“My Father Was a Wandering Aramean”: Biblical Conceptions of Migration and Their Relevance to Contemporary Immigration Debates in the United States

Abstract

Ancient Israel’s foundational story enshrined the notion that its ancestors emigrated to the land of Canaan, a land that they were forced to leave repeatedly and to which they kept returning. Examples of this recurring biblical motif include: Abraham’s emigration from Mesopotamia and subsequent flight from Canaan to Egypt and return to Canaan; Jacob’s forced exile to Mesopotamia and his return to Canaan that is followed by his family’s eventual emigration to Egypt; the Israelites’ journey to Canaan from Egypt; the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem that resulted in forced migrations to Babylonia and Egypt; and the eventual return of some of the exiles to the Persian province of Judea. This national origin story left a significant imprint on a number of biblical laws and narratives that show a deep concern for resident aliens and certain foreigners. This chapter will explore the complexity of the biblical terrain surrounding ancient Israel’s self-perception as an immigrant people and the effect this had on the biblical understanding and treatment of various categories of non-Israelites. Along the way, we will interrogate in what ways the biblical materials and conceptual categories can or cannot be usefully mapped upon and applied to the contemporary immigration crisis in the United States.https://scholarworks.smith.edu/rel_books/1022/thumbnail.jp