Friday, September 02, 2011

Chariots

“Iron Age Israel and Judah were far better suited to accommodate a large chariotry than their surrounding neighbors. They had a varied but compact terrain with open plains for chariot training, rich valleys of pastureland, more than adequate barley and oat production, and hilly areas appropriate for breeding and rearing foals. More importantly, both Israel and Judah were geographically small with short distances between cities, forts, and battlefields. Horses could be moved from one area to another in a matter of hours, rather than the weeks required to cross a much larger country such as Assyria or Egypt.”—Contrell, page 63

<idle musing>
This is from a professional equestrian, so it would be a good idea to listen...
</idle musing>

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