You Hebrews are a people of Semitic origin who, according to the biblical narrative, established himself in Canaan through the patriarch Abraham. Throughout their history, the Hebrews migrated to Egypt, returned to Canaan, reconquered the land of the Canaanites and Philistines, and after being conquered by a series of peoples, began to flee the region due to Roman violence.
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Hebrew history and historical sources
Hebrew history is quite peculiar, because many people identify it by the great strength of the Judeo-Christian tradition in the religious formation of Brazil. We know that the Hebrews were a semi-nomadic people who settled in Canaan, in antiquity, and a part of the history of these people is narrated in the Bible, the holy book of Christians.
The Bible, as well as other documents from antiquity, are treated by historians as sourceshistorical. This does not mean, however, that everything in the Bible is considered to be the truth. historical, since there is a whole work of appraisal to prove the veracity of the events mentioned.
Thus, some of the biblical passages about the history of the Hebrews are understood as mythical and not necessarily as historical truths and events. These considerations are part of the job of historians, since modern history has methods of proving events. Anyway, this practice of historians is also found in Antiquity, and historians, such as Thucydides, were already looking for differentiate real events from mythical testimonies.
Another fact that must be taken into account is that the Hebrews began to record their history only after they became the most powerful people in Canaan|1|. Therefore, many of the reports were made a posteriori when they actually happened. Therefore, in history, it is important to handle the reports historyórich of the Bible with a certain caveat.
The Bible is an important document in the study of Hebrew history, but it is not the only source for studying the history of the Hebrews. Historians work with other sources, such as archaeological remains, records made by other peoples, etc.
Where did the Hebrews come from?
![Abraham is considered the great patriarch of the Hebrews.[1]](/f/ce6745cc27f63e4ae12a136423415119.jpg)
Biblical accounts say that the Hebrews are direct descendants of Abraham and came from Mesopotamia to Canaan, around the 20th century a. Ç. In this account, Abraham was a semi-nomadic shepherd living in Ur, when he received a prophecy from God that caused him to leave his land. in search of a "promised land".
Historian Karen Armstrong says it is difficult to substantiate many of the accounts of the story of Abraham, since they were written nearly a thousand years after they occurred.|2|. There are even historians who treat the Israelites as a people that emerged from the heart of the Canaanites. Anyway, in the biblical account, we saw that the Hebrews were a foreign people who settled in Canaan.
The fixation happened in the Jordan River Valley, a stretch known for having more fertile land. The Hebrews still lived a life of semi-nomadism and had frequent contact with the Canaanites, native peoples of the region. This contact caused many Hebrews to adopt the worship of Yahweh, the Hebrew god, but of other gods too, like he, a Canaanite god.
This first phase of Hebrew history is known as time course of the patriarchs, being Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the great Hebrew patriarchs. The Hebrews survived by raising animals, like sheep, and also cultivated food. There were those who lived in more desert regions, as well as those who settled in places with fertile soils.
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going to egypt
Regarding this period, the biblical tradition still speaks about the migration of the Hebrews to the region of Egypt, supposedly around 1700 BC. Ç. The reasons would be a shortage of food that affected the entire region of Canaan. The purpose of moving to Egypt would be to settle in the fertile lands on the banks of the Nilo river.
This trip to Egypt was the subject of several questions, starting with the fact that, again, the biblical account does not answer all the questions of the historians and is therefore seen more as a creation myth, a myth that gave Hebrew history a certain sense rather than necessarily true. historic. Karen Armstrong says that the Exodus story is yet another myth that demonstrates the rise of the people and nation of Israel|3|.
It is not known whether this migration took place in large numbers or whether only a few tribes migrated. It is believed that the arrival of the Hebrews in Egypt coincided with the moment when the Hyksos dominated the region, which ensured a good reception to the Hebrews. There is even talk of a possible Hebrew cooperation with the Hyksos, and their expulsion turned out to be harmful to the Hebrews, since the Egyptians supposedly decided to take revenge by enslaving all the Hebrews. This enslavement would have continued until 1300 BC. C., when Moses emerged as deliverer.
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Return and Conquest of Canaan
Once freed, the Hebrews returned to Canaan, an event known as Exodus. Historically, it is impossible to prove whether this migration had, in fact, the large number of people as stated in the biblical account. It is believed that the Hebrew migration happened, but that would have been mythologized.
The return to Canaan featured a brief period in which the Hebrews lived as nomads on the Sinai Peninsula. When they arrived in Canaan, they found the region occupied by the Canaanites and the Philistines. Then, according to the biblical narrative, the campaign to conquer this land.
The Bible points to a truly military campaign, but historians suggest that this retaking of Canaan was slower and less impactful. The writer André Chouraqui, for example, points out that the Israeli penetration was much more subtle, since militarily the impact did not have great effects|4|.
Karen Armstrong, on the other hand, says that historians point out that there is no evidence to prove a large-scale Israeli invasion. Other evidence points to the emergence of villages around 1200 BC. C north of Jerusalem. Other historians suggest that there was a conquest, but it was not total, and there are also historians that suggest that Israel emerged from the interior of Canaanite society.|1|.
Ultimately, this Hebrew presence in Canaan resulted in the creation of Israel. This was the judges period, since the great authority of the Hebrews was military chiefs known as judges.
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Hebrew Monarchy
The last Hebrew judge would have been Samuel, that, at the end of the eleventh century a. C., decided to inaugurate the monarchyHebrew. The explanation for the emergence of the monarchy is related to the weakening of assyrians and Egyptians. The weakening of these peoples allowed other peoples to pose a threat to the Hebrews, such as the Ammonites and Moabites, in addition to the Philistines.
Thus, the need for strong leadership arose, and the monarchy, with the appointment of a king, was the solution found for ensure the protection of the Hebrew people. The Hebrew monarchy would have three great kings:
Saul (1030-1010 a. Ç.)
David (1010-970 a. Ç.)
Solomon (970-930 a. Ç.)
The highlights of the Hebrew monarchy are the military achievements accomplished by Saul, although the great military conquest of the Hebrews was carried out in the reign of David, around 1000 BC. Ç. The city of Jebus, capital of the Jebusites, was conquered and renamed Brother David. It is not known if the Jebus conquest it took place through a military campaign or through a palace coup. Currently, we know this city as Jerusalem.
David idealized the Jerusalem temple a sacred place for the Hebrews, but who carried out the construction of this temple was King Solomon. Solomon's reign is considered a period of prosperity for the Hebrews, since they enjoyed a prosperous trade and a great security guaranteed by the Hebrew armies.
diaspora
After the reign of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel has weakened and, divided into two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, he was conquered by a succession of peoples:
Assyrians,
Chaldeans,
Persians,
Macedonians,
romans.
The conquest by the Chaldeans, for example, resulted in the first temple destruction and on enslavement of the Hebrews in Babylon.
The second destruction of the temple took place during the roman rule, since the Hebrews never accepted the Roman presence and constantly rebelled. The search for the independence of the Hebrews would have been one of the great issues of Palestine during the times of Jesus, and it is believed that his betrayal was due to the fact that he did not want to join a revolt against the Romans.
Conflicts against the Romans turned into wars known as Roman-Jewish Wars. The Jerusalem Temple underwent its second destruction in AD 70. C., and the Roman repression against the Jews in Palestine was so great that the Hebrews began to flee the region. This escape was named diaspora.
Grades
|1| ARMSTRONG, Karen. Jerusalem: one city, three religions. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2000, p. 46-47.
|2| Idem, p. 47.
|3| Idem, p. 54.
|4| CHOURAQUI, André. The men of the Bible. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 1990, p. 38-39.
|5| ARMSTRONG, Karen. Jerusalem: one city, three religions. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2000, p. 44-45.
Image credit
[1] jorisvo / Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
