Kallai, Zecharia(1923-2016)

Zecharia Kallai,  Professor of Historical Geography of Palestine

Born 1923, Vienna Austria; M.A. 1954, Ph.D. 1963 Hebrew University.

Appointments at the Hebrew University:

Research Fellow and Guest Lecturer 1965; Sen. Lecturer 1968; Associate Professor 1974; Professor 1984; Emeritus 1991.

Recipient: Klausner Prize (Nathanya) 1954/5; Ben-Zvi Prize 1968.

List of Publications        (H = Hebrew)

Books:

  1.     The Northern Boundaries of Judah, Jerusalem 1960, 115 pp. + 8 maps (H)

  2.     The Tribes of Israel, Jerusalem 1967, xiv + 447 pp. + 3 maps (H)

  3.     Historical Geography of the Bible, Jerusalem-Leiden 1986, xii +543 pp. + 4 maps  (revised and expanded edition of No. 2)

  4.      Biblical Historiography and Historical Geography, Collection of Studies, Frankfurt am Main 1998, 283 pp.

  5.      Studies in Biblical Historiography and Geography, Collection of Studies, Frankfurt am Main 2010, 262 pp.

 Articles:

  1.     Notes on Eltekeh, Ekron and Timnah, BIES 17 (1952), pp. 62-64 (H)

  2.     Topographical problems in the Land of Benjamin, EI 2, 1953, pp. 108-112 (H)     

  3.     An attempt to determine the location of Beeroth, EI 3, 1954, pp. 111-115 (H)

  4.     The Shephelah of Judaea, BIES 19, 1955, pp. 226-229 (H)

  5.     Notes on the Topography of Benjamin, IEJ 6, 1956, pp. 180-187   (= No. 2)

  6.     Remains of the Roman Road near the Mevo-Betar Highway, BIES 21, 1957, pp. 226-228 (H)

  7.     Jerusalem - in Judah or Benjamin ?, Judah and Jerusalem, Jerusalem 1957, pp. 34-36 (H)

  8.     En-Dor, EI 5, 1958, pp. 120-123 (H)

  9.     The Town-Lists of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin and Dan, VT 8, 1958, pp. 134-160

10.     Remarks on “A Fountain that is in Jezreel”, BIES 25, 1961, pp. 253-256 (H)

11.     Note on the Town-Lists of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin and Dan, VT 11, 1961, pp. 223-227

12.     The Allotments of the Tribes of Israel and their Boundaries, Beth-Miqra 5, 1964, pp. 154-163 (H)

13.     The Wars of Saul, A Military History of Palestine, ed. J. Liver, Tel-Aviv 1964, pp. 132-145 (H)

14.     Kateph IEJ 15, 1965, pp. 177-179

15.     Remains of the Roman Road along the Mevo-Betar Highway, IEJ 15, 1965, pp. 195-203

16.   The Biblical Geography of Flavius Josephus, Fourth World Congress of Jewish Studies, vol. 1, Jerusalem 1967, pp. 203-207 (SBHG pp. 9-16)

17.     Bit-Ninurta = Beth-Horon - On the History of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Amarna Period (with H. Tadmor), EI 9, 1969, pp. 138-147 (H)

18.     The Boundaries of the Allotments of the Tribes of Israel, The University 16,  1970, pp. 27-35 (H)

19.     The Kingdom of Rehoboam, EI 10, 1971, pp. 245-254 (H); XVIII-XIX (Engl.)                                

20.     Baal-Shalisha and Ephraim, Bible and Jewish History (Liver Memorial vol.), Tel-Aviv 1971, pp. 191-206 (H)

21.     The Conquest of Northern Palestine in Joshua and Judges, Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish Studies, 1, Jerusalem   1972,  pp. 129-134(H); 240-241(Engl.)

22.     The Land of Benjamin and Mount Ephraim (Survey), Judaea, Samaria and Golan, ed. M. Kochavi, Jerusalem 1972, pp. 153-193 + map (H)

23.     M. Noth, Aufsätze zur Biblischen Landes- und Altertumskunde (Review article),  IEJ 23, 1973 pp. 187-188

24.  The Boundaries of Canaan and the Land of Israel in the Bible, EI 12, 1975, pp. 27-34 (H) (BHHG pp. 111-129)

25.    P. Diepold, Israels Land (Review article), IEJ 25, 1975, pp. 189-190

26.    Tribes, Territories of, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Supplement, Nashville 1976, pp. 920-923

27.   Organizational and Administrative Frameworks in the Kingdom of David and Solomon, Proceedings, Sixth World Congress of Jewish Studies, vol. 1, Jerusalem 1977, pp. 213-220 (BHHG  pp. 130-136)

28.   The United Monarchy of Israel - A Focal Point in Israelite Historiography, IEJ 27, 1977, pp. 103-109 (BHHG pp. 137-144)

29.   Judah and Israel - A Study in Israelite Historiography, IEJ 28, 1978, pp. 251-261 (BHHG  pp. 145-156) 

30.    Bethakhon and Abel-Beth-Maachah, IEJ 29, 1979, pp. 60-61

31.  The System of Levitic Cities - A Historical-Geographical Study in Biblical Historiography, Zion 45, 1980, pp. 13-34 (H) ( BHHG, sections I-V, pp. 23-51) (& No. 57)

32.    Th. L. Thompson, The Settlement of Palestine in the Bronze Age (Review article), IEJ 31, 1981, pp. 261-263

33.   Territorial Patterns, Biblical Historiography and Scribal Tradition - A Programmatic Survey, ZAW 93, 1981, pp.427-432 (BHHG  pp. 157-164)

34.   The Wandering Traditions from Kadesh-Barnea to Canaan - A Study in Biblical Historiography, JJS 33, 1982, pp. 175-184 (BHHG  pp. 165-174)

35.     En-Dor, EI 16, 1982, pp.168-170 (H)  (Supplement to No. 8)

36.    Conquest and Settlement of Transjordan - A Historiographical Study, ZDPV 99, 1983, pp. 110-118 (BHHG  pp. 175-185)

37.    The Reality of the Land and the Bible, Das Land Israel in Biblischer Zeit, ed. G. Strecker, Göttingen 1983, pp. 76-90 (BHHG pp. 186-201)

38.     Jehud and the Territory of Jewish Settlement under Persian Rule, The World History of the Jewish People, The Restoration - The Persian Period, ed. H. Tadmor, Jerusalem 1983, pp. 72-80, 169-170 (H)

39.     The order of the tribes of Israel in Numbers, Encyclopaedia, The World of the Bible, Numbers, Jerusalem - Ramat-Gan 1985, pp. 23-26 (H)

40.    The Settlement Traditions of Ephraim, ZDPV 102, 1986, pp. 68-74 (BHHG  pp. 202-210)

41.   Solomon’s Districts Reconsidered, Studies in Bible (Cassuto Memorial Volume), Jerusalem 1987, pp. 196-209 (H) (BHHG pp. 92-110)

42.    The southern border of the land of Israel - pattern and application, VT 37, 1987, pp. 438-445 (BHHG  pp. 211-217)

43.   The Campaign of Chedorlaomer and Biblical Historiography, Shnaton, An Annual for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, vol. 10, Jerusalem 1986-1989 Tel-Aviv, pp. 153-168 (H) (BHHG  pp. 218-242)

44.     Na’aman’s Borders and Districts (Review article), JQR 80, 1989, pp. 163-168

45.   The Land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim (Joshua 17, 14-18), BEThL 94, 1990, pp. 197-205 (SBHG pp. 17-25)

46.   BETH-EL - LUZ and BETH-AVEN, R. Liwak & S. Wagner (eds.), Prophetie und geschichtliche Wirklichkeit im alten Israel (S. Herrmann FS), Stuttgart 1991, pp. 171-188 (SBHG pp.26-45)

47.     The King of Israel and the House of David, IEJ 43, 1993, p. 248

48.     A Note on ‘Is Mefa’at to be Found at Tell Jawa (South)?’ by R.W. Younker and P.M. Daviau, IEJ 43, 1993, pp. 249-251

49.   Where did Moses speak (Deuteronomy i 1-5), VT 45, 1995, pp. 188-197 (SBHG pp.46-54)

50.   The explicit and implicit in biblical narrative, J. A. Emerton (ed.), Congress Volume Paris 1992, VTS 61, Leiden 1995, pp. 107-117 (SBHG pp.55-64)                                               

51.     The Defence Cities of Rehoboam, Encyclopaedia, The World of the Bible, 2 Chronicles, Tel Aviv 1995, pp. 82-83 (H)

52.   Samuel in Qumrân - Expansion of a historiographical pattern (4QSam^a),  RB 103, 1996, pp. 581-591 (SBHG pp. 65-73)

53.   The twelve-tribe systems of Israel, VT 47, 1997, pp. 53-90 (SBHG pp. 74-109)

54.    The Patriarchal boundaries, Canaan and the Land of Israel, IEJ 47, 1997, pp. 69-82 (SBHG pp. 113-127)

55.   "Dan why abides he by ships" – and the rules of historiographical writing, JNSL 23/2, 1997, pp. 35-45 (SBHG pp.128-138)

56.   Historical Geography and Biblical Research, BHHG  pp. 13-22

57.   The System of Levitic Cities and Cities of Refuge: A Historical-Geographical Study in Biblical Historiography, section VI (continuation of No. 31), BHHG pp. 51-62

58.   Judah and the Boundaries of Jewish Settlement under Persian Rule, BHHG pp. 63-91

59.   Joshua and Judges 1 in Biblical Historiography, BHHG pp. 243-260

60.    Aspects of Literary Composition in Biblical Historiography, BHHG pp.261-283

61.   The Exodus – a Historiographical Approach, Jerusalem Studies in Egyptology, edit. I. Shirun-Grumach,  Ägypten und Altes Testament, edit M. Görg, Band 40, 1998, pp. 203-205 (SBHG pp.139-141)   

62.   A note on the twelve-tribe systems of Israel, VT 49, 1999, pp. 125-127 (SBHG 110-112)

63.   Rachel’s Tomb. A historiographical Review, J. A. Loader & H. V. Kieweler (eds.), Vielseitigkeit des Alten Testaments (G. Sauer FS), Frankfurt am Main 1999, pp. 215-223 (SBHG pp. 142-149)

64.   Biblical historiography and literary history: a programmatic survey, VT 49, 1999, pp. 338-350 (SBHG pp. 150-161)

65.   EA 288 and biblical historiography, RB 108, 2001, pp. 5 – 20 (SBHG pp. 162-175)

66.     The Bible as History, L. I. Levine & A. Mazar (eds.), The Controversy over the Historicity of the Bible, Jerusalem 2001, pp. 153-163 (H)

67.   Punishment and Guilt in Biblical Historiography, Z. Talshir, S. Yona & D. Sivan (eds.), Homage to Shmuel (S. Ahituv FS), Jerusalem 2001, pp. 376-381 (H) (SBHG pp. 176-182)

68.   Simeon's town list. Scribal rules and geographical patterns, VT 53, 2003, pp. 81-96 (SBHG pp. 183-197)

69.   Some scribal Conventions in Biblical Narrative. A Study in Historiography, ZAW 115, 2003, pp. 38-53 (SBHG pp. 198-213)

70.   Political Doctrines and Ideology in Biblical Historiography. A Programmatic Review, M. Heltzer & M. Malul (eds.), T^eshûrôt LaAvishur (Y. Avishur FS), Tel Aviv – Jaffa 2004, pp. 107*-115* (SBHG pp. 214-224)

71.   From Motif to Composition. Biblical Historiography and Literary History, F. Hartenstein, J. Krispenz & A. Schart (eds.), Schriftprophetie (J. Jeremias FS), Neukirchen-Vluyn 2004, pp. 1-13 (SBHG pp.225-238) 

72.   Biblical Narrative and History. A Programmatic Review, WZKM 96, 2006, pp. 133 -157 (SBHG pp.239-260)

73.     Note on J. A. Emerton: Lines 25-6 of the Moabite Stone and a recently-discovered Inscription, VT 56, 2006, pp.552-553

74.     The Beginnings of Israel: A Methodological Working Hypothesis, IEJ 59, 2009, pp. 194-203

 75.     Biblical Narrative and Historical Method, G. Galil, M. Geller & A. Millard (eds.), Homeland and Exile (B. Oded FS), VTS 130, Leiden 2009, pp. 455-467

76.     Historical Research and Biblical Narrative, WZKM 104, 2014, pp. 105-113

  Diverse articles, in: Encyclopaedia Biblica, Bialik Institute, Jerusalem (H)

Research interests:

Historical geography of Palestine in the Biblical to Byzantine periods. Application of historical geography to Biblical historiography; interaction of historical geography and territorial history with literary frameworks; elucidation of phenomena of scribal tradition involved in Biblical historiography.

 Abstract of current research:

Considering the nature of the sources available, territorial history is seen as a key to biblical, historiographical composition. Research in this field shows that territorial history provides tangible data employed in ancient Israelite historiography, which are rather prominent due to the paramount importance of the land. The prolific use of these data in the form of normative patterns, formalized concepts and in stylized representation, reveals important modes of scribal tradition. Keeping this in mind, epics, narratives and genealogical records that represent historical concepts and events, are subjected to a historical-philological investigation. This research shows that historical concepts govern the arrangement of data that have been used selectively, displaying a sophisticated literary activity that culls its material from sources of diverse stages of literary transformation. The observations in this respect indicate an extensive chronological range of the literary process involved, thus countering the tendency to contract and downdate the literary activity. Based on these observations the question of historicity of the literary, biblical testimonies is examined in a critical, interdisciplinary method that involves the biblical, extra-biblical and archaeological data.