As the Israelites approached Canaan from the east, they asked the Amorite king Sihon if they could pass through his land, but he attacked them instead. The Israelites defeated him at Jahaz and captured all his land (Deuteronomy 2:24-37). After this they turned northward toward Bashan and defeated King Og at Edrei (Deuteronomy 3:1-11). Though […]
Category Archives: Old Testament
Israelites Are Exiled to Assyria
The northern kingdom of Israel had become subject to the vast Assyrian Empire as early as 740 B.C. during the reign of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser, and many Israelites from lands east of the Jordan River were exiled to places along the Habor River (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chronicles 5:26). In 722 B.C., however, king […]
The Battle at Michmash
1 Samuel 13:23-14:23 During the reign of Saul, a detachment of Philistines pushed far into the interior of Israel and occupied the strategic pass at Michmash. Saul, Jonathan, and the Israelite forces were gathered across the pass at Geba, which is likely the location intended by the phrase “Gibeah of Benjamin” rather than Saul’s hometown […]
The Kingdoms of Saul, David, and Solomon
When Israel first settled in Canaan, they operated as a coalition of twelve tribes with no single ruler, though from time to time local leaders would rise up as needed to face certain threats (Judges 2-16). Beginning with Saul, however, the twelve tribes of Israel united under a single king in order to be more […]
Jerusalem during the Later Old Testament
The Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord in 586 B.C. and exiled many Judeans to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1-21; 2 Chronicles 36:17-21; Jeremiah 39:1-10; 52:1-30). Several decades later (539 B.C.), King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and declared that the Judean exiles were free to return to Judah and […]