Page 96 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

(highlands). In the North (Galilee, and Samaria), relatively fertile valleys transverse the hills. In the south
(beyond Jerusalem), the hills are barren.

East of the central highlands lies the Jordan Rift Valley, which is a small part of the 6,500-kilometer-long
Syrian-East African Rift. In Israel the Rift Valley is dominated by the Jordan River, Lake Tiberias (known
also as the Sea of Galilee and to Israelis as Lake Kinneret), and the Dead Sea. The Jordan River is Israel's
largest river (322 kilometers long). Originating from near Mount Hermon, it flows south through the
freshwater Lake Tiberias before ultimately pouring into the salty Dead Sea. With a capacity estimated at
three billion cubic meters, the Jordan river serves as the principal reservoir of the National Water
Carrier. The Dead Sea is 1,020 square kilometers in size and, at 399 meters below sea level, is the lowest
point in the world. South of the Dead Sea, the Rift Valley continues with no permanent water flow, for
170 kilometers to the Gulf of Aqaba.

The Negev Desert comprises approximately 12,000 square kilometers, more than half of Israel's total
land area. Geographically it is an extension of the Sinai Desert, forming a rough triangle with its base in
the north near Beersheba (also seen as Beersheva), the Dead Sea, and the southern Judean Hills, and it
138
has its apex in the southern tip of the country at Elat.

Although topographical features have remained the same for thousands of years, Israel’s political
boundaries have repeatedly changed. By the time of the Jews’ restoration from Babylon, they mostly
occupied an area around Jerusalem. Subsequently, the borders mainly depended on the politics of the
dominant forces surrounding them. In the first part of the Hellenization era, Palestine was under Egypt
(see last chapter). Leading up to the Maccabean revolt, the Seleucids (Syria) was in control of Palestine.
When Israel gained independence through the Maccabean revolt, its borders changed greatly.

“Under Simon in 142 BCE the Maccabean or
Hasmonean state gained independence. At that time
Simon controlled Judea from a little north of Hebron
to a point north of Bethel and from the Jordan River
to the modern airport at Lod. He also ruled the
southern part of Perea east of the Jordan.
Expansionistic, Simon later took Joppa and its
surroundings, gaining a seaport.

His successor, John Hyrcanus (135–104 BCE)
conquered east of the Dead Sea, then Samaria
(destroying the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim)
and the Idumeans (Edomites) south to Beersheba.
Aristobulus (104–103 BCE) conquered Galilee, and
Alexander Janneus (103–76 BCE) completed the
conquest of almost the whole of Palestine. Thus, by
the end of his reign the Maccabean kingdom

138 http://countrystudies.us/israel/35.htm

95