itself, but “in what they reveal of the ideological concerns of their authors, if, and only if, they can be located in time and place.”7 The biblical texts should not be allowed, therefore, to define and dominate the agenda. “Biblical history” should be allowed to rest quietly in its grave, as we move on to a different sort of history altogether. Table 1.1. Early Archaeological Periods in Ancient Palestine (Conventional Chronology)* Description Abbreviation Approximate Dates Bronze Age 3300–1200
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