By L. E. P. ERITH Israel’s history may be said to begin with the migration of a band of Semites from Babylon as reported in Gen 11:27–32. For the earlier prehistoric legends contained in Gen 4–11 reference should be made to the Commentary. It will be our purpose here to describe the various stages in Israel’s development: tribal, national, and political; and for that purpose we will divide the history into periods as follows: (1) Patriarchal Period; (2) Exodus Period; (3) Transition