The Jewish people living in
Eretz Israel were the first in the history of this land and in the
ancient Near East to determine the shape and use of the mountainous and
desert landscapes and embark on an intensive settlement in these
regions. This accomplishment, on an international scale, brought about
construction in the heart of the Judean mountains and in Jerusalem, the
capital city, the Temple of worship, and an array of fortifications, all
being the most magnificent in the ancient world.
Since the mountainous and desert
regions took up almost two thirds of the land area, the Israelites
developed ingenious and pioneering technologies that were handed down to
other nations:
1. the culture of terrace
agriculture,
2. the storage and transportation
of water,
3. wood, stone and metal
industries,
4. the architecture of grand
buildings,
5. road engineering.
In this
way, the mountain and desert regions turned from isolated and sparsely
settled areas in the time of the Caananites, into preferred and
populated areas in the times of the Israelites, as stated in the
prophecy of Isaiah: “...And I will bring forth a seed of Yaakov, and out
of Yehuda an inheritor of my mountains, and my chosen ones shall inherit
it, and my servants shall dwell there.” (Isaiah 65:9)
