Month: August 2025

Diez Tribus: ¿Perdidas u ocultas a simple vista?

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Credito al: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Tribes_of_Israel

Algunos de los historiadores afirman que la historia de la dispersión de las tribus del norte de Israel fue un mito, o que de alguna manera se incluyó en el relato bíblico del Tanaj. Pero, desde mi punto de vista, hay demasiada profecía que debe tenerse en cuenta como para descartar la idea de las Diez Tribus Perdidas.

Cuando he hablado con otros judíos sobre ellos, algunos opinan que todas estas tribus están representadas hoy en día entre los judíos, o que se convirtieron en gentiles y se han perdido para siempre. O que sí, son importantes, pero se encuentran en lugares como India y Etiopía. La evidencia de la Ruta de la Seda en India y China es bien conocida, pero la mayoría tiene una historia relativamente reciente, desde aproximadamente el 800 d. C. hasta alrededor del 1100 d. C., pero hay otros allí que aparentemente han estado allí mucho más tiempo y aún observan gran parte de la antigua religión israelita. Estos son los Bene Menashe, y lo que afirman proporciona lo que yo consideraría prueba suficiente de que pertenecen a la tribu de Manasés.

“…Los Bnei Menashe han llegado a creer que el legendarioNorteantepasado Manmasi[6]fue elhebreo Menasés, hijo deJosé.”Estas personas lucharon por ser reconocidas por Israel durante alrededor de 50 años hasta que finalmente fueron aceptados por el Gran Rabinato de Israel para hacer Aliyah en 2005, siempre que completaran una conversión ritual.Enlace

Del pueblo Falasha en Etiopía, algunos afirman descender de Salomón y la Reina de Saba, pero la creencia general entre ellos es que un grupo de la tribu de Dan huyó a Etiopía (la tierra de Cus) durante el siglo X.elsiglo a. C. (Véase Enlace¿Cómo podemos probar esto? ¿Son meros rumores o se ajusta a lo que dice la Biblia? Estos podrían ser hechos que se han ignorado, e Israel ha mantenido a distancia a cualquiera que afirma pertenecer a las Diez Tribus, dudando de su origen. Observe el versículo de Isaías 11:11, resaltado a continuación. Cus se conoce en la Biblia como Etiopía. ¿Y qué hay de las demás tribus? ¿Dónde están?

Isaías 11:11-14 -“11 Acontecerá en aquel día, que Jehová volverá a alzar su mano la segunda vez para recobrar el remanente de su pueblo que aún quedó de Asiria, de Egipto, de Patros y de Judá.de Cus, y de Elam, y de Sinar, y de Hamat, y de las islas del mar. 12 Y levantará pendón a las naciones, y juntará los desterrados de Israel, y reunirá a todos los que se hallaren en él.los dispersos de Judádesde los cuatro confines de la tierra. – 13Y se apartará la envidia de Efraín, y los que oprimen a Judá serán talados. Efraín no tendrá envidia de Judá, ni Judá oprimirá a Efraín.. 14 Y volarán sobre el hombro de los filisteos al occidente; juntos despojarán a los hijos del oriente; extenderán su mano sobre Edom y Moab, y los hijos de Amón les obedecerán.

¿Y qué podemos decir de los samaritanos que afirman ser un remanente de lo que quedaba en la tierra de Israel durante el cautiverio? Entre estos samaritanos hay cohanim (levitas) que realmente pueden demostrar su linaje. Recordamos que los levitas fueron asignados a ciudades por todo Israel en los días de Josué, después de la conquista de la tierra. Véase el mandato para esto en Números 35 y Josué 21Es interesante que Jeremías era levita pero vivía en Anatot(su lugar de nacimiento), que era una ciudad benjamita. Quizás la antipatía hacia la afirmación de los samaritanos de que provienen de las tribus originales se haya fomentado a través de obras como las de Josefo e incluso la historia de la mujer junto al pozo y el buen samaritano en la Biblia cristiana, donde los samaritanos no son vistos como judíos. Y sin embargo, cuando observamos quiénes fueron realmente exiliados entre los capturados por Asiria, vemos que no todos fueron llevados. Los artesanos y los ricos que podían ayudar a establecer la economía de Asiria fueron llevados, pero la gente humilde se quedó en la tierra para cuidarla. Cuántos quedaron es otra cuestión, pero si vemos que solo se llevaron a la élite, podemos hacernos una idea de que muchos quedaron en la tierra.

Según Wikipedia: “Alrededor del año 720 a. C., Israel fue conquistado por losImperio neoasirio.[4]Los registros del rey asirioSargón IIindican que deportó a 27.290 israelitas aMesopotamia.[5][6]Esta deportación resultó en la pérdida de una quinta parte de la población del reino y es conocida como lacautiverio asirio, lo que dio origen a la noción de laDiez tribus perdidas.”

27 mil, si la cita anterior los incluyera a todos, “una quinta parte de la población” dejaría a muchas tribus en la tierra. La gran pregunta es: ¿adónde fueron después? Sabemos que algunos huyeron a Judá, pero cuando exploradores posteriores encontraron que Israel estaba casi despoblado (personas como Mark Twain), surge la pregunta: ¿Dónde se escondían? ¿Es posible que se hubieran ido a las naciones árabes vecinas? Existen muchos mitos sobre las diez tribus, incluyendo a los indígenas americanos, los ingleses y los irlandeses. Los descubrimientos de la Ruta de la Seda encontraron evidencia judía incluso en China.Enlace

Lo que he encontrado en la Biblia separa claramente a las tribus del norte de Israel (a menudo llamadas Efraín) que fueron primero conquistadas y exiliadas por Asiria (de los judíos que luego fueron llevados a Babilonia). Los estudiantes de la Biblia conocen los detalles de la separación de estas tribus de Judá cuando Roboam, hijo de Salomón, les impuso impuestos injustos y el reino se dividió alrededor de 930 a. C.Enlace)

Los dos grupos de israelitas que se desviaron y fueron llevados al cautiverio fueron las tribus del norte por Asiria en el 720 a. C. y más tarde Judá por Babilonia en el 587 a. C.: El profeta Jeremías describe la infidelidad tanto de Israel como de Judá en el capítulo 3. Véase enlace.

Las profecías hablan de un pueblo que estaba, en todos los sentidos, perdido. Y, sin embargo, hay indicios de que YHVH nunca los olvidó y traerá de vuelta un remanente a la tierra de Israel. Es evidente, según los escritos de los profetas, que habrá un remanente que regresará de entre las naciones. Puede que ni siquiera sepan quiénes son.


Durante los últimos dos años, desde que Hamás invadió Israel en la guerra que siguió a la masacre del 7 de octubre, he visto a muchas personas en todo el mundo al menos expresar su apoyo verbal a Israel. Esta guerra parece haber creado una línea divisoria entre quienes aman a Israel y sus valores y quienes apoyan la corrupción de los regímenes terroristas que amenazan con aniquilar no solo a Israel, sino a toda la sociedad occidental.

Quizás estoy pensando demasiado fuera de lo común, pero creo que hay una chispa de Israel en cada uno de los que lo apoyan. Es como si la sangre de sus descendientes clamara contra la malvada embestida contra sus hermanos. ¿Serán estos los de las diez tribus perdidas, que apenas comienzan a reconocer algo que ha estado oculto desde que se extraviaron? ¿Quién es este remanente y cómo reconocerá Israel a sus hermanos perdidos? Israel no es un lugar fácil para emigrar. ¿Qué cambiará esto? Quizás necesitamos un Mesías con visión divina, o al menos un Movimiento que abra las puertas a todos los que apoyan a Israel y están dispuestos a compartir su suerte con los judíos de esta nación.

Muchos de quienes aman a Israel se encuentran dentro de la Iglesia Cristiana. Algunos se han convertido al judaísmo, quizá no porque lo consideren una religión pura, sino porque algo en su interior clama por estar con sus hermanos. Pero, sea o no su religión el judaísmo, estas personas apoyan a Israel. Y es interesante notar que, aparentemente según la Biblia, la reunificación ocurre antes de que estos hermanos perdidos despierten de algunas de sus creencias erróneas. Oseas habla de esto:

Oseas 14:1-2, 4-9 – “Oseas 14:1-2 “1 Oh Israel, vuélvete a Jehová tu Dios, porque has caído por tu iniquidad. 2 Tomad con vosotros palabras y volved a Jehová; decidle: Quita toda iniquidad, y acepta lo bueno; así ofreceremos como becerros la ofrenda de nuestros labios.” 4 Sanaré su rebeldía, los amaré generosamente, porque mi ira se ha apartado de él. 5 Seré como el rocío para Israel: crecerá como el lirio, y extenderá sus raíces como el Líbano. 6 Sus ramas se extenderán, y su hermosura será como la del olivo, y su aroma como el del Líbano. 7 Los que moran a su sombra volverán; revivirán como el trigo, y crecerán como la vid; su aroma será como el del vino del Líbano. 8Efraín dirá: ¿Qué tengo ya que ver con los ídolos?Lo he oído y observado: Soy como un abeto verde. De mí se encuentra tu fruto. 9 ¿Quién es sabio y entenderá estas cosas? ¿Quién es prudente y las conocerá? Porque los caminos de Jehová son rectos, y los justos andarán por ellos; pero los transgresores caerán en ellos.

A continuación se presentan una muestra de textos sobre las tribus perdidas y su regreso. Aún queda mucho por descubrir y, como muchos otros creen, también opino que, con o sin una figura mesiánica específica, estos exiliados perdidos regresarán. Habrá que esperar para ver si se trata de un movimiento universal o de una figura humana real que provoque estos acontecimientos.

Isaías 43:1, 5-6 “1 Pero ahora, así dice Jehová, tu Creador:Oh Jacob, y tu Formador, oh Israel,5 No temas, porque yo te he redimido, te he llamado por tu nombre; mío eres tú. … 5 No temas, porque yo estoy contigo; del oriente traeré tu descendencia, y del occidente te reuniré; 6 diré al norte: Entrégate; y al sur: No detengas; trae mis hijos de lejos, y mis hijas de los confines de la tierra;

Jeremías 31:7-11: “7 Porque así dice Jehová: Cantad con alegría por Jacob, y dad voces de júbilo entre las principales naciones; haced oír, alabad y decid: Oh Jehová, salva a tu pueblo, el remanente de Israel. 8 He aquí, yo los traeré de la tierra del norte, y los reuniré de los confines de la tierra, y con ellos a los ciegos y a los cojos, a la mujer encinta y a la que da a luz juntas; una gran multitud volverá allá. 9 Vendrán con llanto, y con súplicas los guiaré; los haré andar junto a corrientes de aguas, por camino derecho en el cual no tropezarán.porque yo soy un padre para Israel, y Efraín es mi primogénito.10 Oíd, oh naciones, palabra de Jehová, y hacedlo saber en las costas que están lejos, y decid:El que dispersó a Israel lo reunirá y lo guardará, como el pastor a su rebaño.11 Porque Jehová redimió a Jacob, Y lo redimió de mano del más fuerte que él.

Reyes 11:16-17:
16 Por tanto, di: «Así dice Jehová el Señor: Aunque los he arrojado lejos entre las naciones, y aunque los he dispersado por las tierras, seré para ellos como un pequeño santuario en las tierras adonde lleguen. 17 Por tanto, di: «Así dice Jehová el Señor: Yo os recogeré de entre los pueblos, y os congregaré de las tierras donde estáis dispersos, y os daré la tierra de Israel».


Ezequiel 28:25-26 – “25 Así ha dicho Jehová el Señor: Cuando yo haya reunido a la casa de Israel de entre los pueblos entre los cuales están esparcidos, y me haya santificado en ellos a la vista de las naciones, habitarán en su tierra que yo les he dado.mi siervo Jacob. 26 Y habitarán allí seguros, y edificarán casas y plantarán viñas; sí, habitarán con confianza, cuando yo haya ejecutado juicios sobre todos los que los desprecian en sus alrededores; y sabrán que yo soy YHVH su Dios.

Reyes 37:11-23:“Y tú, hijo de hombre, toma un palo, y escribe en él: Para Judá, y para los hijos de Israel sus compañeros. Toma luego otro palo, y escribe en él: Para José, palo de Efraín, y para toda la casa de Israel sus compañeros. 17 Y júntalos el uno con el otro en un solo palo, para que sean uno en tu mano.”(Enlace a todo el pasaje)

Ezequiel 45:8 – “8 En la tierra será su posesión en Israel; y mis príncipes no oprimirán más a mi pueblo; y darán el resto de la tierra a la casa de Israel.según sus tribus.”


Yo, por mi parte, espero con gran expectación el regreso de nuestros hermanos perdidos. Ojalá sea durante mi vida. Y permítanme decir que, al ver a Israel retroceder en sus fronteras y recuperar la tierra que una vez les fue dada, veo que todo esto se desmorona. Como dice Isaías 54:


Isaías 54:1-3 – “1 Canta, oh estéril, la que no daba a luz; prorrumpe en gritos de alegría y clama a voz en grito, la que no estuviste de parto; porque más son los hijos de la desolada que los hijos de la casada, dice Jehová. 2Ensancha el sitio de tu tienda, y las cortinas de tus moradas se extiendan; no escatimes; alarga tus cuerdas, y refuerza tus estacas. 3 Porque a la derecha y a la izquierda te extenderás;y tu descendencia poseerá las naciones, y habitará las ciudades asoladas.

Ariella Golani


Modern Descendants of the 10 Lost Tribes: Who Are They?

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Image Credit to: https://blog.nli.org.il/en/lost_ten_tribes

There are historians who claim that the story of the scattering of the Northern tribes of Israel was a myth. Others say or that it was somehow written into the Biblical account in the Tanakh. But I think, there is far too much prophecy that must be taken into account to dismiss the idea of 10 Lost Tribes. 

When I have spoken to other Jews about them, some express the opinion that these tribes are all represented today among the Jews, or that they became Gentiles and are permanently lost. Or that yes, they are important, but they are in places like India and Ethiopia, Evidence of the Silk Road Jews in India and China are well known but most of them have relatively recent history such as from about 800 CE to around 1100 CE, but there are others there who apparently have been there much longer and still observe much of the ancient Israelite religion. These are themselves the Bene Menashe and what they claim provides what I would claim as evidence that they are of the tribe of Manasseh.

“… the Bnei Menashe have come to believe that the legendary Hmar ancestor Manmasi[6] was the Hebrew Menasseh, son of Joseph.” These people struggled to be recognized by Israel for around 50 years until finally they were accepted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to make Aliyah in 2005, provided they complete a ritual conversion. Link

Of the Falasha people in Ethiopia, some claim to descend from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, but the general belief among them is that a group from the tribe of Dan fled to Ethiopia (the land of Cush) during the 10th century BCE. (See Link) How can we prove any of this? Is it mere hearsay, or does it follow what the Bible says? These may be facts that have been ignored and Israel has continually held anyone who claims to be of the 10 Tribes  at arm’s length, doubting their origins. Notice the verse in Isaiah 11:11, highlighted below. Cush is known in the Bible as Ethiopia. And what about all the other tribes, where are they?

Isa 11:11-14 -“11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that YHVH shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. – 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they despoil the children of the east: they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.”

And what can we say about the Samaritans who claim to be a remnant of what was left in the land of Israel at the time of the captivity? There are Cohanim (Levites) among these Samaritans who actually can prove their lineage. We remember that the Levites were assigned to cities across Israel in the days of Joshua after the conquest of the land. See the command for this in Numbers 35 and Joshua 21. It is interesting that Jeremiah was a Levite but lived in Anathoth (his birthplace) which was a Benjamite city. Perhaps antipathy towards the Samaritans’ assertion that they are from the original tribes has been fostered through works such as those of Josephus and even the Christian Bible’s story of the woman at the well and the Good Samaritan where the Samaritans are not seen as Jewish. And yet when we look at who were actually exiled among those captured by Assyria, we see that not everyone was taken. The artisans and the wealthy who could help establish the economy of Assyria were taken but the humble people were left in the land to care for it. How many were left is another question, but if we see that only the elite were taken, we may get they idea that many were left in the land. 

According to Wikipedia: “Around 720 BCE, Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire.[4] The records of Assyrian king Sargon II indicate that he deported 27,290 Israelites to Mesopotamia.[5][6] This deportation resulted in the loss of one-fifth of the kingdom’s population and is known as the Assyrian captivity, which gave rise to the notion of the Ten Lost Tribes.” 

27 thousand, if the above quote included all of them, “a fifth of the population” would leave a lot of the tribes in the land. The big question is, where did they go later? We know that some fled to Judah but when later explorers found Israel to be almost depopulated (people like Mark Twain), the question arises: Where were they hiding? Is it possible that they had gone to surrounding Arab nations? There are many myths of the ten tribes, including the American Indians, the English, the Irish. Silk Road discoveries found Jewish evidence even in China. Link

What I have found in the bible distinctly separates the tribes from the North of Israel (often referred to as Ephraim) who were first conquered and exiled by Assyria ( from the Jews who were later taken to Babylon. Bible students know the details of the separation of these tribes from Judah when Rehoboam, son of Solomon imposed unfair taxes upon them and the kingdom was divided around 930 BCE. (Link)

The two groups of Israelites that went astray and were taken into captivity were the northern tribes by Assyria in 720 BCE and later Judah to Babylon in 587 BCE: The prophet Jeremiah describes both Israel and Judah’s unfaithfulness in chapter 3. See link.

Prophecies speak of a people who were, for all extents and purposes, lost. And yet there is the indication that YHVH never forgot them and will bring back a remnant to the land of Israel. It is obvious from the writings of the prophets that there will be a remnant that returns from the nations. They may not even know who they are.


During the past couple of years since Hamas invaded Israel in the ensuing war since the October 7 massacre, I have seen many people across the globe take at least a verbal stand in support of Israel. This war seems to have created a dividing line between those who love Israel and its values and those who support the corruption of the terrorist regimes which threaten to annihilate not only Israel but all of Western Society.

Maybe I am thinking too far outside the box, but I believe there is a spark of Israel in everyone that stands with Israel. It is as if the blood of the descendants cries out against the evil onslaught against their brethren. Could these be those of the ten lost tribes, just beginning to recognize something that has been hidden ever since they went astray? Who is this remnant, and how will Israel recognize their lost brethren? Israel is not an easy place to immigrate to. What will change this? Perhaps we need a Messiah with Divine insight, or at least a Movement that opens the doors to all who support Israel and are willing to take their lot among the Jews of this nation.

Many of those who love Israel are found within the Christian Church. Some have converted to Judaism, maybe not because they see it as a pure religion, but because something inside them cries out to be with their brethren. But whether their religion is Judaism or not, these people stand with Israel. And it is interesting to note that, apparently according to the Bible the ingathering happens before these lost brethren wake up to some of their mistaken beliefs. Hosea speaks of this:

Hos 14:1-2, 4-9 – “Hos 14:1-2 “1 O Israel, return unto YHVH thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and return unto YHVH: say unto him, take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips.”4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. 5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. 8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. 9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of YHVH are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.”

Below are a sampling of texts on the subject of the lost tribes and their return. There is still much to be discovered and as many others believe, I also am of the opinion that with or without a particular Messiah figure, these lost exiles will return. Whether it be a universal movement or an actual human figure that brings these things about, we will have to wait and see.

Isa 43:1, 5-6 “1 But now thus saith YHVH that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. … 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;”

Jer 31:7-11- “7 For thus saith YHVH; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O YHVH, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travails with child together: a great company shall return thither. 9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. 10 Hear the word of YHVH, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 11 For YHVH hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.”

Eze 11:16-17:
“16 Therefore say, Thus saith YHVH GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17 Therefore say, Thus saith YHVH GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”


Eze 28:25-26 – “25 Thus saith YHVH GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am YHVH their God.”

Eze 37: 11-23:  “And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 and join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they may become one in thy hand.” (Link to whole passage)

Eze 45:8 – “8 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”


I for one am waiting with baited breath for the return of our lost brethren. May it be within my lifetime. And let me say that as I see Israel pushing back the borders and taking back land that was once given to them, I see this all unraveling. As it says in Isaiah 54:


Isa 54:1-3 – “1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith YHVH. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 3 For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.”

Ariella Golani

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Whose is the Land Anyway?

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Why the Forever Trouble with Gaza?

The Test of Abraham

Recently I was blown out of the water when I heard a different explanation to the Genesis account of the sacrifice of Isaac. For years I have contemplated this story. What was the sacrifice about anyway? Christians say it prefigured the death of Jesus. Some say it was just a test. Or was it given to show God’s hatred of child sacrifice–idolatry? Let’s step outside the box for a moment and go to the context in Genesis.

Abimelech was not a friend of Abraham’s. If we remember, Abimelech took Sarah to be his wife earlier, and then in a later encounter, Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant over a well in Beersheba–a peace treaty if you will.

Let’s go there and see what this was all about. In chapter 20 Abraham loses Sarah to Abimelech. This king was actually doing what was natural for him to take a beautiful woman as his wife. Abraham showed a lot of cowardice in this situation, and in the dream that God spoke to Abimelech he was justified because he didn’t know, however he was not necessarily a God Fearer. But if we think about this for a moment, it was only God’s voice that forced him to return Sarah to Abraham. He very likely would have killed Abraham if he had not been intimidated by the Divine Voice. From what we see he was not really all that righteous. Abraham was called to be the father of a great nation, the Chosen nation. So we see faults on both sides. Abraham’s lack of faith in the eternal and Abimelech’s desire to have whatever he wanted at anyone else’s expense.

We also realized that Abimelech is later mentioned taking Isaac’s wife with some of the similar consequences. Obviously Isaac also had fault in this case. But was this the same Abimelech  or was this perhaps the son of Abimelech? Even so, it shows that ultimate power corrupts and these guys had enough power to take whatever they wanted from anyone no matter how sacred the relationship might be. So again Hashem intervened. Let’s not justify this enemy because he excuses himself as being innocent. He was obviously double-tongued.

Let’s take a look at Genesis 21, we see that Abimelech claims that Abraham is only a sojourner in the land and that it basically belongs to him and his people. At this point Deuteronomy seems to express this thought except that the land has already been promised to Abraham as an inheritance.

“Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land.
וַיֵּרָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַיהֹוָ֖ה הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו׃
יהוה appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will assign (give) this land to your offspring.’ And he built an altar there to יהוה who had appeared to him.” Genesis.12:5-7

If we look closely at the above passage we can see that the land was already promised to his offspring and that Abraham didn’t take advantage of it. It is true that maybe he did not have title to it yet, but you can see that Abimelech was very anxious to establish that the land belonged to him and Abraham was only a visitor.

“And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleases thee.” Gen 20:15

Was it possible that Abraham didn’t really believe what God had said? And afterwards we see him making a covenant and promise with Abimelech and he should never have done that. The Covenant that was made was actually a peace treaty if you look at it in all its details. Abraham had to promise Abimelech that he would not do anything against him or his people. Abraham paid for the well with cattle which he should not have had to do. So what do we see from this and what ongoing problem did this create in the history of Israel?

Let’s go to the chapter just preceding the story of the Isaac sacrifice:

“‭22 ‭At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. ‭23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” ‭24 Abraham said, “I swear it.” ‭25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized. ‭26 But Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.” ‭27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a covenant. ‭28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, ‭29 and Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?” ‭30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” ‭31 So that place was called Beersheba,  because the two men swore an oath there.  Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines.”
(Ge 21:22-32)

Where is the land of the Philistines? If we look at an ancient map we will find that it coincides with Gaza and a little more. That is where Israel has always had trouble with the Philistines and now others in that place. We know that God takes oaths seriously and when Abraham signed away his right to the land making a covenant with a Philistine King, he opened the door for serious problems in the future inheritance of Israel. Think of David and Goliath. Think of Samson. And today.

If we look quickly at Genesis 22, we will see how the chapter begins:

וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did test Avraham, and said to him, Avraham: and he said, Here I am!” Genesis.22.1

It says “after these things” signifying that all that had happened before, including the Covenant with Abimelech was now being worked out with Abraham.

So the inheritance of the land and the offspring of Abraham had a lot to do with each other. If there were no offspring there would be no need for a land and if there was no land there would be no place to live for his offspring. So if we think about it, this test should have spoken to Abraham about the importance of the land and it should have spoken to the nation of Israel many years later when we made a peace treaty that should not have been made, giving away places like Gaza and the West Bank in exchange for peace–which by the way, never happened. So the test was really given to show that there was no need for Isaac and descendents if the process of peace for land continued!

Whose is The Land anyway?

Ariella Golani