The Land Before the Kingdom of Israel: A History of the Southern Levant and the People who Populated It

Ancient Israel is widely regarded as having been set apart from 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 that stood in contrast to the hierarchical polities of their polytheistic.

In spite of these traditions, modern scholarship for the most part has recognized the points of continuity be...