What historical evidence supports the land allocation in Joshua 13:29? Scripture under Investigation “This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh: the half-tribe according to their clans ” (Joshua 13 : 29). Geographic Frame Joshua 13 : 29 assigns to the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh the northern sector of Trans-Jordan—from the Jabbok River to Mount Hermon—embracing Gilead, Bashan, Argob, and the twin royal cities Ashtaroth and Edrei (cf. vv. 30-31). The text locates the allotment between the Yarmuk (Arnon) and Jordan rift, matching modern north-central Jordan and southern Syria. Egyptian Topographical Lists (15th–13th centuries BC) • Thutmose III’s Karnak list (ca. 1450 BC) records “Ashtaroth” (’Isht-r-t) and “Qarnein” (Q-r-n-n) in the same sequence later found in Joshua, demonstrating that these city-states existed centuries before the conquest and in precisely the region Moses and Joshua describe (Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, pp. 160-161). • Seti I’s Beth-Shean stela (ca. 1290 BC) and the topographical reliefs of Ramesses II likewise note “Tarea” (likely Edrei) in Bashan, confirming continuous occupation. Moabite Stone / Mesha Stele (ca. 840 BC) The stele cites “Ataroth, Nebo, Jazer, and Dibon” as once belonging to “the men of Gad” and “the men of Manasseh” whom Mesha of Moab expelled (lines 10-16). This external, royal inscription independently attests that Israelite tribes occupied the same Trans-Jordanian towns attributed to them in Joshua 13. Its ninth-century date shows the allocation endured for roughly six centuries. Deir ʿAllā Plaster Inscription (ca. 800 BC) Discovered in the Jordan Valley, the text invokes “Balaam son of Beor of Pethor” and alludes to “the gods of the Shaddayyin” striking the land of Gilead. The site lies inside Manassite-Gadite territory; the inscription confirms a living memory of the Numbers-Joshua milieu and names identical to the biblical narrative, locating them east of the Jordan. Assyrian Annals (9th–8th centuries BC) • Shalmaneser III’s Kurkh Monolith (853 BC) lists “Ahiababa the Gileadite” among coalition kings—an Israelite ruler of the very district. • Tiglath-pileser III’s annals (2 Kings 15 : 29; ANET, p. 283) record the 734 BC deportation of “the Gileadites and the Gadites and the Manassites,” explicitly linking the half-tribe of Manasseh to Gilead and Bashan eight centuries after Joshua. Archaeological Settlement Pattern Extensive Iron I surveys east of the Jordan (e.g., Tell el-ʿAmeireh, Tell el-Kadi, and Khirbet et-Tannur) uncover the same “four-room” house, collar-rim storage jar, and silo courtyard plan characteristic of early Israel on the west bank. These uniquely Israelite cultural markers dot Gilead and Bashan precisely where Scripture places Manasseh. Continuity of Biblical Toponyms Many biblical names in Joshua 13 persist in modern Arabic forms, anchoring the text to physical geography: • Ashtaroth >> Tell Ashtarah • Edrei >> Daraa • Golan >> Jaulan Plateau • Argob >> al-Lajāʾ basalt field Linguistic continuity argues for an authentic, ancient allocation rather than a late fabrication. Patristic and Rabbinic Memory Early Jewish sources—Targum Jonathan on Joshua and Sifre Deuteronomy 43—recite the half-tribe’s eastern claim. Church Fathers such as Eusebius (Onomasticon, s.v. “Ashtaroth,” “Edrei”) still locate these towns in Gilead, confirming unbroken traditional identification. Geological and Agricultural Suitability The rich volcanic soils of Bashan (Argob) comprise one of the region’s most fertile plateaus, matching Moses’ remark that “Bashan was a land of giants” (Deuteronomy 3 : 13) inhabited by numerous fortified towns (“sixty cities”). Surveys count scores of Late Bronze/Iron-era basalt rampart sites, aligning with the biblical description. Synthesized Evidential Weight Textual harmony, onomastic survival, Egyptian and Mesopotamian records, ninth-century Moabite testimony, eighth-century Assyrian confirmations, and unmistakably Israelite material culture jointly corroborate Joshua 13 : 29. The half-tribe of Manasseh’s Trans-Jordanian inheritance is therefore supported by converging lines of historical evidence, demonstrating the reliability of the biblical land-allocation narratives. |
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