No 9

(Its many hosts)

God promised Israel a piece of land that goes from the River of Egypt (Wadi Al Arish) to the River Euphrates (Gen 15 : 18). Part of the land is called Canaan and it was named after the son of Ham and the grandson of Noah. Israel took this land by force under the direction of Joshua and made the nations that were living there (Amorites, Jebusites, etc) slaves to Israel according to Noah’ s prophesy in Genesis 9 : 25. However through the centuries, many other nations have come to possess this land for reasons that we know if we read the Old Testament. Here is a list of the nations that have either completely possessed it or have reigned over it from another country : The Assyrians (721 BC); The Babylonians (587 BC); The Medo-Persians (530 BC); The Greeks (331 BC); The Romans (63 BC); The Byzantines (300 AD); The Arabs/ Muslims (600AD); The Ottomans (1517); The British (1918). In 70 AD, the Jews were thrown out of Israel and were scattered all over the world. They had to adapt themselves to the customs and the language of the country they happened to be in. Many of these nation-hosts were very harsh on the Jews and some restricted them to certain areas (Polish ghettos). This went on for centuries until the hope of a homeland for the Jews was re-kindled in 1917 by the Balfour Declaration that set the pace for an official Jewish state. Israel finally regained a portion of the land in 1948 by a United Nations General Assembly decision amid much protesting by the Arab nations. Many war ensued, but the Jews have managed to hold on to this land until today. When God makes a promise, He keeps it : modern-day Israel is an example.