Ancient Israel

Ancient Israel was a society of Israelite communities in the southern Levant, organized in biblical tradition and historical evidence into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Merneptah Stele: An Egyptian victory inscription from the late 13th century BCE that contains the earliest widely accepted reference to Israel. Its reference to Israel places a people in Canaan before the biblical monarchies.
Kingdom of Israel (Samaria): The northern Israelite kingdom, centered on Samaria, that existed from the tenth or ninth century BCE until Assyria conquered it. It became the region’s larger northern monarchy before its destruction by Assyria.
Archaeology of Israel: The study of material remains from ancient Israel and neighboring regions through excavation and related methods. Archaeological evidence tests and complicates reconstructions based on written accounts.
Fall of Jerusalem (587/586 BCE): The Babylonian capture and destruction of Jerusalem, conventionally dated to 587 or 586 BCE. The city’s destruction ended Judah’s monarchy and marked a decisive break in its history.
Israelites: An ancient people of the southern Levant whose communities and traditions formed the basis of Israel and Judah. Their identity and settlement are central to reconstructing Israel’s beginnings.
Kingdom of Judah: The southern Israelite kingdom centered on Jerusalem, which survived after the northern kingdom fell to Assyria. Its institutions and traditions carried Israelite identity through later political upheavals.
Tel Dan Stele: A ninth-century BCE Aramaic inscription that refers to a king of the House of David. It provides non-biblical evidence relevant to Judah’s royal dynasty.
Second Temple Judaism: The diverse forms of Jewish religion and society during the period of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Post-exilic communities reworked traditions inherited from Israel and Judah.
Canaan: An ancient region of the southern Levant, known from Egyptian and Near Eastern sources as well as biblical texts. Israel emerged within Canaan’s older landscape of cities, peoples, and political powers.
Jerusalem: A city in the southern Levant that became the political and religious center of the kingdom of Judah. The city anchored Judah’s royal administration and temple-centered worship.

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