Concerning the Promised Land
Originally, his name was Abram, meaning "the Father is exalted". His unshakeable faith, his unconditional obedience, his superior logic over and above that of all his generation, his ability to reason and his constant search for his Creator, gave him the merit of being sought out by the Lord, and his name was later changed at God's command to Abraham, meaning "Father of a multitude".
Firstly, we should remember that the Promised Land cannot simply be interpreted in a geographical context, as it also illustrates the faithfulness of the covenant. But if it's a physical location, it's also important to conduct a geographical analysis to set the record straight and give people a much more accurate perspective on their historical background. Here are a few verses that suggest that the Promised Land cannot be the present-day State of Israel, from a biblical standpoint.
Where did Abraham go after leaving Egypt?
Genesis 13:1 teaches that when Abraham departed from Egypt, he went to the south of Egypt.
Genesis 13:1 "Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South."
Yet according to some Bibles, he went to the Negev, northeast of Arabia, and, in Genesis 13:12, it is written that Abraham, after leaving Egypt, settled in the land of Canaan, in the Middle East.
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.."
If Abraham settled in the Promised Land south of Egypt, how could he also have settled in the land of Canaan northeast of Egypt? It's physically impossible. This is the kind of contradiction that points to the possibility of an alteration in the original text.
Now, the Apocryphon of Genesis, another book classified as apocryphal, gives a detailed description of Abraham's journey.
Apocryphon of Genesis: 1Q20
"Thereafter God appeared to me in a vision of the night and told me,"Go up to Ramath-Hazor, which is on the north of Bethel where you now live, and lift up your eyes. Look to the east, west, south, and north. Survey all this land that I am about to give to you and your descendants forever.' So I went up the next day to Ramath-Hazor and surveyed the land from that height from the River of Egypt to Lebanon and Senir, and from the Mediterranean to the Hauran, and all the land of Gebal as far as Kadesh, and all the Great Desert to the east of the Hauran and Senir as far as the Euphrates. And He said to me,"I will give all this land to your descendants; they will inherit it forever. Moreover, I will multiply your descendants like the dust of the earth that none can count. Your descendants shall be numberless. Arise, walk about, go see how long and how wide it is, for I wilI give it to you and to your descendants after you, forever." Then I went -- I, Abraham traveling in a circuit to survey the land. I began the circuit at the Gihon River, traveling along the Mediterranean until I reached the Mount of the Ox. I circled from the coast of this great saltwater sea, skirting the Mount of the Ox, and continued eastward through the breadth of the land until I came to the Euphrates River.I journeyed along the Euphrates until I reached the Red Sea in the east, whence I followed the coast of the Red Sea until I came to the tongue of the Reed Sea, jutting out from the Red Sea. From there I completed the circuit, moving southward to arrive at the Gihon River. Afterwards I returned home safely and found all my men well." |Apocryphon of Genesis, 1Q20| |
Not only does the text support the writings of the Book of Jubilees, but it also suggests that Abraham began his journey on the shores of the North Atlantic Ocean (west of North Africa), headed east, and traveled along the Mediterranean coast to Mount Taurus. He then traveled along the shores of the Red Sea and the junction of the Sea of Reeds (Gulf of Suez or Gulf of Aqaba), before continuing south to Africa and reaching the southern Atlantic Ocean. While this achievement may seem impossible, it should not be forgotten that, just like the other patriarchs of old, Abraham was also a man of gigantic stature.
Tudor Parfitt, historian, writer, radio host, traveler, and explorer specializing in the study of Jewish and Judaic communities around the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, wrote on page 12 of his book Black Jews in Africa and in The Americas that Africans are in reality the descendants of Abraham. You can read this book by clicking on the link below
Joel 3:1-6
In Joel 3:1-6, the Lord rejects any proximity with the territory of Canaan and that of the Philistines, while rebuking them for scattering His people and selling His Land to the sons of Javan. How can a territory against which the Lord has clearly rejected any affinity nevertheless constitute the promised land?
Joël 3:1-6 "For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. Indeed, what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you [a]retaliate against Me? But if you [b]retaliate against Me, Swiftly and speedily I will return your [c]retaliation upon your own head ... Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders."
In short, in biblical times, the territory of Canaan included Tyre and Sidon, while the territory of the Philistines included northern Egypt, Turkey, present-day Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the emirates, Iraq and Iran. Note that that in biblical times the Greeks included Romans, Bretons, Albans, Saxons, Germanic peoples, Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, Caucasian Iberians and Russians. This passage tells us that Tyre and Zidon, inveterate enemies of Israel, had been selling Israelites and Jews to the Sons of Javan since the time of the Judges, which began after the death of Joshua in the early 14th century BC. In other words, the trade in human slaves, particularly Jews and Israelites, goes back a very long way.
Nehemiah 5:8 "and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer." |Brenton Septuagint|
We encourage you to do your own research, and may the Holy Spirit guide you in understanding this message.