Editing Israelites (section)

==Biblical narrative==
[[File:Mosaic Tribes.jpg|thumb|Mid-20th century mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel, from the Etz Yosef synagogue wall in [[Givat Mordechai]], Jerusalem]]The history of the Israelite people can be divided into these categories, according to the [[Hebrew Bible]]:<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Dearman |first=J. Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTdtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA113 |title=Reading Hebrew Bible Narratives |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-024648-8 |pages=113–129}}</ref>

; Pre-Monarchic Period (unknown to c. 1050&nbsp;BCE)
: The Israelites were named after their ancestor, [[Jacob]]/Israel, who was the grandson of [[Abraham]]. They were organized into 12 tribes: [[Tribe of Reuben|Reuben]], [[Tribe of Simeon|Simeon]], [[Tribe of Levi|Levi]], [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]], [[Tribe of Dan|Dan]], [[Tribe of Naphtali|Naphtali]], [[Tribe of Gad|Gad]], [[Tribe of Asher|Asher]], [[Tribe of Issachar|Issachar]], [[Tribe of Zebulun|Zebulun]], [[Tribe of Joseph|Joseph]] (or [[Tribe of Ephraim]] and [[Tribe of Manasseh]]) and [[Benjamin]]. Originally, they went to Egypt after a famine in [[Canaan]] but were enslaved by the Egyptians.<ref>Bereshith, Genesis</ref> They [[The Exodus|escaped]] and organized themselves as a [[kritarchy]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|18:13–26|NRSV}}</ref> where they followed laws given by Moses. Afterwards, the Israelites [[Conquest of Canaan|conquered Canaan]] and [[Book of Judges|fought with several neighbors]] until they established a monarchic state.
:* This period is covered by [[Genesis 12]] to [[1 Samuel 8]].
; United Monarchy (c. 1050–930&nbsp;BCE)
: As a monarchic state, the Israelite tribes were united by the leadership of [[Saul]], [[David]] and [[Solomon]]. The reigns of Saul and David were marked by military victories and Israel's transition to a mini-empire with [[vassal state]]s.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=1 Samuel 14: Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible |url=https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/1-samuel-14.html#verses-47 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123041504/https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/1-samuel-14.html#verses-47 |archive-date=January 23, 2024 |website=StudyLight.org}}</ref><ref>{{Bibleverse|2 Sam|8:1–14|NRSV}}</ref> Solomon's reign was relatively more peaceful and oversaw the construction of the [[First Temple]],{{sfn|Tetley|2005|p=105}} with the help of [[Phoenicia]]n allies.<ref>{{harvnb|Dever|2005|p=97}}; {{harvnb|Mendels|1987|p=131}}; {{harvnb|Brand|Mitchell|2015|p=1538}}</ref> This Temple was where the [[Ark of the Covenant]] was stored; its former location was the [[City of David (archaeological site)|City of David]].<ref>Barnes, W. E. (1899), [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/2_chronicles/5.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges] on 2 Chronicles 5, accessed 17 April 2020</ref>
:* This period is covered by [[1 Samuel 8]] to [[1 Kings 11]] or alternatively, [[1 Chronicles 10]] to [[2 Chronicles 9]].
; Divided Monarchy (c. 930–597&nbsp;BCE)
: [[File:The map of the Holy Land by Marino Sanudo (drawn in 1320).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Map of the [[Holy Land]], [[Pietro Vesconte]], 1321, showing the allotments of the tribes of Israel. Described by [[Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld]] as "the first non-Ptolemaic map of a definite country"<ref name="Nordenskiöld1889">{{cite book|author=Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld|title=Facsimile-atlas to the Early History of Cartography: With Reproductions of the Most Important Maps Printed in the XV and XVI Centuries|year=1889|publisher=Kraus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-IMSQAACAAJ|pages=51, 64}}</ref>]]The monarchic state was divided into two states, [[Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)|Israel]] and [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], due to civil and religious disputes. Eventually, Israel and Judah met their demise after the [[Assyrian captivity|Assyrian]] and [[Babylonian captivity|Babylonian invasions]] respectively. According to the [[Biblical prophet]]s, these invasions were divine judgments for religious apostasy and corrupt leadership.
:* This period is covered by [[1 Kings 12]] to [[2 Kings 25]] or alternatively, [[2 Chronicles 10]] to [[2 Chronicles 36]]. The [[Book of Jonah]] narrates the prophet [[Jonah]] going to the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire]] to deliver a divine message.
; Exilic Period (c. 597–538&nbsp;BCE)
: After the Babylonians invaded Judah, they deported most of its citizens to Babylon, where they lived as "exiles". [[Cyrus the Great]] conquered Babylon and established the [[First Persian Empire]] in 539&nbsp;BCE.{{Sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=209–216; 267; 271–276}} One year later, according to traditional dating, Cyrus [[Edict of Cyrus|permitted]] the Judahites to return to their homeland.{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=209–216; 267; 271–276}} This homeland was re-named as the [[Yehud Medinata|Province of Yehud]], which eventually became a satrapy of [[Eber-Nari]].{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=209–216; 267; 271–276}}
:* This period is covered by the entirety of the [[Book of Daniel]].
; Persian Period (c. 539–331&nbsp;BCE)
: In 537–520&nbsp;BCE, [[Zerubbabel]] became Yehud's governor and started work on the [[Second Temple]], which was stopped.{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=278–285}} In 520–516&nbsp;BCE, [[Haggai]] and [[Zechariah (Hebrew prophet)|Zechariah]] goaded the Judahites to resume work on the Temple. Upon completion, [[Joshua the High Priest|Joshua]] became its high priest.{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=278–285}}{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=278–285}} In 458–433&nbsp;BCE, [[Ezra]] and [[Nehemiah]] led another group of Judahites to Yehud, with [[Artaxerxes I|Artaxerxes]]'s permission. Nehemiah rebuilt the temple after some unspecified disaster and removed foreign influence from the Judahite community.<ref name="myers">{{cite book |last=Myers |first=Jacob M. |author-link=Jacob M. Myers |title=Ezra, Nehemiah |date=1964 |publisher=Doubleday |series=[[Anchor Bible Series]] 14 |location=Garden City, New York |pages=XXXVI-XXXVII; LXX |lccn=65-23788}}</ref>{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=292–310; 356–357}} That said, some Judahites elected to stay in Persia, where they [[Book of Esther|almost faced annihilation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 3 Barnes' Notes |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/esther/3.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213005602/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/esther/3.htm |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 9 Barnes' Notes |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/esther/9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212110948/https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-deliberately-flawed-divine-torah |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |website=TheTorah.com}}</ref>
:* This period is covered by the entirety of the [[Book of Ezra]], [[Book of Nehemiah]], the [[Book of Esther]],<ref name=":2" /> the [[Book of Haggai]], the [[Book of Zechariah]], and the [[Book of Malachi]].{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=85-90}}{{sfn|Grabbe|2004|pp=85-106}}

[[File:Stiftshuette Modell Timnapark.jpg|thumb|Model of the [[Tabernacle]] constructed under the auspices of [[Moses]], in [[Timna Park]], [[Israel]]|upright=1.15]]