The Origins & Empire Of Ancient Israel
Topical Description of Book 1 of new series
By Steven M. Collins,
Author of “The Lost Ten Tribes… Found!”

BOOK ONE OF A FOUR-PART SERIES:

This book begins with the call of Abraham and the elements of the unconditional Covenant which God made with Abraham and his descendants. It examines the interpersonal dynamics of the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the ancient culture within which they lived and built relationships with God. Modern readers will encounter several surprises as these Patriarchal families are discussed. The family of Jacob and his twelve sons, the progenitors of the tribes of Israel, is examined in depth,
and the insights about their successes and dysfunctional qualities offer guidance for locating and identifying their descendants from that time forward.

Physical evidence of the Israelites' being a slave people in Egypt is presented, and evidence that the names of several biblical personalities was preserved in an often-overlooked historical source. Strong evidence is also presented that the real Mt. Horeb, on which Moses and the Israelites received the Torah and made a covenant with God, is not in Egypt's Sinai desert, but rather in another location identified both in the Bible and by physical evidence existing to this day.

The role of the Israelite tribes in the ancient Sea Peoples is shown to parallel accounts about them in the book of Judges. This book then reveals new information about King David, the warrior king who united the tribes of Israel, made lasting alliances with Tyre and Sidon, and built an Israelite Empire. Both the Bible and secular history contain evidence that David's forces crushed the Assyrian Empire (which fueled Assyria's desire for revenge upon Israel in later centuries). Greek historians discussed much about the power of the Phoenician Empire from about 1100-700 B.C., and they identified the land of Israel as being part of the homeland of Phoenicia's Empire. Much evidence is offered that the Phoenician Empire was, in fact, the Empire of Israel and its allies from Tyre and Sidon. King Solomon then presided over a Golden Age of scientific learning and global exploration that was made possible by the world dominance of the Phoenician Empire led by Israel. The "birthright" and "sceptre" promises, made to the tribes of Joseph and Judah, respectively, reached an ancient apex at that time. This Golden Age was short and began to fade as Solomon abandoned God and turned to idols in his old age.

The critical ethnic and historical difference between "Israel" and "Judah" is made clear in this book. Unless modern Christians understand this critical difference, they cannot possibly understand either the history of the Israelite tribes or future prophecies about them. Israel and Judah were not tiny, shepherd kingdoms clinging to an existence on the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. This book documents that the Israelites were not only major players in ancient history, but actually became the leading power on earth under Kings David and Solomon. Their power was so extensive that it was recorded in the ancient histories of India. When the it is realized that the Israelite tribes had major roles in that ancient time, it becomes easier for the reader to understand that the ten tribes have also had major roles in the world's geopolitics from that time forward.