THE TEUE POSITION OP THE HEBREWS 69 



as there is no trace whatever of the Israelites among 

 the Egyptian remains ; but some scholars think that 

 in their wanderings the Israelitic nomads may have 

 entered the Egyptian Delta — the fringe of the kingdom, 

 which occasionally had such visitors from the desert. 

 The story of Mount Sinai is rejected as impossible 

 even by opponents of the Higher Critics. The code 

 of laws is largely Babylonian, and certainly late ; and 

 it is almost impossible to say how much or little 

 genuine history there is among the obvious fables of 

 Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. 



That is now the general attitude of historians. 

 The first positive indication — the only certain indica- 

 tion before 900 b.c. — is an Egyptian reference to a 

 tribe named Isirail (clearly Israel) about 1,230 b.c. 

 They were then one of the many tribes which 

 harassed Egyptian imperialism in Palestine, and 

 were punished by the Egyptian armies. A few 

 scholars think that a proportion of the tribe may 

 have been carried captive to Egypt, but it is hardly 

 worth while to speculate on these obscure matters. 



The story of the conquering of Palestine is mainly 

 mythical, and full of impossibilities. It seems 

 probable that they had taken advantage of the grow- 

 ing weakness of Egypt, about 1,400 b.c, to press in 

 with the other tribes. Against the civilized Canaanites 

 they could do little until they had learned the elements 

 of civilization. Probably the Song of Deborah is a 

 genuine relic of . their first great victory over the 

 Canaanites about 1,200 b.c. Then, however, the 

 highly civilized Cretans settled in Palestine, and 

 probably drove the Israelites back to the hills. To 

 the Philistines they must — as the story of Samson 

 suggests— have seemed barbarous highlanders, elusive 



