Discuss how Hebrew civilization developed in the absence of traditional civilizing features and permanent settlements.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Students should be able to analyze the fundamental characteristics of early civilizations, such as cities, civil government, laws, technology, organized military, economic growth, and so on, and discuss the absences of these characteristics in early Hebrew civilization. Early Hebrew civilization was pastoral and not sedentary, had no direct or stable leadership or permanent forms of government, and had no laws until after the Exodus with the delivery of the Ten Commandments by Moses. There was no written literature until approximately one thousand years after Abraham, meaning that there were no direct records from the Hebrew civilization. There were no permanent cities, economic emphasis was on self-sufficiency, and trade was not regulated. The Hebrews were taken into captivity in Egypt, according to biblical tradition, and thus they vacated the land they had previously been inhabiting. Thus, for approximately one thousand years, the Hebrew peoples did not meet the criteria for a civilization and yet retained a cultural identification based on the covenant with God and his promises.