Dating?

Alon K (alonk@actcom.co.il)
Wed, 13 Nov 1996 21:25:41 +0200

Yitzchok Zlochower wrote [inter alia, re: Death of Sarah]:
>Hebron would
>today be an all Arab city, and their would be no need for negotiations to
>help insure the safety of the current Jewish settlers there. The Oslo
>agreeement may yet be derailed if the controversy over Hebron is not
>settled - all because of an event that happened over 3600 years ago.

Leaving aside the somewhat political overtones of this message, I am
wondering about the dating. If Abraham bought the Machpela Cave only 3600
years ago, and David founded Jerusalem 3000 years ago, that leaves only
600 years for an awful lot of Hebrew history. Now, 400 years were spent
in slavery in Egypt, so that leaves only 200 years for all the toldot of
Isaac, Jacob, 40 years in the desert, Joshua, the Judges, Saul etc.

How is this possible?

Alon Klamkin
Ashkelon, Israel
alonk@actcom.co.il