The Origins and Formation of the Early Israelite Monarchy

The origins of ancient Israel are usually sought in the central Canaanite Highlands. This is indeed necessary, considering the fact that the capitals of the early Israelite monarchy (Tirzah, Samaria) were located in these regions. However, new archaeological finds indicate that the emergence of the ancient Israelites and the formation of their kingdom was not exclusively related to the highlands. In this lecture, I will discuss archaeological and textual evidence that shed some new light on the origins of the ancient Israelites and the ways in which the early Israelite monarchy was developed.

Dr. Omer Sergi is a senior lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures in Tel Aviv University. His field of expertise is the archaeology of the southern Levant in the Bronze and Iron Ages, and in the interaction between material culture and biblical text. He directed the excavations in Horvat Tevet (2018 - 2019) and he is co-director of the research project: "The Material Expression of Palace-Clan Relations in the Iron Age Levant". His book "The Two Houses of Israel: State Formation in Israel and Judah and the Origins of Pan-Israelite Identity" will be published by SBL.