Guided by archaeological research, traditional scholarly models for the Israelite settlement of Canaan, namely processes of infiltration, invasion and revolution have been gradually losing ground to models of peaceful settlement. Part 1 of this BTB Review of Current Scholarship critiques the earlier models, which highlighted the distinctive nature of Israelite religion, and supported a biblical theologies characterized by either/or ethical decisions, social reform and even revolution. Part 2 in a subsequent issue will review the more recent trend which emphasizes the evolutionary nature of cultural and religious development.
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