Northern refugees may have shaped biblical texts
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In the late eighth century BCE, the Assyrian Empire’s attacks on the Northern Kingdom of Israel forced many people to flee south into Judah and Jerusalem.
William M. Schniedewind examined evidence suggesting these refugees included scribes who influenced biblical literature. The influx of people greatly expanded Jerusalem’s population, prompting King Hezekiah to build a new wall around the Western Hill and potentially incorporating refugee labor into projects like the Siloam Tunnel.
Schniedewind identified linguistic and naming conventions as clues to the refugees’ origins. He noted that shortened forms of names common in the Northern Kingdom appeared in Judahite inscriptions, suggesting northerners were working and living there. One scribe, Menahem son of Yawbanah, left numerous seal impressions around Jerusalem, sometimes spelling his father’s name in a way that reflected northern Hebrew. This adaptation in spelling indicates that refugees attempted to assimilate into Judahite society after escaping the Assyrian Empire.
While King Hezekiah welcomed the newcomers, later kings like Josiah showed hostility toward them. Schniedewind’s research suggests these scribes not only contributed to Jerusalem’s administration but also preserved traditions about the Northern Kingdom within the Hebrew Bible.
