This episode examines the material remains of Late Bronze Age Israel. The evidence suggests that, rather than a mass Exodous, the Israelites originated as an egalitarian farming and pastoralist society living in the central hill country of Canaan.

Evidence that will be examined includes the earliest mention of the Israelites in the archaeological record: the Merneptah Stele.

This episode also dispels a common theory that the mysterious Habiru, a people mentioned in the Amarna letters, are one and the same with the Hebrews.”

Dr. Andrew Henry is a scholar of late antique Mediterranean religion. Dr Hendry holds a MA and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University. He is a Lecturer and Scolar at George Washington University, where he specializes in early Christianity, the New Testament, and the historical context of biblical texts.