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The Significance of the Physical Setting
George Ernest Wright observed that of all of the scriptures of the major world religions, the Bible is the only one requiring a grasp of history and geography. The quantity of historical and geographical references made in both its prose and its poetry impresses the reader of the need to be aware of these aspects of the text. Although the bulk of the biblical text is centered along the southern Levant, its narratives and speeches encompass territories much farther to the E and N and W.
Looking north from S. Sinai.
The reader is impressed that the writers of the Hebrew Bible demonstrated a keen awareness of their surroundings. Descriptions of the terrain, the flora and fauna are remarkably detailed.
"Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms." Ex. 15:27.
The ways that the topography influences events is equally remarkable. As one follows the narrative through successive periods of history interaction between peoples occur in many of the same places because of topography.
 The limestone Judean mountains.
That is where the water resources are located; this is where the terrain allows for battle; that is where farming is best or where livestock can be supported; this is a regional route and there is an international route.
Classic battlefield - looking W. down
the Jezreel Valley. Gideon thinned out his troops at the Spring of Harod at the foot of Mt. Gilboa to
the left of the picture..
These topographical features dictated where battles would be fought, where travel and the attendant social and commercial intercourse would be routed, and consequently, where fortifications would need to be established.
Paul Ferris, Yohanan Aharoni & Bill Dever
discuss whether the gate discovered at Tel Gezer was Solomonic.
From beginning to end, although the characters and plot may change, the stage on which the drama is played out is basically the same.
The "stage" on which the drama of
redemption played out
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Significance of the Cultural Setting
The "building blocks" of a society are affected by the physical setting of that society because realities of topography and climate have an unmistakeable impact on what it takes to live in a given locale.
Shepherd with flock in Judean mountains.
However, worldview has an even greater impact on a social group. It is important for any 21st century reader (especially of a contemporary, paraphrastic version) to be mindful that they are reading a text which is actually ancient. It is just as important for Western readers to pay attention that they are reading historical narrative, discourse, poetry and so forth that is Oriental. While a believer ought to seek to contextualize the teaching of Scripture to their situation, it will not do to follow the example of the medieval and Renaissance periods and re-make the biblical authors/ speakers and "first audience" in our own image.
Adoration of the Magi - 16th cent..
The ancient, oriental "first audience" of this Scripture lived in the midst of people-groups steeped in animism and polytheism and their related mythologies.
Fertility goddess Asherah - consort of the great god..
This dynamic and what it means to demonstrate the glory of the one true God to neighboring people groups without being infected by pagan values can be seen throughout the Bible's narratives, teachings and reflections.
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