Philo,
I am going to jump into an observation for just for discussion. I was a bit puzzled by your comments about people seeing Israel as the big center of things. I had thought it was a backwater area. well at least relatively small potatoes. Yet if I think of LDS views of a church or true religion going from Adam down through the Bible I can certainly see what you may have had in mind.
Once some years back on a message board some folks of which I had some involvement,were questioning the Book of Mormon for not including much information about all the other people living in the area. (this was before Shulem made his discovery about Delaware).Brant Gardner dressed myself and others down for presuming with insufficient knowledge of ancient texts how ancient authors might completely ignore outsiders.Book of Mormon did not mention all of the native inhabitants because they were not part of the story. Well we all had some familiarity with a genuine ancient text, Bible which does focus on one people sees the story from that one side. I can see stuff gets left out. I find myself thinking of the struggles of Elijah....boy it seems there is a lot more outsiders and opponents than one might expect at that point in the story.
You have a point, with Mr Gardner, that the ancient document presents a narrowed and limited context. Yes but I am going to trouble you with a list of others mentioned in the Old Testament showing an interest not in the Book of Mormon.
from a rather ordinary conservative Bible site:
As a new nation Israel interacted with the following 25 peoples; the Chaldees, People of Ebla, People of Haran, and Egyptians (Gen 12), Canaanites, Perizzites (Gen 13), Rephaires, Zuzites (Gen 14), Einites, Horites, Amalekites, Amorites, Kenites (Gen 15), Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Girgashites, Jebusites, Moabites and Ammonites (Gen 19), Philistines (Gen 20, 22) Asshurites, Leushites, Leummites, and Midianites (Gen 25).
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http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/people-group
source chosen because it was top of the google list
Sojourn in Egypt/Exodus
During their captivity and exodus Israel interacted with the following 25 peoples; Ishmaelites (Gen 25) Arameans (Gen 25:20), Hivites Gen 36), Edomites, Adullamites (Gen 38)
Then in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua: the encountered Midianites, Egyptians, Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites (Exo 3) Amalekites (Num 13), Nephilim, Ammonites (Num 21) and Moabites (Num 22).
Judges
During the time of the Judges in books Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel: Israel could have been a blessing of God to Canaanites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Amorites, Sidonians, Hivites, Philistines, (Phonecians), Hittites, Jebusites, Amalekites, Moabites, Ammonites, Midianites, Abiezrites (Judges 8), and Maonites (Judges 10) and other Egyptians.
Kings
2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles (Includes Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaih, Jeremiah, Lamentations):
Israel continued to interact with the Philistines, Amalekites, Ammonites, Arameans, Edomites, Moabites, Hittites, Gibeonites, Armorites, Hararite (2 Sam 23) as well as Egyptians, Phonecians (Tyre and Sidon), Assyrians and Chaldeans.
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Pardon me If I am still reflecting on Brant Gardners theory. It is not dumb but I find it stretched. Even with a lot of editing at the end of the history I suspect all those other groups of natives would have roles in the story
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Philo I should consider that you are likely thinking of the fact that though the Bible has bunches of people mentioned it does not put effort into understanding these other people.