saw the stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:10-22).  Because of this vision, Jacob promises to serve and tithe to God.

• Hebron
  • Abraham built an altar to the LORD in Hebron on his way back north from Egypt (Genesis 13:18) and he settled there temporarily (Genesis 18:1) when God appeared before him.  Abraham purchased a cave at Hebron (Genesis 23), where he and his wife, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah are buried. It is interesting how Leah, not Rachel, is buried next to Jacob which would signify that Leah was the primary wife.
• Beersheba
  • Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 21:33).  Isaac also built an altar and called on the name of the LORD (Genesis 26:23).

Significance of Geographical Sites

Based on the stories of Abraham and his descendants, Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Beersheba figured prominently.  These are the sites where the patriarchs set up altars and called on the name of God, where God appears, and/or it is purchased.  So what do the archaeological findings and other references in the Bible tell us about these key cities? Before exploring the cities, I need to make one general observation about the development of cities in ancient Israel. Key cities or major towns/villages in the ancient world tend to be religious as well as political centers at major crossroads along trade routes. It becomes a hub for people to gather, trade, and worship. If a leader gains control over these hubs, they tend to control the trade and consequently, the political, religious, and social dimensions of the city and the regions around it. Therefore, key cities were pivotal in gaining access to power.

Shechem 

Shechem (“shoulder,” Tell Balata) is a key strategic city because of its geographical location between two mountains, Mount Ebal and Gerizim.  It sat on the crossroads in the ancient world that controlled the north-south and east-west routes connecting the Jordan to the coast.  Because of the merchants that congregated in Shechem, it also became a religious hub and therefore was the site where Abimelech supposedly declared himself king (Judges 9). Its importance was clear when Rehoboam went to Shechem to declare himself king over all of Israel and was the first capital for Jeroboam, who then went to build Penuel (1 Kings 12).  Elevating a city to the status of the regional capital gave its citizens more influence over the kingdom and its politics. Therefore, moving the capital from Shechem to Penuel (or Peniel, where Jacob wrestles with an angel [Genesis 32:24-30]) allowed the king to loosen the power and influence of the Shechemites over his kingdom and gave him room to rule independently.

Bethel

Like Shechem, Bethel (“house of God”) was also a key strategic city on a crossroad along the major north-south trade route and east-west corridor through the central hill country. While being a strategic city, it was also an important religious site where altars and/or high places were established (2 Kings 23:4, 13-19). In the early tribal period, people would seek God during difficult times (Judges 20:26-28) and throughout and after Israelite period, bands of prophets (2 Kings 2:2-3) and priests (2 Kings 17:28-41) would live there. However, its significance as a religious site was most prominent during the divided kingdom. Bethel (southern site) and Dan (northern site) served as the religious centers of the northern kingdom, Israel, for Jeroboam and his descendants. From a southern kingdom’s (Judah) perspective, Israel worshipped the Golden Calves, whereas Jeroboam was probably tapping into a more traditional iconography of God.

Hebron

Hebron (Tel-Rumeida) was one of the oldest cities which based on the archaeological findings was a major city. King David made Hebron his first capital before he moved to Jerusalem. This was significant because Hebron was at the mid-point in Israel, allowing David to assert control over the southern and northern regions, thus all of Israel. Because of its central location and importance within Israel, Absalom tried to throw a coup against his father, David, from Hebron. It is currently a sacred site for Jews, Christians, and Muslims because it is known as the burial ground for the patriarchs and matriarchs.

Beersheba

Beersheba is the southernmost border city of the kingdom of Israel. According to the Bible, it is where Samuel’s wicked sons served as leaders (1 Samuel 8:1-3) and a center of false worship (?) (Amos 5:5). Based on the archaeological findings and its function in modern times, Beersheba was a watering place and small trade center.

Synthesis

Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Beersheba were central cities prior to the rise of the United Kingdom in Israel. They were along main trade routes, becoming the religious and political centers of the region. So if Abraham and the patriarchs were real historical figures, it is not surprising for them to rest and worship at these sites. However, the stories do not just place the patriarchs and matriarchs there, these ancestors of the Israelites take an active role in setting up altars, planting trees, digging wells, and purchasing land. They are the founders of the religious sites and owners of territories. In canine terms, they were essentially marking their territory along Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Beersheba, key cities during the rise of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. But why did the ancient authors want to include these origin stories about the patriarchs and these cities?

We have yet to prove the historicity of the patriarchs but these stories were critical to Israel’s self-understanding. Israel and its court historians wanted people to know that their ancestors worshipped there, dug a well, planted a tamarisk, purchased the land with money, and buried their dead.  Now, it is far from well-established as to how the Israelites came to occupy the land of Canaan.  There are different theories, one of which includes the Joshua account of the conquest.  However, most archaeologists, based on their findings, do not consider this option to be the most viable. The more popular or trending theory is that the indigenous Canaanite semi-nomadic population began to settle in the central hill country which then unified into the Israelite kingdom.

The people (whether external or internal) who settled in the central hill country wanted their neighboring kingdoms or countries to know that they had legitimate claim to the land because their ancestors, the patriarchs were there from the very beginning. They had a right to the territory and their God, not the gods of their neighbors, should be worshipped. It makes us wonder if their ancient neighbors questioned their legitimacy – what right did you, the self-defined Israelites, have in settling on this land? What right do you have in claiming that YHWH, the God of the Israelites, should be worshipped on these altars? Their answer, based on these stories, was our patriarchs and matriarchs set up these altars and purchased these lands.

The need to claim legitimacy reflect religious and political tension in the early Israelite community. The tension also points to the Israelites’ discomfort in conquering/settling land that may not have been their own and centralizing worship that may not have been there from the beginning. Otherwise, if it was universally recognized, these stories would not have been included. Why justify if it was established fact, i.e. the Israelites owned or had settled there without opposition/questions and had worshipped YHWH at the altars?

Questions

• What is the significance of Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Beersheba according to patriarchal narratives?
• Where do these cities sit in Canaan?
• How does archaeological help our reading of the biblical stories?

Personal Reflections

• Why did the ancient historians include stories of building altars to God and land purchases?
• Which comes first, the development of cities or the stories about the patriarchs in these cities?
• Does an ancient claim legitimate current claims?

Final Observations

These stories are not just used by the ancient Israelites but also current Zionists, who use the Hebrew Bible to justify their claim to Palestine.  Who are the Zionists? Well, Zionism is the “national liberation movement advocating for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland.”  Their ancestral claim are based on historical and indigenous ties as recollected in the biblical stories of the patriarchs.  If it wasn’t for these stories, Zionists could have claimed any other land and the British could have allotted a different land for self-determination and statehood.

I will not go into the politics for or against Zionism; however, I would like to bring attention to the importance of these stories in how people justify and define themselves.  They are more than just stories, more than religious stories; they have become socio-political justifications for our current claims to the land. People are willing to kill and be killed. 

The question we need to ask ourselves, “should these stories from the ancient period justify our current claims?” I guess, this question is not just about biblical claims but rather a broad spectrum of ideologically motivated religious or historical justifications that allow people to lay a stake on territory. Think about Doctrine of Discovery or Manifest Destiny, both of which provided ideological justification for colonizing the Americas on religious basis. Or just think about the most recent Russian claim to Ukraine.  If it is just about words, we shouldn’t worry too much (?).  But let us look at history and current geopolitics.  It is more than words; it is about swords, guns, drones, and bombs.  At what point should a story be just a story or just a reflection of an ancient people’s understanding of God and their relationship with the world?

Because of the status of the Bible in certain religious communities, a story cannot just be a story. It will always be more so the question should be, what are the criteria that we should use to transfer meaning to our lives, our communities, and our world?  Does an ancient story of a patriarch who may have been our ancestor justify our claim to a land that is occupied by a people?  Can an empire just grant territory to a people where there are already people living and settled in the land?  Who gives them that right? God, powerful weapons, or Abraham?  It may sound simplistic because geopolitics is very complicated and obtuse. But does it have to be complicated or was it made to be complicated to justify violence against people? These biblical stories, more than anything, exemplifies the discomfort in taking land or forcing religious practices that may not have been part of the ancient community. We don’t need to justify if our claims are legitimate.