I posted about the shifting frontiers and definitions of the ancient lands described in the Bible. At various times, they were either much larger and more expansive than what we think of in terms of modern Palestine, while on other occasions they were considerably smaller. I think we tend to lose track of this when we rely as heavily as we do on writings created within Jerusalem and its highly literate culture. At times, Jerusalem really was at the heart of a sizable empire, and others definitely not, but itâ??s really hard to tell the size of the world the writers are speaking to. It rather recalls the famous cartoon of the New Yorkerâ??s view of the world.
So how did that Israelite universe change over time? I know I am walking into a scholarly minefield here, but the Bible attributes a sizable regional empire to David and Solomon n the tenth century BC, possibly touching the Euphrates. Many modern scholars are deeply suspicious of that idea, but letâ??s for the sake of argument agree that in the ninth century, Israelâ??s power stretched north and east of modern Palestine.
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