FIRST PALESTINE JEWS

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When did the Jews come to Palestine?

Photo © Jack Hazut

Abraham's Well, Beersheeba, Negev

The Israelite invasion of Canaan around 1200 BC, following the Exodus from Egypt as described in the Bible, is the traditional account. This date has not been confirmed by archeology and some scholars argue that the Biblical version is mere legend (although the Merneptah Stela implies Israel was well established by the end of the 13th century BC--see 'What is the evidence for the antiquity of Israel?'). In particular, it is not clear if the early Israelite conquering of this land was an invasion from without (coming from Egypt) or more of an internal struggle between groups that inhabited the area. That is, the early Israelites may have been entirely or partially indigenous to Canaan.

Confirmed historical dates and a continuous Jewish historical record in Palestine begin with the Second Temple period, starting with the return of exiled Jews from Babylonia (roughly today's southern Iraq) in 538 BC.

Sources and additional reading on this topic:

• The Second Temple: The Return to Zion (538-142 BCE)
• Archaeology and the origins of Israel
• Jew: from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia