34
C R O S S W AY E S V B I B L E AT L A S
character partly because of its milder weather and greater precipitation. Historically, the north contained more permanent settlements and centers of agricultural activity. Throughout its history, this northern area has been more populous than the south. The contrast between the desert and the cultivated land has resulted in much conflict between peoples dwelling in those differing regions. Desert marauders such as the Amalekites and Midianites proved to be a most dangerous opponent of Israel. The people of God, who lived primarily in the hill country and were mostly agriculturalists, seemed always at odds with the frontier people. Saul, for instance, thought it so necessary to secure Israel’s borders from desert invasion that he mounted a major military campaign against the desert tribes (1 Sam. 14:47–48). 0-6. Economy of the Ancient Near East
Climate has largely determined the economy of the land of the Bible. In ancient times, agriculture was the basis of Palestine’s economy (see map 0-7). Areas that received sufficient precipitation had the capacity to sustain natural farming and therefore had a significant agricultural advantage. Biblical Israel was inhabited mainly by a highland people residing in the Judean and Samaritan mountains. Because those regions receive substantial rainfall and have fertile soils, they can sustain considerable agricultural capacity. Both cereals and deciduous fruit grow in this region. These advantages led Israel to develop an economy based principally on agriculture.
Vegetation Climate, topography, and soils are the primary factors in determining vegetation or plant geography.
copper
commercial timber
horses
iron
AN ATO L I A salt
Tigris River
copper
Hamath copper dye SY R I A
CY P R US
fish
Mediterranean Sea
Ri
ve
r
ELAM
Babylon
Susa
BA BY LO N I A
ISRAEL
salt
EGYPT sheep
sheep
ARABIAN D ESE RT
copper
camels
copper camels
Tema
le
Red Sea
camels
Pe r s i a n Gulf
Dumah
camels
Ri
v
er
Ecbatana
Asshur
cattle
Jerusalem
Ni
MEDIA
A SSY R I A
iron
Tyre dye
Ca s p i a n Sea
sheep
Nineveh
Carchemish
300 mi
200 300 400 km
Tushpa
copper
E u p h ra t e s
100
200
copper
horses
fish
Memphis
A R A R AT
sheep Tarsus
100
0
sheep
sheep
0
horses
agricultural produce (grain, fruit)
ARABIA horses
SOUTHWEST ARABIA 0
100 200 mi
0
200 km
perfume
SHEBA? perfume
OPHIR?
Gulf of Aden
gold
Thebes
sheep
fish
iron
200
300
400
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500
600 Miles Miles
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