Sola Scriptura
"The Bible alone is the ultimate and final authority for Christian faith and practice"
The Late Bronze Age Collapse
How it influenced ancient Israel — A Biblical Perspective
What happened around 1200 BC that brought down the great empires of the ancient world? How did the collapse affect Egypt? The Hittite Empire did fall. In the aftermath of the Collapse, Canaan would be forever be changed. This study examines the archaeological evidence alongside Scripture to reveal God's sovereign hand in history.
— William R. Brinkley
Understanding the Collapse
The Late Bronze Age Collapse was a widespread upheaval, but its effects were far from uniform across the ancient Near East. Rather than a single catastrophic fall, it was a complex period of disruption in which different societies adapted in strikingly different ways. The Phoenician city‑states, positioned along the Levantine coast, not only weathered the turmoil but also emerged stronger, expanding their maritime networks and cultural influence. For the Arameans and other West Semitic pastoralist groups, the breakdown of older imperial systems opened new opportunities for settlement, autonomy, and eventual state formation. Meanwhile, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia endured significant strain—losing territory, resources, and political cohesion—yet each managed to survive the crisis and eventually rebuild. The collapse reshaped the region, but it also set the stage for new powers, new cultures, and a transformed political landscape rather than a simple descent into darkness.
Biblical history is the story of God's relationship with humanity and His plan for the world. It is a story, but one that is fundamentally a story of faith and divine action that uses historical events as its foundation.
— William R. Brinkley