Key feature during the patriarchal period
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE.
During the patriarchal era,they lived a nomadic way of life where they reared animals and moved from place to place in search of water and pasture.They would camp in a certain place for some time and their animals would graze there.
They would establish altars where they camped and worshipped God.
EXAMPLE.
In Genesis 12 we see Abram leaving Haran with his family and livestock by the command of God.He comes to Canaan and dwells there.From here he moves to Shechem and builds an altar for the Lord after God spoke to him and promised to give his (Abram) descendants the land of Canaan.
He farther moves south to the hill country east of the city of Bethel where he builds another altar for the Lord.
He continues moving southwards and due to a severe famine in Canaan,comes to Egypt in search of pasture.He then moves north out of Egypt in the southern part of Canaan.
Here the herdsmen of Abram and Lot(Abram’s nephew) quarrel due to pasture.They both had so many animals and the land could not support both of them thus they had to separate.
Lot and his animals moved toward the east in the Jordan Valley and camped near Sodom while Abram stayed in the land of Canaan.
Abram later journeyed from Mamre to the south and lived between Kadesh and Shur.
Understanding the cultural and historical context enhances our interpretation of patriarchal narratives in that we are able to understand better how the people of that era lived,what their occupation was,their economy and how they interacted with other regions beyond their own and even how and what they worshipped.