Whose Promised Land: The continuing conflict over Israel and Palestine

by Colin Chapman, Kate Benson (Editor)

Overview

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has profoundly affected the Middle East for almost seventy years, and shows no sign of ending. With two peoples claiming the same piece of land for different reasons, it remains a huge political and humanitarian problem. Can it ever be resolved? If so, how? These are the basic questions addressed in a new and substantially revised fifth edition of this highly acclaimed book. Having lived and worked in the Middle East at various times since 1968, Colin Chapman explains the roots of the problem and outlines the arguments of the main parties involved. He also explores the theme of land in the Old and New Testaments, discussing legitimate and illegitimate ways of using the Bible in relation to the conflict. This new and fully updated edition covers developments since 9/11, including the building of the security wall, the increased importance of Hamas and the Islamic dimension of the conflict, and the attacks on Lebanon and Gaza.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745970257
Publisher:	SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge)
Publication date:	10/15/2015
Edition description:	Fully revised and updated
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Colin Chapman is former lecturer in Islamic studies at the Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon. He is the author of Christianity on Trial (Lion), The Case for Christianity (Lion), and Islam and the West: Conflict, Co-existence or Conversion (Paternoster).

Table of Contents

Preface to the 2015 Revision 9

Introduction 11

Part 1 Understanding the History 15

Chapter 1 The Land in History: Basic Facts and Their Interpretation 17

1.1 The patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (c, 2000-1700 BC) 17

1.2 The exodus and the conquest of the land under Joshua (c. 1280-1050 BC) 18

1.3 The kingdom under Saul, David, and Solomon (1050-931 BC) 19

1.4 The kingdoms of Israel and Judah (931-587 BC) 20

1.5 The Babylonian exile (597-539 BC) 21

1.6 Palestine under the Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks (597-63 BC) 21

1.7 Palestine under the Romans (63BC-AD330) 22

1.8 Palestine under the Byzantine empire (AD 330-634) 23

1.9 Palestine under the Arabs and Seljuk Turks (634-1099) 24

1.10 Palestine under the Crusaders and the Mamluks (1099-1516) 24

1.11 Palestine under the Ottoman Turks (1516-1918) and the birth of Zionism 25

1.12 Palestine under the British Mandate (1922-48) 26

1.13 The UN Partition Plan (1947) 29

1.14 The founding of the State of Israel (1948) 30

1.15 Conflicts between 1948 and 1991 31

1.16 The peace process from 1991 to 2001 37

1.17 Developments since 2002 41

1.18 Different interpretations of the facts 47

Chapter 2 The Seeds of Conflict: Call the Next Witness 55

2.1 Anti-Semitism 56

2.2 Zionism 61

2.3 Jewish settlement in the land 73

2.4 Arab reactions to Jewish settlement 81

2.5 The role of Britain 85

2.6 The role of the United Nations 93

2.7 Partition and war (1948-49) 98

2.8 Israel's self-perception 108

2.9 Other Jewish/Israeli voices 117

2.10 Different Palestinian voices 126

2.11 Conclusions 148

Chapter 3 Crucial Issues Today: Asking the Right Questions 153

3.1 What about the occupation? 153

3.2 What about Gaza? 155

3.5 What have been the main subjects of dispute? 158

3.4 What happened to the peace process? 161

3.5 The one-state or the two-state solution? 163

3.6 Zionism or Zionisms? 165

3.7 Can Israel be both a Jewish state and democratic? 168

3.8 How is the conflict affected by other developments in the region? 170

3.9 How important is Islam in the conflict? 171

3.10 Why do Christians have such different responses to Zionism and Israel? 173

Part 2 Interpreting the Bible 177

Chapter 4 The Land Before Christ: 'A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey' 179

4.1 The promise of the land 180

4.2 The boundaries of the land 184

4.3 The conquest of the land 187

4.4 The land and the temple 196

4.5 Exile from the land 198

4.6 The return to the land 202

4.7 The land and the hopes of Israel 207

4.8 Conclusions 213

Chapter 5 The Land After Christ: The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth' 215

5.1 The birth of Jesus the Messiah 216

5.2 Jesus and the land 220

5.3 Jesus and Jerusalem 228

5.4 The redemption of Israel, the kingdom of Israel, and the kingdom of God 238

5.5 The land in the teaching of the apostles 242

5.6 John's vision of the final fulfilment of the covenant 251

5.7 The land and the millennium 257

5.8 Conclusions 261

Chapter 6 Other Biblical Themes: 'Is There Any Word from the Lord?' 265

6.1 A passion for truth 266

6.2 The problem of prejudice 275

6.3 The demands of the law 279

6.4 The prophetic concern for justice 286

6.5 God's judgment in history 295

6.6 Suffering injustice 302

6.7 Rethinking and repentance through disaster 308

6.8 Jew and Gentile in the Old Testament 317

6.9 Jew and Gentile after Jesus the Messiah 325

6.10 The condemnation of anti-Semitism 332

6.11 The possibility of reconciliation 339

6.12 Conclusions 346

Part 3 Finding Ways Forward 351

Chapter 7 Realities and Possibilities Today: The Things That Make for Peace' 353

7.1 Zionism 355

7.2 Christian Zionism 369

7.3 Zionism and Islam 390

7.4 The power equation in the world today 403

Conclusion: Whose Land? 411

Appendix 1 Principles of Christian Interpretation of Old Testament Prophecy 427

Appendix 2 Examples of Christian Interpretation of Old Testament Prophecy 435

Notes 447

Index of Biblical Passages 461

General Index 465

Editorial Reviews

"When first published, this book influenced thousands of Christians with its balanced, thoughtful and Bible-based assessment of the situation in Israel/Palestine. Sadly, occupation and settlement have continued and deepened in Palestine over the last dozen years, and talks about a just peace have stumbled. So an update is long overdue. With this brand new edition Colin Chapman does not disappoint. This remains the go-to text for Christians and others wanting to understand what is really happening in the Middle East."

Jeremy Moodey

"For over thirty years this one book has stood out as the seminal work on this highly contested issue. This really is the "must-have" book on one of the world's hottest topics"

Dr Peter Walker

"For a more than a generation, Colin Chapman's Whose Promised Land? has been the premier volume for Christians who are trying to think Christianly about the conflict in Israel-Palestine. And this new edition is a helpful update and improvement in his already-outstanding presentation. The strength of Chapman's work is not only in its comprehensiveness, but in its fairness. Unlike most scholars, he sites his sources extensively, letting political leaders and theologians speak for themselves, so that the reader can make his or her own judgments about the meaning of their words. This is simply an essential book that ought to be in the hands of every thoughtful Christian who cares about the world, the Middle East, and the Bible."

Gary Burge

"A deep, long look at the issues surrounding the crisis in the historic land common to the three great monotheistic religions, Whose Promised Land? is recommended as a fine introduction to the history of the conflict."

Relevant Magazine

"Provides an even-handed approach that does not automatically assume a pro-Israel stance. Instead, it seeks to present an honest appraisal of modern Israel while clearly delineating the inter-related issues surrounding the crisis in the Middle East. There’s a great deal of good analysis of some very difficult texts. A terrific book."

American Vision

"Colin Chapman has long been acknowledged as providing a strong intellectual voice to Christian concern for Palestinians, and this book will undoubtedly reinforce that."

Dr Jane Clements

"Highly illuminating and gives an excellent analysis (with thought-provoking questions) of both sides of the problem."  —Christianity Today

From the Publisher