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Old Testament. Gideon lived close to the time of the the late 13th century BC and was a significant political
Merneptah Stela and he was a farmer living in a small force to be reckoned with. Hasel concludes,
village (Judges 6).
Israel functioned as an agriculturally based/sedentary
Archaeological evidence supports the fact that the Isra- socioethnic entity in the late 13th century B.C., one
elites were agriculturists in the late 13th century BC. that is significant enough to be included in the military
Grain storage pits were a common feature of hill coun- campaign against political powers in Canaan. ...While
try sites of this period. Teeth from a tomb dating to ca. the Merneptah stela does not give any indication of the
1200 BC excavated by the Associates for Biblical Re- actual social structure of the people of Israel, it does
search at Kh. Nisya indicate that the inhabitants of the indicate that Israel was a significant socioethnic entity
site ate grain. that needed to be reckoned with (1994: 54; 56, n. 12).

Hasel's study of the Merneptah Stela is extremely im- Scholars need to come to grips with these facts, which
portant. It clears up a number of misconceptions and are entirely consistent with the Bible's description of
focuses attention on the true significance of the stela. Israel's origins.
It indicates that Israel was well established in Canaan in
-- BW

The Great Dominion The Missing Stone

East and West between two seas I stopped to call a taxi in the heart of Babylon.
At the pavement's edge I stood -- the traffic writhing
the great Dominion lies. on --
Leftward to the Whitehall turning like a lustrous snake
Over its growing multitude Or rightward to Westminster Bridge, the south-
bound road to take,
the flag of freedom flies --
There to pass proud Boadicea set towards the tower
And through the Rockies runs the railway, Where Big Ben in his solemn grandeur booms the
passing hour --
by two Scotsmen planned As if to warn the seething crowds that Time brooks no
delay
Where the Mounties ride the ranges, As he sifts the minutes of the unforgiving day.

guardians of the land.
While I across the street looked out towards the Abbey
wall --
A second Canaan. Corn and cattle. Afloat behind a spray of limpid light that seemed to
fall --
Rich is the reward -- Veiling the secret features of the Abbey's ancient face
That housed Jacob's Bethel stone in its appointed
Of faithfulness. Great cities rise. place...
God's blessing is out poured Where Israel's holy treasure lay for every eye to see:
Safe in our keeping. This, the very Stone of Destiny.
On His Servant Israel,
The taxi came. Again we plunged into the turgid stream
the seed of Jacob's race --
And glancing back, the Abbey seemed remote as in a
Planted before the birth of Christ, dream.
in the new Appointed Place. Sculptured in its frozen calm it stood apart, alone,
Sharing with God the hidden knowledge of the miss-
-- Patience Strong ing stone.
-- Patience Strong

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