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The exact answer to this question varies from place to place in The Bible, depending on the author who claimed a land to have been promised to the children of Abraham. We know that Genesis is a composite work of several authors or sources, the most important of which are usually referred to as J, E, D and P. From the archaic Hebrew and other clues, we know that J and E lived between 1000 and 800 BCE, with J providing traditions from the southern kingdom called Judah and E providing traditions from the larger and more prosperous northern kingdom of Israel. D (the Deuteronomist) is from just before 600 BCE and P probably lived during the Babylonian exile.
The minimum case would probably make the promised land everything that could be seen west of the Jordan River, from a mountain top. The most widely accepted definition would be the land of the Canaanites, but implicitly also including the land of the Philistines and the then unoccupied Negev Desert - that is modern day Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The most ambitious definition in the Bible would also include all of Jordan as far east as the Euphrates River. Much of this would have been unknown territory at the time and for centuries to come, since it was too inhospitable to enter until the domestication of the camel and its use for transport, which did not occur until about 700 BCE.
The people to whom the land was promised could also be disputed. When it was promised to the children of Abraham, that probably included Arabs and Jews. However, later passages make the promise only to the Hebrew people. For most of their history prior to the Roman conquest, the Jews only occupied the arid highlands between the rich coastal plains and the Jordan River. One could regard the promised land as more an ethnic aspiration than a promise that was ever really fulfilled.
The borders of the Promised land are delineated exactly, in Numbers ch.34. They are roughly equal to Israel today, with some overlap. Other passages (such as Genesis ch.15, Deuteronomy 1:7 and 11:24) are more vague, for two reasons. One is that the minimum area (Numbers ch.34) would be increased if the Israelites obeyed God fully (Deuteronomy 19:8-9), and the other reason is that the area would be decreased if the Israelites would be apathetic in taking it (Judges 1:27 to 2:3); meaning that God would no longer help them in taking the remainder.
See also:
Debunking the JEPD Documentary Hypothesis
The authorship of the Hebrew Bible
The promising of the Holy Land
Note:
When was the camel domesticated in the Near East? Earlier than you may think. They may or may not have been common in Israel, but Abraham and Jacob were in contact with Mesopotamia (Genesis ch.22, 24 and 29) and with Egypt (Genesis ch.12 and 46), not only Israel.
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Did Noah see the promised land?
A:The biblical legend of Noah predates the story of the Promised Land, so there is no reference in the Bible to Noah ever seeing the land. Also, Noah's Ark is traditionally thought to have rested on Mount Ararat, far to the north of the biblical Promised Land.
Is the Philistines the Promised Land?
No, the Philistines were not the same as the Promised Land. The Promised Land refers to the land that God promised to the Israelites in the Bible, while the Philistines were a different ancient people who lived in the region known as Canaan.
What about the prmised land?
The promised land is generally understood to the area in Israel and Palestine. The promised land was given to the children of Israel by God in the Old Testament.
What does the land of milk and honey mean?
The phrase "land of milk and honey" is a biblical reference to a place of abundant resources and blessings. It symbolizes a rich and fertile land promising prosperity and fulfillment.
What is the biblical meaning of hittite?
A Hittite is a son of Het which means terror. Basically Hittites = sons of terror (or fear)
What were the physical characteristics of the biblical Promised Land?
In numerous biblical references, the land of Canaan is seen as the 'Promised Land' in which the Israelites were to settle, and against whose population (the Canaanites) the Israelites would have to prevail. Canaan was a real place and is treated as such in the Bible. It was the ancient name for Palestine. It is repeatedly referred to as a land 'flowing with milk and honey'. It covers all of Palestine west of the Jordan River. The view of the Promised Land can still be seen today from Mt Nebo, much as Moses would have seen it.
Who promised the land to the Jews?
God promised the promised land to the Israelites.
The land god promised to the Israelites?
The land refered to as the promised land is called Cannan.
What was promised land?
The promised land that God had promised to the Isrealites was named Canaan.
What was Joshua's role in getting the Israelites to the Promised Land?
The biblical genealogies suggest that the military conquest of the Promised Land began around 1400 BCE, the traditionally accepted date. However, archaeologists say that there is no evidence of a military conquest and that the area that would become the Hebrew homeland remained quite sparsely populated until around 1200 BCE, when an gradual and apparently peaceful influx began.
What is the name of the triangular peninsula between Egypt and the promised land?
The triangular peninsula between Egypt and the Promised Land is called the Sinai Peninsula.
How many square miles is the Promised land?
The exact size of the Promised Land is uncertain as it is a religious and historical concept rather than a specific geographical location. The term typically refers to the area of land promised by God to the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible.
