Abraham, the father of the Israelites, grew up in the ancient city of Ur of the Chaldeans, but he moved to Haran with his father Terah, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot (Genesis 11:27-31). At this time in history the Chaldeans (Kasdim) inhabited the area east of Haran, making it unlikely that Abraham’s city […]
Category Archives: Patriarchal Period
Mahanaim and Peniel
One of the most significant biblical locations that few Bible readers would recognize is the site of the twin fortresses of Mahanaim and Peniel. During the Old Testament these fortresses stood on opposite sides of the Jabbok River and guarded an important road leading from southern Gilead to the roads of the Jordan River valley. […]
Crete, Cyrene, and Syrtis
Though the Old Testament never directly mentions Crete (shown in inset), this island had a significant impact on the history of Israel. Crete was home to the ancient city of Knossos and the great Minoan civilization, the first advanced society in Europe, which flourished from before the time of Abraham until around the time of […]
Mesopotamia
The region commonly called Mesopotamia (“between the rivers”) was home to some of the oldest civilizations in the world and is often speculated to be the location of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-14). Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Mesopotamia formed a large portion of what is often called the Fertile Crescent, and […]
Judah and Its Towns
The land of Judah in southern Israel was home to many important leaders throughout Israel’s history. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all lived in the hill town of Hebron for a time (Genesis 13:18; 35:27; 37:12-14), and later several of them were buried in the family tomb there (Genesis 23:19; 25:9; 50:12-13). Likewise, David was […]