‘On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying: “To your descendants I give this Land from the river of Egypt, the great river, the river of Euphrates.”
(Gen 15:18)
The Jews, Christians, and Muslims have all been claiming proprietary interest in the Promised Holy Land. The followers of all three great religions have fought wars over it in the past and again it is a bone of contention between them. The history of the last 4000 years is a living testimony to this great Biblical prophesy. The question remains: To whom is the Promised Land (Palestine)? It is actually promised to that faction of Abraham's Faith which possesses the ‘Word of God' in its purest form and is prepared to apply it in its totality.
Introduction
Abraham besides establishing his family in these areas also travelled to Egypt. Evidently he and the members of his family must have carried out the divine scheme to all these places. Lot's nation was however destroyed on account of their shameful acts. Through Isaac and Ishmael are the followers of the great religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Followers of these religions claim their spiritual source to Abraham's faith and tradition. The three religions have some kind of uniformity in their basic beliefs and doctrines vis-à-vis Oneness of God, Torah Law, Life Hereafter, concepts of Heaven and Hell. In details however they differ with another, but there are doctrinal differences even within each one of them.
In recognition of his faith, untiring efforts (works), sacrifice of his son under God's command, Abraham was acclaimed in the Bible as ‘The Father of all families of the world to get blessing through him' (Gen 12:1-3). The Quran also elevated Abraham for the same reasons and has commended him as the ‘Leader of Mankind, Chosen in the World' (2:124-30) and ‘Friend of God' (4:125).
God finally made a covenant with Abraham and promised to give the land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham who would follow the Biblical Laws and the Commandment. This Covenant, in the form of prophesy, has been repeated more than any other prophesy in the Bible. Various aspects of the PL are repeatedly mentioned for over 80 times, covering over 300 verses in the first 6 books of the Old Testament – (NRSV-1990). The Prophesy does not appear in figurative form like other prophesies in the Bible, rather the prophesy of the Promised Land is well defined and elaborated in terms of space and time and specified with a Mark or Symbol of the Covenant.
It is in this context that Jews, Christians, and Muslims have been claiming proprietary interest in the Promised Holy Land. The followers of all these great religions have fought wars over it in the past and again it is a bone of contention between them. The history of the last 4000 years, given in chronological order is a living testimony to this great Biblical prophesy (see Table A). The possession and dispossession of the Promised Land is however directly related with the fulfillment or failure to fulfill the Covenant made between God and Abraham.
The Convenant
“On that Day, the Lord made a Covenant with Abram (Abraham), saying: ‘To your descendants I give this Land, from the river of Egypt, to the great river, the river of Euphrates.'” (Gen 15:18)
The Covenant is repeated with:
Isaac:
The Lord appeared to Isaac and said:
“Do not go to Egypt… for to you and to your descendants, I will give all the lands, and I will fulfil the Oath that I swore to your father, Abraham.” (Gen 26:2-3)
Jacob:
“God appeared to Jacob… God said to him, “ I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply… The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will the land to your offspring after you.” (Gen 35:9-12)
Moses:
“Then the Lord said (to Moses): I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt… and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the Country of the Canaanites…” (Exod 3:7-8)
Joshua:
“After the death of Moses… the Lord spoke to Joshua… Now proceed to cross the Jordan (river), you and all these people (Israelites)… into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites… I have given to you, as I promised to Moses, from the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates…' (Gen 1:1-4)
Possession of the Promised Land is Perpetual
“And I will give to you and to your offspring after you… all the land of Canaan for a perpetual holding…” (Gen 17:8)
Jacob said to Joseph:
“God Almighty appeared to me… and said to me,… I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for a perpetual holding.” (Gen 48:3-4)
“… for all the land that you see, I will give to your offspring, forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth.” (Gen 13:15)
The Bible specifies that the possession of the Promised Land is conditional i.e. linked with the observance of Law.
Convenant is Conditional
Observance of Laws & Statutes
“…for to you and to your descendants I will give all these Lands and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father Abraham – because Abraham obeyed My Voice, and kept my Charge, my Commandments, my Statutes, and my Laws.”(Gen 26:3-5)
“Keep his statutes and his Commandments, which I am commanding you today for your own well-being and that of your own descendants after you, so that you may long remain in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” (Deut 4:40)
“The Lord spoke to Moses saying: … You shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and observe them, so that the land to which I bring you to settle in may not vomit you out.” (Levi 20:1,22)
Moses charged the people… “Cursed be anyone who does not uphold the words of this Law by obeying them.” (Deut 27:11,26)
The Covenant includes circumcision as a mark that shows agreement or acceptance of the terms of Covenant as follows:
Circumcision, a Sign of the Convenant
“You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between Me and you.” (Gen 17:10-11)
The significance of the circumcision as a mark of the Covenant can well be imagined from the following verses:
“Abraham was ninety nine years old when he was circumcised… and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised… and all the men of his house slaves born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner were circumcised with him” (Gen 17:24-27)
Importance of the circumcision in respect of the Covenant is further elaborated from the divine warning:
“An uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people, for he has broken My Covenant.” (Gen 17:14)
It is manifestly clear that Abraham's descendants if follow the Biblical Law, Statutes, and Commandments, only then God will fulfill His part of the Covenant i.e. grant them the possession of the Promised Land, (an area from the river of the Nile to the river of the Euphrates) as a perpetual holding.
The Convenant is Yet to be Fulfilled
‘Whatever has been written in the article, if it is wrong, disregard it—but if it has some Truth, then ponder over it.'
The three factions of Abraham's faith failed to fulfill their part of the Covenant. As such they could not possess the PL on permanent basis. The reasons of failure although different in each case, yet they somehow concern the scripture.
The case of Muslims is simpler but more unfortunate. Out of the 1400 years history, Muslims enjoyed the full possession of the PL for over 1284 years (634-1918 AD). During the 19 th century, they replaced the Biblical (or Quranic) Laws with the secular European Laws. (Hamdard Islamicus – Shariah in the XV Cent. Hijra Vol. III No. 4, p.25). Hence in the early part of the 20 th Century, Muslims lost the PL to the UNO mandated, Israel.
The Jews, out of the 3400 years history, possessed the PL partially and only for about 370 years as sovereign ruler. Although their total stay in the PL with intermittent devastation of the country, destruction of the temple (twice), and deportation (twice) by neighboring nations was 702 years.
The Jews even during the David-Solomon rule never reached the banks of the rivers Nile and the Euphrates as prophesied in the Covenant. The Israelites' mindset was a continuation of the ‘deceitful' and unrepented episodes, associated with their forefather, Jacob. Since the original scripture was lost, there is no way to cross-check the authenticity of these episodes. (e.g.: Exploiting his brother Easu's hunger, cheating his blind father, and wrestling with God—Genesis Chap: 25, 27 & 32). Israel's subsequent coming to the PL has met the same fate. Their current occupation of the part of the PL under geopolitical and oil expediencies may not last long. Jesus has already prophesied a worse and the ‘ultimate' for them.
‘You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to Hell' (Matt 23:33)
‘You (Israelites) make new converts twice as much a child of Hell as yourselves.' (Matt 23:15)
The Jews' dispossession of the PL was wholly and solely on moral grounds. Their immoral disposition has been lamented by all the books of the OT. Jews, however, have never been criticized or condemned for doctrinal deviation. In fact, Jews' Faith had exactly been in accordance with the OT creeds and concepts. It was only in practice that they had betrayed the Scripture. This is confirmed in the N.T. where Jesus said to his disciples:
‘The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses seat, therefore do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.' (Matt 23.2)
Christians in the PL, under the Roman Empire, remained a persecuted community for 300 years. After the Roman emperors started embracing Christianity in 313 AD, they inherited the PL and were amongst the ruling class for 254 years. As soon as Islam emerged in Arabia, the PL was taken over by Muslims in 634 AD. Out of the 2000 years history, the 254 years stay of Christians in the PL reflects their failure to fulfill the Covenant. The probable cause of their failure is not moral but doctrinal.
The Christians converted the OT Doctrine of the Unity of God into the Trinity. They also replaced Moses Law into a single commandment of ‘Love'. (Gal 5.14) 1. Although Jesus had defined ‘Love' as a greater commandment and not the only commandment (Mark 12:31). Jesus was emphatic to maintain the Prophets' Law (Matt 5:17-18). The departure from the OT doctrines disqualified Christianity to possess the PL for any meaningful period or purpose.
Christians Scholars however advocate that the Covenant will be fulfilled for everlasting possession during the second coming of Jesus (Rev. 11:15). Both Christians and Muslims have been yearning for Jesus' second coming. Although the Quran is silent about it, yet some traditions do prophesize about the second coming with no specific time of arrival. The New Testament is emphatic about it but with conflicting time of arrival.
‘Truly, I tell you, there one some standing here who will not taste death before they see the son of man coming in his Kingdom.' (Matt 16:28 I Thess 4:15-18) | ‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of Heaven, nor the son but only the father—therefore you also must be ready, for the son of man to be coming at the unexpected hours. (Matt 24:44) |
‘Truly, I tell you, there one some standing here who will not taste death before they see the son of man coming in his Kingdom.'
(Matt 16:28 I Thess 4:15-18)‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of Heaven, nor the son but only the father—therefore you also must be ready, for the son of man to be coming at the unexpected hours.
(Matt 24:44)
The deadline in the first verse has expired long ago. The other date is uncertain. Unless Jesus is accompanied by a Divine force to exercise his authority on the people and on the land, his acceptance and identification by people will also be uncertain. The three Faiths and their hundreds of denominations are expecting Jesus to appear in accordance with their respective set of doctrines and creeds which are not based on Scripture or reasoning, but on traditions. Reason and logic hardly work in religion. Martin Luther is said to have said:
‘Faith must trample under foot all reasoning, sense, and understanding.'
The scriptures however project reasoning (wisdom) as the basis of everything. According to the Old Testament:
‘The Lord created me (wisdom) at the beginning of His Work, the first of His acts long ago.' (Prov 8:22)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had said:
‘Reason is the noblest creation of God.'
God suggests that even His revelation should not be taken blindly:
‘Do they not ponder on the Quran or are their hearts locked up by them?' (The Quran 47:24)
‘(This is) a Book that we have revealed unto thee, full of blessing that they may meditate its revelation and that men of understanding may reflect.' (The Quran 38:29)
Understanding is the basis of Faith according to the Quran while truthfulness is the criterion for salvation. On the Day of Judgment, God will declare:
‘This is the Day on which the Truthful will profit from their Truth.' (The Quran 5:119)
Reason and Truth are the key factors in all worldly development, but in religion, traditions and emotions are the leading parameters. Traditions dilute the scriptural injunctions. It has ultimately led to mushroom of religious denominations. A small population of Jews (app. 13 million) in the world has 88 sects. (Grace Halsell – ‘Journey to Jerusalem').
Because of the integrity of the Quran (since the Prophet's days), religious denominations in Islam could not ripe inspite of the bigotry efforts by many. The only two so-called sects, Shia and Sunni, in Islam are not on doctrinal basis but grew on political ground.
Amongst Christians, the denominational differences are more in number and intensity. A Christian Mormon document estimates ‘over 20,000 Churches on the earth, each with its own doctrines and beliefs.' (Dennis K. Brown – ‘It Makes Sense', p. 2). The estimate seems to be on the higher side. But certainly there are hundreds of sectarian churches in the world, if not thousands. This is inspite of Inquisition (Judicial elimination of sectarian differences) and the thirty years war between the Catholics and the Protestants in Europe (1618-48). In the absence of the (original) Gospel of Jesus, the traditions have played a major role in the proliferation of the Churches. The other facts are:
- Delayed compilation of the four Gospels by the disciples and others i.e. from 50 - 100 years after Jesus' death;
- Assembly and identification of the New Testament in the 4 th century; and
- Production of the authorized English version of the Bible (King James Version) in the 16 th century, containing thousands of errors.
The result of the first revision of the King James Version (KJV), published in 1881, by the convocation of Canterbury, through a Committee comprising 47 scholars of major denominations reads as under:
‘Over 30,000 changes were made, of which more than 5000 represent differences in the Greek text from that used as the basis of the King James Version…. (Enc. Brit. Ed XV, Vol. 2, p.891)
Since then, four more Versions have been made (The English Revised Version, American Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, and New Revised Standard Version) up to 1990. The exercise continues in search of the original Scripture. But in the mean time, the KJV with, on average, ten ‘differences' on each page of a 500-page New Testament remains the most popular version in the Christian world. The so called ‘differences' have been called ‘grave mistakes' and ‘serious defects' in the RSV and the NRSV respectively.
Above is the quantitative discrepancy in the New Testament.
Sir Fredrick Kenyon, the Former Director British Museum, comments on the qualitative inaccuracy of the New Testament as under:
‘For 1400 years, the New Testament had been handed down in manuscript, copy being taken from copy in a long succession through the centuries, each multiplying and spreading errors… the first printed text was made from a mere handful of manuscripts and those some of the latest and least trustworthy that existed.
The result is that the text accepted in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, to which---we have learnt as those of the Word of God, is in truth full of inaccuracies…'
(Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, p. 104)
Professor Bart D. Ehrman, Chairman Dept. of Religious Studies, University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill, comments on the Greek text, the basis of the New Testament as under:
“The reality is that we don't have originals… Not only do we not have originals, we don't have the first copies of the originals. We don't have even copies of the copies of the originals, or copies of the copies of the copies of the originals. What we have are copies made later—much later. In most instances they are copies made many centuries later. And these copies all differ from one another in so many places that we don't even know how many differences there are. Possibly it is easiest to put it in comparative terms: ‘there are more differences among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament.'”
(Bart D. Ehrman—‘Misquoting Jesus' p10; Harper San Fransisco, A division of Harper Collins Publisher-USA).
From the above statements, four questions arise:
- Why did God Almighty not preserve His Scripture miraculously as He had earlier revealed it supernaturally?
- Was God not aware that His Chosen People have been maintaining an inaccurate Scripture throughout these centuries?
- Should God leave the world without authentic Divine Guidance?
- Was God not capable of revealing another Scripture for the guidance of mankind, and protecting it for all times to come?
God Almighty, All-Knowledgeable, has done exactly the same.
The Last Testament:
Six hundred years after Jesus, another Scripture, the Quran, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, a descendant of Abraham, through his eldest son Ishmael. The Quran is the unique Scripture in the world, which is intact since it was revealed 1400 years ago. Quran's date and place of revelation and compilation are well known. It has no version and its ancient manuscripts have no variations. Quran's master copies sent to new areas of Islamic influence are still available in the museums of Istanbul, Tashkent, and Cairo. Above all the safety of the Quran has been guaranteed by the Almighty God Himself:
“We have assuredly sent down the message and We will assuredly guard it.” (The Quran 15:9)
“No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: it is sent down by One full of Wisdom, Worthy of praise.” (The Quran 41:42)
The Quran recognizes most of the Biblical Prophets, their Scriptures (Torah, Gospel, & Psalm), as well as the great miracles of Moses & Jesus.
Surprisingly, God discouraged Prophet Muhammad's desire for having (Moses' like) miracles (The Quran 6:35). On the contrary, God presented His Scripture (The Quran) as the miraculous Book and has challenged mankind repeatedly:
“And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to our servant, then produce a Chapter like thereunto and call your witnesses or helpers apart from Allah.” (The Quran 2:23)
For an ordinary reader, like me, this seventh Century Book (The Quran), which highlights various aspects of God (e.g.: Creation of Universe, development of life on this Planet, growing of foetus in mother's womb etc etc) reveals, miraculously, modern scientific knowledge that is understood only in the 18 th and 19 th centuries.
The other group of miraculous Quranic verses is the Prophesies especially concerning Abraham's descendants. Jesus Christ had earlier prophesied Hell punishment to the Israelites. The Quran has prophesied God's wrath on the Jews throughout their worldly life:
“Behold! Your Lord did declare that He would send against them (the Israelites), to the Day of Judgment, those who would afflict them with grievous penalty… We broke them up into sections on earth…” (The Quran 7:167-168)
“Behold! Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you (of the falsehood) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow you superior to those who reject faith to the Day of Resurrection.” (The Quran 3:55)
History is the witness that despite their natural pursuits and intellectual interests, the political scenario of the Israelites (Jewish community) has been a manifestation of the Quranic Prophesy during all this period.
History all witnesses that no group of Abraham's descendants has monopoly of the PL. Possession of the PL is a divine phenomenon. Whosever rediscovers the ‘Word of God' in the purest form and is determined to apply it in its totality will be bestowed upon the PL.
Digging for facts is wiser than jumping to conclusions.
Possession of the Promised Land (Palestine) by Jews, Christians, and Muslims In Chronological Order
YEAR | HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT | POLITICAL SUPREMACY IN THE PROMISED LAND | TOTAL PERIOD |
2167 BC | Birth of Abraham in Ur. Moves to Canaan under God's command. | Occupied by Canaanites, Moabites, Kemites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Amorites, Jebusites, Perizzites, Crigashites, etc etc |
|
2066 BC | Isaac born (d. 1886 BC) |
| |
2006 BC | Jacob born (d. 1859 BC) |
| |
1876 BC | Jacob moves to Egypt to live with his son Joseph |
| |
1526 BC | Moses born in Egypt (d. in Sinai 1406) |
| |
1486 BC | Moses and Israelites (Hebrews, Jews) flee to Sinai, after living in Egypt for 390 2 years, according to the Appendix of the Authorized Bible (NRSV) Israelites afraid of Canaanites refused to enter the Promised Land, threatened to return to Egypt (Num 14:2-3) | Up to 1300 BC Palestine was under Egyptian rulers
|
|
1406 BC | Moses died. Joshua entered the Promised Land | Philistine tribes and Israelites struggled to dominate the area |
|
1400 BC | Joshua completes the conquest of the Land (Western Palestine) |
|
|
1380 BC | Rule of the Judges began | No national Government was formed |
|
1043 BC | Saul appointed first king of Israelites' Palestine. Central Government formed and country united | Tribes confederated. Israelites supreme political authority | 32 years |
1011 BC | David becomes King of Palestine | 40 years | |
971 BC | Solomon became King of Palestine. Temple built | 40 years | |
931 BC | Country splits into Israel (north) and Judah (south) | Next two hundred years petty Israelite States struggled for domination (Israel, Judah, Moab, Edom, Damascus)
No sovereign central Government | 210 year |
919 BC | Israel attacked by King Shishak of Egypt Despoiled the Temple | ||
722 BC | Israel attacked by Assyrians. Kingdom plundered, despoiled Temple Many of its inhabitants deported (known as Lost Tribes) Judah (300 sq miles), being small size reduced to a secondary power | ||
586 BC | Judah attacked by Babylonians. Temple destroyed, City razed Ark of Covenant & the Divine Tablets lost | Judah also lost its political supremacy Remained under Babylon control |
|
536 BC | Persians attacked Palestine Temple rebuilt (536-516) | Persians dominated the area |
|
516-333 BC | Israelites returned and settled in Palestine Torah governed the society Judea prospered | Jews transformed from political entity to religious people | 283 years |
333 BC | Judea conquered Became a province of Alexander's empire | Under Greek influence |
|
304 BC | Ptolemy I, Greek King of Egypt attacked Palestine | --do-- |
|
63 BC | Roman Emperor, Pompey the Great conquered Syria & Palestine and annexed it | Palestine under Romans Ruled by Herod the Great & his successors. (A Pagan empire) |
|
66 AD | Jews revolted against Romans but crushed by Nero's general in 70 AD Jerusalem razed and Temple destroyed |
| |
132 AD | Jews revolted again in 132 AD but put down by the Romans Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city and renamed Aslia Capitolina, banned circumcision; Jews were forbidden to live in Death penalty for any Jew who entered its gate |
| |
313 AD | Roman Emperor Constantine the Great embraced Christianity in 313 AD Persecution of the Christians stopped Emperor Theodosius, in 380 AD, made Christianity as the official religion of the Empire Palestine therefore came under Roman Christian Empire 3 | Christianity thus became the supreme ruler of the promised Land | 254 years |
634 AD | Muslims (Arabs) conquered not only Palestine but also areas from the Nile to Euphrates, the Promised Land, and beyond. | Muslims possessed the Promised Land | 1284 years |
1918 | British forces conquered Palestine and through UNO handed it (Palestine) over to Jews in 1948 |
|
|
1948 | State of Israel established under UN mandate and is maintained as such till date. But Jews have been facing fierce and militant opposition from the Muslim (and Christian) Arab population in and around the area | Ruled by Jews without divine commandment in a state of hostility from local Arabs and Christians too | 58 years |
NOTE:
Sources of information collected in this article are:-
- the Appendix to the Holy Bible (NRSV) for mainly chronology purposes, and
- Funk and Wagnall's New Encyclopedia for other details.
Dates differ a little in these documents but events are almost the same in most of the Biblical literature.
SUMMARY: Total Rule in the Promised Land by Each Fraction of Abraham's Faith
JEWS: Actual sovereign continuous rule during Saul, David, and Solomon (212 years), the second sovereign rule under UN mandate (58 years), and under the Hashmonians (100 years) (However the total stay in the PL with intermittent devastation of the land, destruction of the Temple (twice) and deportation (twice) by the surrounding nations was 702 years) | 370 years |
CHRISTIANS: Total continuous rule by the Christian Roman Empire (380-634 AD) | 254 years |
MUSLIMS: Total continuous Muslim rule in the Promised Land (634-1918 AD) | 1284 years |
FOOTNOTES:
1St. Paul's theory of ‘Love' has never worked in the Christian society. It starts with St. Paul's condemnation of Jesus' disciples (Gal 2:2-13); Inquisition against Christians, with some difference of opinions, in which thousands were burnt on stake; Thirty years wars between the Catholic and Protestants; Anti-Semitism against Jews in Europe ending with six million Jews exterminated; Two hundred years crusades against Arab Muslims; Slave trade; Colonial Apartheid; World Wars I & II (killing fifty-five million people; etc. etc…
2According to the Bible Text Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40 )
3Persia attacked Roman Empire in 614 AD and captured Jerusalem . But then lost it after 14 years to the Roman
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