[aruanan]

Of collateral interest is how this again demonstrates the ability of at least some people to travel at that time and the apparent interaction between peoples. This is important in refuting the idea among some historians that societies were essential static and little happened from millena to millenia.

I remember the stories of how scholars were belittling the idea of Abraham and family traveling from the Tigris/Euphrates region to the Mediterranean and down to Egypt. They said much the same thing about little movement of these ancient peoples. Subsequent discoveries proved them wrong. There have been found contracts dating from the time of Abraham, actually wagon rental agreements in which there appeared specific restrictions that enjoined the renter from taking the wagon on trips over to the Mediterranean region, a clear indication that such movement was common.

[LostTribe]

>I remember the stories of how scholars were belittling the idea of Abraham and family traveling from the Tigris/Euphrates

I would like to read an authoritative book which discusses travel in ancient times. We now know the amount of travel around the Med in Jesus time was very heavy. The Romans went to Britain so frequently upper class business men and military officers could have 2nd homes there in the region of Bath and elsewhere. There was already a major Roman highway running from the west of England to todays London, passing right by Bath. If you had the status and the money, you could travel.

[RobbyS]

I have heard that scholars are now admitting that there is a lot of historical content in the Abraham story, things they didn't see until the information was dug up.