ABSTRACT
Keeping these points in mind, we have settled on not one but two starting points for Jewish history. e rst is ancient Israelite history prior to the Babylonian Exile in 586 BCE. Where did the Israelites come from, and what is the historical connection between them and later Jews? e present chapter will attempt to answer these questions by drawing on the Hebrew Bible, but its testimony will not be sucient by itself since according to modern scholarship, its account is questionable, concealing the true origins of the ancient Israelites. What this chapter introduces, therefore, is ancient Israelite history as reconstructed by biblical scholars, their best attempt to explain the genesis of the ancient Israelites within the context of what is known about history from other ancient Near Eastern sources and archaeological excavation.
