Nadene Goldfoot
Abraham's journey to Canaan began in Ur of the Chaldees, passing through or settling in key locations including Haran (where his father died), followed by Shechem, the plain of Moreh, and the region between Bethel and Ai. He later moved to the Negev and spent time in Gerar.
Haran was the brother of of Abraham, obviously the first to establish a home. Haran was the father of Lot. Haran lived and died at Ur of the Chaldees in Gen.11:26-
31. His home became a trading town of NW Mesopotamia and a center of the
moon cult. It is
mentioned several times in Genesis with reference to the patriarchs; Abraham,
Isaac and
Jacob. Even Assyrian inscriptions from this time mention a Habiru (Hebrew)
settlement in the vicinity which some scholars link with Terah (Abraham's
father) residence there. By the 12th century, Benjamin of Tudela found
a small Jewish community still in existence in Haran.
Shechem (Nablus) This was an ancient Caananite town, originally
situated between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. Its identification was established
by excavation under German auspices on the site in 1913-34. It was in
Jordanian territory from 1948 to 1967 and since then has been controlled
by Israel. Its earliest walls date from about 2000 BCE and was under Egyptian
control as early as the period of the 12th dynasty. The biblical patriarchs
camped under its walls and it was pillaged by Simeon and Levi (Gen.34).
A small Jewish community existed here, but the present finds Shechem
renamed as Nablus with 44,000 people by 1967. It was overwhelmingly
Moslem (with a tiny Samaritan community) and has for decades been a
center of fanatical Arab nationalism.
Later, Shechem was in he territory of Ephraim, a levitical city and a city of
refuge, as well as the center of the HOUSE OF JOSEPH. Joseph himself
being buried there. Abimelech presumably tried to establish his kingdom
at Shechem, while the northern tribes who broke away from Rehoboam
encamped there when Jeroboam was made king.
Abimelech was the illegitimate son of Gideon. In an attempt to establish
a monarchy in Israel in the 12th century BCE, he slew his 70 brothers,
minus Jotham. He ruled for 3 years in Shechem, largely with the support
of the chiefs of that city, and was killed in the ensuing revolt as told in
Judges 9.
Gideon was one of the JUDGES of Israel for 40 years, from the
tribe of Manasseh. Gideon’s father was Joash (also spelled Joas or Jehoash), an Abiezrite who lived in Ophrah. Joash belonged to the tribe of Manasseh and maintained an altar to Baal. The biblical record (Judges 6-8) does not name Gideon’s mother, focusing instead on his father's role and property.
He defeated the Midianites near En Harod using a
group of picked volunteers, and then offered the kingship but refused out
of loyalty to the principle that G-d is king of Israel-also told in Judges6-8.
Gideon's father's story is amazing! "The following morning, when the townspeople discover the desecration of the altar, they demand Gideon's life. Joash, however, defends his son with a bold statement: "If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar" (Judges 6:31). This response not only saves Gideon but also challenges the legitimacy of Baal worship, suggesting a turning point in Joash's own faith journey." Wow!
Gerar is an ancient Palestinian city in he Western Negev. It was visited
by Abraham and his son, Isaac when its king was Abimelech. It is not
mentioned in the later Biblical Period, but reappears in Byzantine times as
a bishopric located on the imperial domain. Its actual site is doubtful.
UR of the CHALDEES, Abraham's birthplace 4,000 years ago
UR of the CHALDEES, Abraham's birthplace 4,000 years ago
Ur of the Chaldees, often identified as the ancient Sumerian city of Ur (modern Tell el-Muqayyar in southern Iraq), is significant in the Bible as the birthplace of Abraham and the starting point of his journey to Canaan (Gen 11:28, 31). Located in Mesopotamia, it was a prosperous, 3rd-millennium BCE metropolis known for its massive ziggurat and advanced trade. Abraham saw that it was no place to start monotheism
so they packed up and left with others who happened to also be migrating at the same time. 
Ur of the Chaldees was excavated by British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley between 1922 and 1934. Working for the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum, he discovered the Royal Cemetery, including the intact tomb of Queen Puabi, the Standard of Ur, the Ram in a Thicket figurines, musical instruments, and extensive evidence of human sacrifice.
- Key Finds: Along with gold jewelry and artifacts, Woolley discovered the city's Ziggurat and residential areas. He uncovered a death pit with 40 bodies. Last year we recovered the ground plan of a king’s grave; this year we have traced the sections of such graves and they are hardly less illuminating. The first clue was given by the discovery, not very deep down, of a layer of reeds extending up to the mud brick walls of what seemed to be a small room. The reeds were removed and under them, crushed to fragments by the weight of the soil, were innumerable clay pots, animal bones, and several human skeletons, all lying on a floor of beaten clay. It was easy to recognize that these things had been buried from the outset, were in fact an underground votive deposit, People were buried with the king. I don't thinkAbraham liked that idea.
Map of the Earliest Inhabitants of the Land of Ancient Israel
Way back in Abraham's day, Canaan was being settled slowly with city-states; a group of 3 families living close to each other for comfort and protection. It was a time of very few people populating the earth.
Estimates for the world's population during the time of Abraham (circa 2000 B.C.E, roughly 350–400 years after the Flood) suggest it had grown from eight people to many tens of thousands, or possibly hundreds of thousands. While some models suggest higher numbers, this population size was sufficient to support the cities,, kingdoms, and, nomadic groups described in Genesis.
Abraham's people, but they did not want their children to marry into other
lines of people who did not think like they did. Abraham had monotheistic
plans in a world of polytheism. He later concluded to discard human
sacrifices after he himself was stopped to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,
by an angel, he said. So a lot of yucky stuff went on with many poly-
theists. In their world, it was G-d who brought this upon Abraham, and
he was to carry this out.
(frankly, I get the same experience, as ideas come to me and I act on them,
and who is not to say that G-d pressed the button in my brain and gave
me these ideas?)
Out of the 3 families, came the need for 3 men in prayer. In Jewish law, a minyan (quorum) requires 10 adult Jewish males for public prayer and specific rituals, not three. While 10 is the standard for communal services (e.g., Kaddish, Torah reading), a group of three adult males is specifically used to form a Beth Din (rabbinical court) for particular functions, such as the Hatarat Nedarim (annulment of vows) or Hatavat Chalom (annulment of dreams).
- 3 Men (Beth Din/Study): Used for legal or quasi-judicial acts, such as formal annulment of vows or dreams.
- Grace After Meals (Zimmun): While 10 is the standard minyan, a quorum of three men is the minimum required to invite others to say grace after meals together.
By the time 10 families were living together, they considered that as a city-state and chose a strong leader of the men; a king.
- 10 Men (Minyan): Required for public services, including Barchu, Kedushah, Torah reading, and Birkat HaGomel.
During the earliest times there were many peoples and tribes of giants (tall people )who migrated into the Land of ancient Israel (called "The Land of Canaan" in the Bible), and these were races of people who conquered other people and became powerful nations. The information regarding these inhabitants of ancient Canaan before the conquest of Israel is somewhat limited in exact detail although there is evidence of several migrations.
We see how well-developed these places were that existed in the 2nd
millennium BCE in years like 1948 BCE, which mean at least almost
4,000 years ago. They were on the base of 10; were worshipping such
things as the moon in groups of people; were developed into having
a judge for each settlement of people to keep the peace, and Jews
were developing out of these Israelites or 12 tribes of Israel, and who was Israel? It was JACOB, of Abraham, son Isaac, and son Jacob; our 3 patriarchs. In the Bible, Israel is a name change from Jacob. According to Genesis 32:28 and 35:10, God renamed the patriarch Jacob to Israel (meaning "strives with God" or "God strives") after he wrestled with a divine messenger, marking a shift in his identity. The name subsequently refers to the nation and descendants of Jacob.
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