Stephen Hall | The Early History of the Holy Land | Graham School

The same strip of land no bigger than New Jersey has stood at the center of human history for thousands of years, sacred to three of the world's major religions, contested by empires from Mesopotamia to Rome, and carrying a weight of meaning that no other place on earth quite matches. Stephen Hall, who has taught at the University of Chicago Graham School since 1992, has designed a three-course sequence to trace its full history. In this session, Hall and Dean Seth Green begin with the definition of the Holy Land itself, tracing the term from its biblical origins in the promise to Abraham and its first appearance as "Haaretz hakodesh" in the prophet Zechariah, through to its geographic boundaries between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. Hall uses a map of the ancient Near East to show how this land corridor, connecting Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Egypt, made it a permanent target for expanding empires. The conversation moves through the Neolithic settlement at Jericho, dated to at least 5000 BC with nine-foot-thick defensive walls, before covering how David's conquest of the Canaanite fortress of Jebus established Jerusalem as the theocratic center of ancient Israel. Hall explains why the land's ridge routes and coastal highways shaped every military campaign from Abraham's travels to the Roman arrival, and why the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah could not resist the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and ultimately Pompey's conquest in 63 BCE, which gave the region the Latin name Palestina, derived from the Philistines along its southern coast. The second half turns to how the Hall's course is structured. He describes the primary text, the Carta Bible Atlas by Israeli scholars Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah, and explains that the course centers on the land rather than on biblical theology. He addresses audience questions on the dating of Abraham, Moses, and David; the DNA evidence for continuity of ancient populations in Lebanon; and how prehistory is reconstructed from material culture. Hall also previews the next two courses in the sequence, carrying the story through the rise of Christianity and Islam, the Crusades, the Byzantine era, and the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948. 0:00 Introduction and Graham School overview 2:48 Defining the Holy Land geographically 4:16 First recorded use of "Holy Land" 7:09 Map of the ancient Near East 9:17 How Jerusalem became the center 11:04 David conquers Jebus, founding Jerusalem 14:19 Neolithic Jericho and earliest settlement 17:25 Abraham's travels and the ridge routes 20:08 Timeline from Abraham to the Romans 21:30 Divided kingdoms and imperial conquest 24:52 Babylonian exile and Isaiah's prophecy 26:10 Cyrus, Alexander, and the Maccabees 29:31 Roman conquest and the name Palestine 30:57 Course readings and classroom format 38:54 Preview of courses two and three About the Speaker: Stephen Hall has been teaching in the Basic Program at the University of Chicago Graham School since 1992 and is currently pursuing his PhD in Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He holds a BA in philosophy of religion, an MA in Hebrew language studies from the American Institute in Jerusalem, and a ThM in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His teaching and scholarship focus on biblical studies, ancient history, and the relationship between religion and culture. About Graham: The Graham School is a one-of-a-kind intellectual community that brings the best of the University of Chicago to lifelong learners who are seeking discovery and discernment. Through an array of distinctive programs and courses in the Great Books, the liberal arts, and advanced leadership, we welcome learners who seek to deepen their understanding of the world and lead examined lives of purpose. Learn more at https://graham.uchicago.edu Interested in exploring more history at the Graham School? Visit https://graham.uchicago.edu/topic/his... Get updates from the Graham School Stay connected with the Graham School and be the first to hear about upcoming events, lectures, courses, and conversations. Sign up for emails at: https://graham.uchicago.edu/request-i...