Some believe the "Habiru" signified generally all the nomadic tribes known as "Hebrews", and particularly the early Israelites, who sought to appropriate the fertile region for themselves.

The Biblical history has become increasingly problematic as the archaeological and textual evidence supports the idea that the early Israelites were in fact themselves Canaanites.

The early Israelites are believed to have been a breakaway Canaanite sect.

As with Judaism, British Israelism asserts theologically related claims of a genetic link to the early Israelites.

Wine played a significant role in the religion of the early Israelites with images of grape growing, harvesting and winemaking often being used to illustrate religious ideals.

Farming - the cultivation of olives, wheat, dates, barley, sheep and goats - occupied most early Israelites.

The result is a growing consensus among Egyptologists, Biblical scholars and archeologists that most of the early Israelites were Canaanites.

Dr. Stager said the early Israelites were probably a "hodgepodge of different segments of society" that was brought together by their rural experience.

He said no scholars today seriously believe the early Israelites came as conquerors.

"I would not say we have the whole constituency of early Israelites yet," Dr. Stager said.