What historical context is necessary to understand Deuteronomy 2:28 fully? Text of Deuteronomy 2:28 “You can sell us food to eat and give us water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot—” Chronological Placement within the Wilderness Narrative The request recorded in Deuteronomy 2:28 occurs in the fortieth year after the Exodus (Deuteronomy 1:3). Israel has finished its wilderness wanderings and is camped east of the Jordan, poised to enter Canaan in 1406 BC. Moses is recounting the closing stages of the journey just weeks before his death. Geopolitical Landscape of the Transjordan Three small but strategically placed kingdoms controlled the plateau east of the Jordan: Edom (descendants of Esau), Moab (descendants of Lot’s elder daughter), and Ammon (descendants of Lot’s younger daughter). Farther north lay the Amorite realm of Sihon, whose capital was Heshbon. These polities policed the north–south caravan artery known as the King’s Highway. The King’s Highway Trade Corridor Stretching from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea to Damascus, the King’s Highway carried copper from Arabah mines, frankincense from South Arabia, and grain from Bashan. Tolls for passage and fees for provisions were normal; travelers often purchased food and water at set rates, a practice attested in Egyptian papyri such as Anastasi I (Late Bronze Age) and in Ugaritic economic tablets. Diplomatic Protocols in the Late Bronze Age Ancient Near-Eastern treaties routinely distinguished peaceful travelers from aggressors. Payment for supplies signaled friendly intent and recognized the host king’s sovereignty over his land. Moses conforms to this protocol by offering silver for provisions rather than seizing them (cf. Numbers 20:19). Israel’s Earlier Negotiations with Edom and Moab Numbers 20:14-21 details Israel’s identical offer to Edom, which was refused. Deuteronomy 2:9-19 shows Yahweh forbidding Israel to take Edomite, Moabite, or Ammonite land by force because He had already granted those territories to Esau’s and Lot’s descendants. Thus Israel’s petition to Sihon is consistent with its prior peaceful stance in the region. Who Was Sihon King of Heshbon? Extra-biblical confirmation of an Amorite polity at Heshbon appears on the 9th-century BC Mesha Stele: “Chemosh… took it from the king of Israel and made it my possession.” The stele names “Heshbon (Ḥšbn),” preserving the site’s importance and corroborating a line of Amorite and then Moabite control. Excavations at Tell Hesban (1968-1996) unearthed Late Bronze fortifications and Iron I pottery, consistent with occupation in Moses’ era. Archaeological Testimony from the Transjordan • Copper-smelting installations at Timna and Faynan demonstrate the economic value of Ezion-geber and support the traffic along the King’s Highway. • Moabite and Edomite ostraca (e.g., at Buseirah) reveal standardized weights of silver, paralleling the commercial language in Deuteronomy 2:28. • The Egyptian topographical list of Pharaoh Shoshenq I (c. 925 BC) includes “Maacath, Beth-Haran, and Heshbon,” echoing the same corridor Israel sought to traverse. Theological Implications for Covenant Israel 1. Obedience and Peacefulness: Israel demonstrates lawful conduct under Yahweh’s guidance. 2. Divine Hardening and Sovereign Purpose: Though Israel offers peace (vv. 26-29), Yahweh hardens Sihon’s spirit (v. 30) to display His power and grant Israel the land (vv. 31-36). 3. Foreshadowing of Grace: Paying silver for necessities anticipates the redemptive price Christ would pay to secure mankind’s passage into the true Promised Land (1 Peter 1:18-19). Key Takeaways for the Modern Reader • Deuteronomy 2:28 sits at the intersection of diplomatic custom, commercial practice, and covenant obedience. • Understanding the King’s Highway and Transjordan politics illuminates Israel’s peaceful intent and Sihon’s culpable refusal. • Archaeology, ancient texts, and manuscript evidence converge to validate the historicity of this encounter and the reliability of the biblical record. |
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