from: Israel
Finkelstein / Neil A. Silberman: The Bible
unearthed. Archeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and
the Origin of Its Sacred Texts; The Free Press, a
division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2001; German
edition has got the title "No trombones before Jericho"
(orig. German: "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho"): edition
C.H.Beck oHG, Munich 2002;
From the German version "Keine
Posaunen vor Jericho" of DTV, Munich 2004, second
edition of 2005. All page indications refer to the
German version. I hope the page numbers are not very
different.
Old Testament describing only
violence, idolatry, and greed for the northern city state
According to OT policy of the northern
Reich of Israel consisted only of violence, idolatry, and
greed (p.188), and all is only presented roughly (p.189). OT
claims criminalities of the Omri dynasty with a moral
finish, so, with the destruction of the Omri dynasty. But
that's nothing more than an invented novel (p.194).
[The events in the OT are full of "false"
gods, of "exterminations" and of families who have the
"wrong" belief, and there are many prophecies with
"exterminations" etc.].
When there are filtered the anachronisms,
the wrong prophecies and the threats, so there stay
according to Finkelstein / Silberman
-- the chain of the Israelite kings in the
North Reich
-- some well known building projects
-- some military actions (p.195).
until 884 B.C.
The
alleged overthrow up to the takeover of power of the Omrid
dynasty according to OT
Northern
kingdom of Israel under king Nadab
-- the son of Jerobeam, Nadab, is said
having been overthrown and all family members of the
Jerobeam family are said having been killed (p.189)
-- by this the alleged prophecy of Ahia is
said having been fulfilled that no heir of Jerobeam will
survive (p.189).
Northern
Reich of Israel under king Baesa
-- king Baesa is said having taken over
the power by a revolt, eventually he is a former military
commander
-- king Baesa is said having declared war
to "kingdom of Judah" and is said having occupied Jerusalem
-- the king of Damascus, Benhadad, is said
having used the weak defense of "northern Reich of Israel"
for an invasion
-- then king Baesa is said having relaxed
the pressure against "South Reich Judah" (p.189).
Northern kingdom of Israel under king
Ela
-- after the alleged death of king Baesa
his alleged son Ela is said having been the successor in
"northern Reich of Israel"
-- soon after the takeover of power the
army is said having overthrown king Ela under leadership of
the rebel Simri, and all members of the Baesa dynasty are
said having been killed (1st book of Kings 16,8-11), (p.189)
Northern
Reich of Israel under king Simri - king Omri
-- the leader of the rebels, Simri, is
said having governed only for 7 days, because there was
another rebel movement of the population in the "North
Reich" proclaiming Omri as a new king of "northern Reich of
Israel", Omri is supreme commander of the army
-- the royal capital Thirza is said having
been sieged for a short time and the royal palace is said
having been put on fire
-- the alleged rebel Simri is said having
committed suicide in the flames of the royal palace (p.189).
884-873 B.C.
Northern
Reich of Israel governed by the dynasty of Omri with king
Omri: new capital is Samaria
The OT claims:
-- Omri is said having consolidated his
power by his inauguration as a king, and there was the
foundation of a dynasty for the next 40 years, Omri himself
is said having ruled the "northern Reich of Israel" for 12
years (p.189)
-- Omri is said having defined Samaria as
a new capital and under his leadership is said that the new
capital was amplified (p.189,191).
873-852 B.C.
Northern Reich of Israel under
the dynasty of Omri: king Ahab and the foreign wife
Jezebel - cult of Baal
King Ahab is said having served Baal and
Ashera
OT claims:
-- after king Omri is said having
succeeded his son Ahab ruling "northern Reich of Israel" for
22 years
-- king Ahab is said having had a foreign
wife Jezebel, he is said having fostered the connection for
abroad and he is said having fostered idolatry (1st book of
Kings 16,30-33) (p.191)
-- king Ahab is said having married
Jezebel, a daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Sidonites
-- king Ahab is said having served god
Baal
-- it is said that king Ahab in Samaria
gave an order for the construction of a Baal temple (p.191)
[Syrian god for mountains, weather and fertility]
-- king Ahab is said having painted a
picture of Ashera [Syrian goddess of fertility]
-- king Ahab is said having provoked the
fury of God by idolatry more than all other kings before him
of "northern Reich of Israel" (1st book of Kings 16,30-33)
(p.191).
The prophets of Baal of the queen
Jezebel are said having been killed by adherents of God
(JHWH) near Kishon creek
OT claims:
-- queen Jezebel is said having promoted
the Gentile priests in Samaria, she is said having served
"450 Baal's prophets and 400 Ashera prophets" on her royal
table
-- Jezebel is said having ordered the murder of all prophets
of God (JHWH) in northern Reich of Israel
|
Map with Kishon
river in Jezreel valley and with mount Carmel
|
-- there is said having developed a steady
mental fight with the two prophets of God, Elia and his
pupil Elisa who are said having migrated in the whole "North
Reich"
-- the prophet of God, Elia, is said having claimed from
king Ahab that the prophets of Baal and Ashera should unify
on mount Carmel for a holy fight
-- this holy fight is said having been performed: there is
said having been a sacrifice of a bull on mount Carmel and
God is said having accepted this bull and having eaten this
bull by a fire, but Baal is said not having touched the bull
of the Baal adherents
-- the mob is said having recognized the prophets of Baal as
wrong prophets and is said having killed all prophets of
Baal near the Kishon creek [in Jezreel valley, Bible writes
"Kison"] (p.191):
"But Elia spoke to them [to the mob]: Catch the prophets of
Baal, so there cannot escape anyone of them! And they caught
them. And Elia leaded them down to the Kishon creek and
slaughtered them there." (1st book of Kings 18,39-40).
The holy oracle for Elija is
said having prepared the destruction of "Israel": with
Hazael, Jehu, and Elisa
OT claims:
-- queen Jezebel is said having reacted with a great fury
and the prophet of God, Elija, is said having taken the
flight to Horeb mountain, the mountain of God, and there
Elija is said having received a holy oracle (p.191)
-- God is said having uttered the prophecy that the Omri
dynasty will go down (p.191) and is said having ordered to
Elija that Hazael should be anointed as a new king in Aram
Damascus, the most dangerous enemy of the "North Reich"
(p.191-192)
-- add to this God is said having ordered Elija to anoint
the military commander of Ahab, Jehu, as the next king of
"northern Reich of Israel", and Elisa should be proclaimed
as the new prophet (p.192).
Hazael (the king of Amar Damascus), Jehu (the new king of
the North Reich), and Elisa (the prophet of God in spe) are
said to punish the "northern Reich of Israel" for their sins
according to the will of God (p.192):
"Who escapes the sword of Hazael, these should be killed by
Jehu, and who escapes the sword of Jehu, they should be
killed by Elisa." (1st book of Kings 19,17).
According to the stele in Dan there was the occupation of
the town of Dan under king Hazael in 835 B.C. only [so, this
was after the dynasty of the Omrids] (p.196-197).
The alleged siege of Samaria by
Aram Damascus - an alleged victory against Damascus
without murder of Benhadad
OT claims:
-- then, the king of Aram Damascus, Benhadad, is said having
performed an invasion in "northern Reich of Israel" and is
said having sieged Samaria (p.192)
According to archeology this invasion under Benhadad was not
performed in Ahab times, but later (p.194).
-- then, God is said having been merciful and is said having
saved the "northern Reich of Israel" one more time (p.192)
-- God is said having made possible a victory for king Ahab
against the army of Benhadad near the lake of Gennesaret
-- but king Ahab is said not having killed Benhadad but
there was an agreement: Former Israeli town were given back,
and market rights in Damascus was given, and by this Ahab
let Benhadad live, and by this he had violated the order of
God (p.192).
The prophecy of the coming death of king of
Ahab as a punishment for the clemency to Benhadad: There
is an affair about a vineyard of Naboth
OT claims:
-- prophet of God (prophet of JHWH) Elia is said having
threatened to king Ahab that Ahab will die soon because he
kept Benhadad alive and had not fulfilled the claim of God
killing Benhadad by sword (p.192)
-- now the royal couple Ahab and Jezebel is said having
acted against the population: king Ahab is said having
planned an amplification of his palace and by this he
claimed the property of a vineyard of a certain Naboth, but
Naboth resigned to all offers of King Ahab selling the
vineyard for a good price, because Naboth is said not to be
willing selling the family property
-- then queen Jezebel is said having started a defamation
campaign against Naboth saying that there would be proofs
that Naboth had committed blasphemy, and then Naboth is said
having been stoned under the control of Jezebel (p.192)
-- then king Ahab is said having occupied the vineyard
(p.192).
Prophecy about the death of
king Ahab at the same place where Naboth had been killed -
the dogs and the birds - death of king Ahab and the dogs
are licking up it's blood
OT claims:
-- now the alleged prophet of God (prophet of JHWH) Elija is
said having uttered the prophecy to Ahab that he will die at
the same place where the alleged Naboth had been killed, and
the whole dynasty will be eliminated (p.192)
-- Elija claims that dogs will lick up Ahab's blood where
Naboth had been killed (p.192)
-- and also queen Jezebel will be devoured by the dogs on
the wall of Jezreel
-- those family members of Ahab who would die in the town,
would be devoured by the dogs, the other members who would
die on the field, would be devoured by the birds (1st book
of Kings 21, 19-24) (p.193)
-- and then king Ahab is said having been hurt badly in a
battle against Aram Damascus and is said having been brought
to Samaria in his war chariot, and then the dogs are said
having licked the blood near the war chariot, and by this
one prophecy of Elija is said having been fulfilled (p.193).
Bible is "arranged" like this...
852-851 B.C.
Northern Reich of Israel with
it's dynasty of Omri: king Ahaziah is dying by the "wrong
faith"
OT claims:
-- now, the son of king Ahab, Ahaziah, is
said having been enthroned in "northern Reich of Israel", and
also king Ahaziah is said having committed heavy "sins"
-- Ahaziah is said having suffered a heavy accident in his
palace in Samaria falling by a grating in his room upstairs
and is said having been suffered heavy injuries
-- then the heavy injured Ahaziah is said having asked the
Baal god Baal-Zebub if it would be possible being cured or not
-- Elija is said having communicated to Ahaziah that he will
die immediately because he he had adhered the Baal god Baal
Zebub, and then Ahaziah is said having died immediately in
fact (p.193).
851-842 B.C.
Northern kingdom of Israel with
Omri dynasty: king Jehoram is in coalition wars with
"Judah" and Edom against Moab
OT claims:
-- the alleged brother of Ahaziah, Jehoram, is said having
been the new king of the "North Reich of Israel"
-- the kingdom of Moab is said having released the cohort
alliance with "northern Reich of Israel" and then king
Jehoram is said having made an alliance with the "southern
Reich of Judah" (under king Jehoshaphat) and with the king
of Edom against Moab and had performed a campaign against
Mohab (p.193).
According to archaeological findings this alliance of
northern Reich of Israel with the king of Edom is hardly
possible because findings for a monarchy in Edom exist only
100 years after the destruction of the Omri dynasty (p.194).
-- the prophet of God, Elija, is said having predicted the
victory against Moab, but only because the "fair-minded king
Jehoshaphat" is also a member of the coalition
-- the towns of Moab are said having been destructed and
Jehoram is said having won with Jehoshaphat (p.193).
Northern Reich of Israel under
the Omri dynasty: Hazael is enthroned as new king of Aram
Damascus - and now follows the ruin of the Omri dynasty
-- since Hazael is enthroned as the new king of Aram
Damascus, the ruin of the "northern Reich of Israel" is said
having been determined: the armies of Hazael are said having
won against the armies of "northern Reich of Israel" in
Gilead in the East of Jordan river, and king Jehoram is said
having suffered heavy injuries (p.193)
-- prophet Elisha is said having sent one of his prophet
followers, and this follower is said having anointed the
army commander of the "northern Reich of Israel" Jehu as a
new king and is said having uttered the prophecy that Jehu
would definitely destroy the Ahab dynasty (house Omri)
(p.193)
-- during the return to the palace Jehu is allegedly said
having killed the alleged king Jehoram by one single arrow
shot in his heart when Jehoram was in the vineyard of Naboth
(p.193-194)
and by this another prophecy is fulfilled, because the king
died at the same place where Naboth was killed. Bible is
"arranged" like this...
-- as a side effect also the king's son
Ahaziah was wounded on his flight and is said having died in
Megiddo (p.194).
Northern Reich of Israel under
Omri dynasty: The extermination of the Omri dynasty under
supreme military commander Jehu
OT claims:
-- Jehu is said having ordered that Jezebel would be tossed
out of the window, and it is said that this also had happened
-- the dead body is said having been devoured by the dogs, and
only the head, the feet and the hands are said having been
remained
-- by this another prophecy of Elija is said having been
fulfilled.
Bible is "arranged" like this...
-- Jehu is said having ordered to arrange a burial for the
remnants of the dead body of queen Jezebel
-- add to this it is said that 70 sons of the king of
"northern Reich of Israel" were slaughtered in Samaria, their
heads were put in baskets and were sent to Jehu in Jezreel,
and the heads are said having been piled on two heaps at the
entrance of the city gate by an order of Jehu (p.194)
-- then Jehu is said having exterminated all remaining family
members of Omri dynasty in Samaria, respectively all family
members of king Ahab (p.194)
-- and Jehu is also said having exterminated the worship for
god Baal and is praised in Old Testament for this, but he is
also said that he did not refuse the "sins of Jerobeam"
(p.243) [installing golden calves, see chapter
19].