Ah- you know that Jericho is 10,000 years old and it wasn't populated by faeries and gnomes. Jews (Abraham and party) arrived in the region circa 2000 B.C. more or less. I would guess that archaeologists find evidence of humans in the area going back to at least tens of thousands of years ago. Modern Palestinians though aren't much related to the original people that settled Palestine. The ones like Yassir Arafat that resembled Ringo Starr were comparatively late arrivals from the sea who migrated in waves a little earlier than the Jews arrival, if I recall correctly. The sea peoples attacked Egypt and elsewhere and built a few coastal cities. Jews did war with them after a time, yet it really was Sargon and Nebuchadrezzer's invasions and occupations that beat down the locals solidly as they annexed the area to their empires. Jews were eventually able to move down from the highlands to take control of the lowlands.
I like the timeline since it does ‘resonate’ with the sons of Noah moving out to seemingly mix with and lead existing people living around the fertile crescent. Of course one must believe the flood was just in the lowlands of Iraq (still a large one) and the Ark came to rest uphill in the lost kingdom of Urartu on the highest spot in sight on what might have been a foggy day. In this scenario Noah's sons might have left some genetic evidence with the locals yet it would be rather vague. Abraham and his people could be a remnant of one of those original semi-indigenous peoples.
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