Ancient Prophecies by Ari Bussel The Setting – Historical Background The Israelites of the desert generation born after the hasty departure from Egypt are returning to the land of their forefathers. They have not known the land of Israel themselves, but they know their God promised it to their forefathers in a covenant for a thousand generations. The promise is still fresh in their collective memories as are the stories of their parents who went from slavery to freedom. As they are about to enter the Land of Israel, a census is taken of all families constituting the twelve tribes....