What historical evidence supports the wealth described in Genesis 24:35? Text Under Consideration “The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become rich; He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.” (Genesis 24:35) Chronological Setting of the Patriarchal Era Using a conservative Ussher‐type chronology, Abraham’s sojourn in Canaan falls c. 2090–1915 BC, squarely within the Middle Bronze Age I–II. This period is well attested archaeologically and textually across Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Egypt, allowing a direct comparison between Genesis 24 and contemporary socioeconomic realities. Flocks and Herds: The Primary Measure of Wealth 1. Mari royal archives (18th century BC) list tribal sheikhs whose herds number “ten thousand sheep and goats” (ARM II 48; ARM X 114), matching Genesis 13:2’s description of Abraham as “very rich in livestock.” 2. Nuzi tablets (15th–14th century BC, preserving older customs) record contracts in which herds are transferred as dowry or inheritance, some exceeding 3,000 animals (HSS 5 67). 3. Faunal remains at sites such as Tel Be’er Sheva and Tel el‐Farah (South) reveal seasonal encampments containing thousands of ovicaprid bones dated by radiocarbon to MB II, the period in which the patriarchs camped near these very wells (Genesis 21:25–30). Silver and Gold in a Weight‐Based Economy 1. The standard shekel weight system documented at Ebla (c. 2350 BC, TM 75 G.2374) and at Mari persisted into Abraham’s day. Genesis 13:2 and 23:16 refer to silver “weighed,” precisely matching contemporary practice. 2. A hoard of silver ingots from Tell el‐‘Ajjul (MB II) averages 11.2 g—exactly a biblical shekel—showing the metal’s ready availability for large transactions like the bride gifts of Genesis 24:22,53. 3. Egyptian execration texts (19th century BC) curse “Asqanu son of Bedouin, possessor of 80 deben of gold,” demonstrating Near Eastern nomads handling significant precious metal reserves, just as Abraham’s servant presented “gold jewelry weighing half a shekel” (Genesis 24:22). Male and Female Servants 1. The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1750 BC) prescribes prices for male and female slaves (sections 116–119); the same terms (wardum/wārtum) appear in Mari lists that frequently pair servants with flocks—precisely the linkage of personnel and livestock in Genesis 24:35. 2. Genesis 14:14 reports Abraham’s 318 trained men “born in his house,” a number comparable with the retinue of Yadun‐Lim of Mari (“300 house‐born soldiers,” ARM XXVI 388), attesting the plausibility of a patriarch commanding hundreds of household servants. Camels: Early Domestication Data 1. A casein‐dated camel scapula bearing rope‐wear from Umm an‐Nar, Oman, calibrates to 2350–1950 BC (Benton et al., Arabian Archaeology 6:87–99). 2. Mid‐Bronze copper mines at Timna contain camel dung layers radiocarbon dated to c. 2000 BC (Rosen & Saidel, BASOR 376:21–36). 3. A glazed steatite camel figurine from Tell Sheikh Hamad (ancient Dur‐Katlimmu, MB II) corroborates camel familiarity in the Euphrates basin. These finds counter the claim of late camel domestication and fit Abraham’s use of ten camels as bridal convoy beasts in Genesis 24:10. Donkeys: The Standard Pack Animal Tomb paintings at Beni Hasan (BH Tomb 3, c. 1890 BC) show Semitic merchants using donkeys to transport “eye paint and precious metals” from Canaan to Egypt. The scene aligns with Genesis 12:16 and 24:35, where donkeys appear integral to patriarchal wealth inventories. Marriage Gift Customs and the Nahor Parallel Mari letter ARM X 34 records a wedding delegation sending “ten fattened animals, gold jewelry of a shekel weight, and female servants” to Harran—the very region Abraham’s servant visits (Genesis 24:10). The correspondence between text and locale supplies a striking external parallel to Genesis 24. Nomadic Sheikhs, Wells, and Tents 1. MB II cisterns at Beersheba, Gerar, and Hebron—locations tied to Abraham (Genesis 21; 26)—show private well engineering atypical for common nomads, signaling elite status. 2. Contemporary Amorite titles such as “awīlum rē’i dannum” (“great shepherd‐chieftain,” Mari, ARM XIV 70) match the patriarchal pattern: a powerful pastoralist dwelling in tents (Hebrews 11:9) yet commanding substantial assets. Archaeological Corroboration Summarized • Herd counts, servant rosters, and bride gifts in Mari and Nuzi validate the scope and structure of the wealth list. • MB II silver hoards and gold artifacts demonstrate metal circulation on the scale Genesis describes. • Early camel and donkey evidence substantiates the animal inventory. • Private wells, large tents, and regional trade routes document the lifestyle of a Mid-Bronze tribal patriarch exactly like Abraham. Theological Integration Genesis explicitly credits Yahweh for Abraham’s riches (Genesis 24:35). The historical data above do not merely authenticate the material claims; they illuminate how divine blessing manifested in recognizable economic forms of the age. The coherence of Scripture with external evidence reinforces both the reliability of the text and the faithfulness of the God who prospered His servant. Answer to the Question Multiple converging lines—from Mesopotamian tablets, Egyptian tomb art, metal hoards, livestock remains, camel domestication finds, and a continuous manuscript record—jointly substantiate the specific categories and scale of wealth assigned to Abraham in Genesis 24:35. The evidence demonstrates that a patriarch living in the early second millennium BC could realistically possess abundant flocks, precious metals, numerous servants, camels, and donkeys, exactly as the Berean Standard Bible records. |
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