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There was a crescent shape of fertile land that went from east to west in the ancient world, literally called The Fertile Cresent. At either end there were strong civilizations in power, in the west there was Egypt, and in the east there was Mesopotamia which most notably had the power of Ancient Babylon (about 2000BC to 540 BC) and Assyria (about 900 BC to 600 BC). The Old Testament is the struggle between these two areas, and placed in between them was the Promised Land, Israel originally known as Canaan. The lands under the names Mesopotamia, Egypt and Canaan, changed hands many times throughout history and were home to many different tribes simultaneously, which obviously gave rise to many battles.

Israel was the land promised by God to his faithful followers, who wandered for 40 years in the desert from Egypt to Israel, until they were deserving of inheriting the land. The Promised Land stood as a gateway between the surrounding continents as the only path between Europe and Asia to enter into Africa, as the rest of the land was desert. This was a strategic move by God, as He had now placed His people where everyone could see them and their good example. This “land-bridge” was highly sought after, as whoever controlled it, controlled the traffic going in to and out of Africa from Europe and Asia.

This map shows what the land would have looked like after the split of the United Kingdom of Israel. In the north of the Kingdom of Judah you can see the important city of Jerusalem, and about 10km south is Bethlehem where Jesus was said to have been born.

Israel has vast geographical variety due to its plains, desert lands, mountainous regions, and water areas, making each one its own geographical entity. From the west of the country to the east, the land pans out from the Mediterranean Sea, land that is sea-level, green vegetation, increase in steepness until the land becomes hills, it then drops dramatically into desert land, and finally the Jordan River. Israel includes four bodies of water which help define the outskirts of the land: the Mediterranean Sea; the Dead Sea; Sea of Galilee; and the Jordan River.

Although there are numerous water areas, in biblical times the primary water source for plantation was the rain which mainly fell west of Jerusalem. The rainy season lasts between November and April, with the highest fall during the months of January and February, and the rest of the year with scarcely any rain, providing a very specific window for plantation. There were, however, thin strips either side of the river which could be productive throughout all seasons. A man-made option was underground water pumps for areas with springs and along the coast, but this and the irrigation systems were quite unreliable and unequally distributed water between agriculturists.

The Bible. ESV, Good News Publishers, 2007.