ABSTRACT
For over two centuries, there has been academic investigation into the lands stretching from Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean littoral (the “Levant”) to as far away as modern-day Iran. The classical definition of this broad region is the “Near East,” a term that is recognized for its Euro-centric and colonialist foundation. Nevertheless, it is an engrained term that encapsulates the cultures of Egypt, the Levant, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia. The legacy left by ancient Israel was built upon, grew, and was interpreted and reinterpreted throughout the second half of the first millennium and the beginning of the first millennium CE. The territory considered to be “Israel” is fluid. According to the biblical texts, the god YHWH promised to give land to the descendants of a man named Abram/Abraham. Early archaeological research focused on the chronology of the ancient Near East and ancient Israel, in particular.
