QRUEL

I think I've read on these threads that the history of the bible claiming that the jews were slaves of egypt or much of their other territorial claims are not substantiated by historical records.

Is this correct ?

If this is true then how does Isreal get away with occuppying Palistine by saying it was theirs to begin with ?

please correct me and help broaden my understanding if I have misinterpreted the issue.

thanks

Toto

The current thinking is that the Exodus from Egypt was a legend. The ancient Israelites evolved out of Canaanite culture, and were not an invading army. The legend arose because political legitimacy in those days was established by invading a country and displaying one's military prowess.

The modern state of Israel is the creation of international treaties. It does not base its legal claim to existence on the Bible - most modern Israelis are not religious.

It is true that these treaties were inspired by people who thought that the Jews had a historic homeland in the Ottoman province of Palestine (which is true) and/or that God promised that land to Moses (which is an article of religious faith) or that returning the Jews to ancient Israel would trigger the second coming of Jesus (which is a bit frightening.) But all that is of dubious legal relevance.

After all, the United States occupied a lot of territory in North America under the leadership of people who thought that God wanted his new chosen people to take the land from the heathens.

The Palestinians themselves contain at least some factions that make a religious claim to all of the land once occupied by the Ottoman Empire. Some of them identify with the myth of the conquered Canaanites, although that is purely mythical.

The whole question of political legitimacy and national foundation myths is quite beyond the scope of this forum.