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Egyptian interest in the Levant can be traced back very early in Egypt's history

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back to Stone Age (3.4 million years to 3100 BC)

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civilization had developed in two epicenters:

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1. Mesopotamia

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2. Nile Delta

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rivers in these areas were the main reason for the civilizational competition in the Ancient Near East between these two areas

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this duality will continue to determine Israeli and Judahite states

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will decide events in the time of the writing of the Bible and thereafter

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these two centers of civilization were joined geographically by the Levant

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forms a land bridge between Mesopotamia in the East and Egypt in the West

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because the vast desert between these two areas was very difficult to traverse

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when one traveled from Mesopotamia to Egypt, one went up through Syria and around back down through Lebanon, Israel, through another desert and then into Egypt

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Israel's history can be viewed as its geographic location on this land bridge

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the Bible was shaped in large part by the fact that Israel was located in this land bridge area

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the two centers also became two diaspora communities

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the Babylonian Golah

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the Egyptian Golah

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so Mesopotamia, Egypt and Isreal in the middle are the three centers of early Jewish history

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during the second and third dynasties, i.e. during the late 4th millenium (4000 BC - 3000 BC)

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influx of foreign laborers into Egypt

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Egypt offered cultural goods for the elites

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in times of hardship and famine, it offered food and water

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in Genesis, Abraham comes from the Eastern culture center of Mesopotamia to come to promised land

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as soon as he arrives in the promised land, he experiences a famine

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he headed for Egypt where the Nile offered a continuing food source

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a treacherous trek but one can reach it better than going back to Mesopotamia

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Egypt in all periods acted like a magnet on its neighbors

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Levant

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uncertainty of harvest and everpresent prospect of starvation

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Egypt

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super-abundance of grain production

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richness of stock of fish, fowl and wild game

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better to live a well-fed factor in Egypt than die a starving free man on the steppes of Asia

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Egypt actively bought and took slaves from other countries

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Canaan had been in Egypt's sights far back into history

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but in New Kingdom Period (1550-1077), Egypt established an enduring imperial presence in Canaan

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this New Kingdom period is key to understanding Israel's fate among the time of waning and waxing imperial powers in the ancient Near East