The land before the Kingdom of Israel: A History of the Southern Levant and the People who Populated It

Based on several core traditions that dominate the biblical narrative, Israel is widely regarded as having been set apart from among the nations, representing a unique sociopolitical entity in the ancient world. United by a common tribal identity and a commitment to worshiping the God who delivered them from Egypt exclusively, the Israelites established an egalitarian community in the southern Levant that stood in contrast to the hierarchical polities of their polytheistic neighbors in the land of Canaan.00In spite of these traditions, modern scholarship for the most part has recognized the points of continuity between so-called Canaanite religion and Israelite religion and concluded that the two religious systems largely developed from the same cultural milieu. However, scholars continue to contend that the Canaanites? and Israelites? social and political structures were distinct. Although modern models vary widely, most scholars agree that the Israelites were geographical, economic, and/or political outsiders.