The Ancient Promise That Outlasted Empires

When our forefather Abraham stood on the mountain between Bethel and Ai, he was commanded to lift his eyes westward and eastward, northward and southward. Before him lay the domains of the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, and Philistines. But these were not the only forces at play. To the south, east, and north were vast empires; even from the west, the Philistines and Sea Peoples were beginning their migrations to the land of Canaan.

To the south was the Egyptian Empire, a powerhouse for centuries, thanks to the year-round flow of the Nile. Egypt exerted economic and military might throughout the region, extending its influence deep into Africa and north into Canaan. Any rebellious Canaanite king knew to fear the wrath of Pharaoh, whose military campaigns could destroy cities and impose enormous tributes.

To the east was the ancient Babylonian Empire. Although fragmented into various power centers, five stood out prominently: Babel led by the famous King Hammurabi; Larsa; Eshnunna; Elam; and Assyria. These cities boasted powerful kings who controlled what is broadly known as Mesopotamia. Their rulers would march into Canaan when needed.

To the north was the Phoenician Kingdom. The coastal city of Sidon was large and renowned. Further northeast were other Canaanite cities, such as Ugarit and Ebla, the latter a vast empire ruled by King Ibrium. The Sidonian Phoenicians considered themselves at home in Canaan, as they and the Canaanites were one people. Among them were the Hurrians and other ancient peoples inhabiting and surrounding Canaan.

The thought of a solitary, anonymous individual in the wilderness with a flock of sheep—a centenarian with no issue—being promised that he and his yet-to-exist descendants would inherit this land, claimed by so many nations, for eternity, is incomprehensible.

To picture something similar today, imagine an outsider standing in the heart of America, declaring: this land will be mine, mine, and my descendants'—forever! An assertion valid for millennia, not just a fleeting moment. Nearly four thousand years have passed, and all the empires and nations of that era have vanished. All of them. Not just some, or most, but every single one. Not one empire, nation, or people from 2000 BCE has survived as distinct, while hundreds existed.

(It's important to note that isolated peoples on certain continents survived. In Australia, people remained isolated for thousands of years and survived, as did kangaroos. The inhabitants of China endured as well, yet no singular group maintained a distinct religion and survived in such global chaos and conquest over millennia).

Yet here in Israel, the descendants of Abraham, the children of Isaac and Ishmael, remain steadfast in this land. No other nation holds claim here, only Abraham's lineage. Even though countless empires over thousands of years desired this land and tried to seize it, the divine promise stands firm. On that very spot where Abraham received the promise, a Jewish settlement named "Bethel" exists—just as it was named four thousand years ago.

How did this promise endure? How did our forefather Abraham transform from an anonymous figure into the patriarch of many nations, a man recognized by most of the world's inhabitants today, 5784, as their ancestor?