Search results
Canaan (/ ˈkeɪnən /; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – KNʿN; [ 1 ] Hebrew: כְּנַעַן – Kənáʿan, in pausa כְּנָעַן – Kənāʿan; Biblical Greek: Χανααν – Khanaan; [ 2 ] Arabic: كَنْعَانُ – Kan‘ān) was a Semitic -speaking civilization and region of the Southern Levant in the Ancient ...
Sep 20, 2024 · Canaan was a region in the Middle East, centred on Palestine, that was inhabited by various peoples and cultures from ancient times. Learn about its geography, history, religion, and relation to the Israelites and the Bible.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 20, 2024 · Canaan was a son of Ham and a grandson of Noah, who was cursed by his father. Canaan was also the name of the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants, and the language spoken by the Canaanites and the Hebrews.
Jun 4, 2024 · Learn how DNA sequencing reveals the genetic continuity of the Canaanites from ancient to modern times. Explore the archaeological evidence of Canaanite Sidon and its role in the Mediterranean world.
- Culture & Religion
- Early History
- Middle Bronze Age
- Late Bronze Age
- The Biblical Narrative
- Israel & Judah
- Conclusion
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
The indigenous people of the land of Canaan were never a unified ethnic group nor did they worship the same gods in the same way. The term 'Canaanites' is used to refer to people who lived in the land of Canaan but it is unknown whether these people all shared a common language or worldview. The Phoenicians, for example, were Canaanites but not all...
Human habitation was established in the region before 10,000 BCE, but the people led a nomadic existence with only seasonal settlements (such as the site of the later city of Jericho). During the Early Bronze Age (c. 3500 - c. 2000 BCE), however, permanent settlements were founded and the practice of animal husbandry, established earlier, was devel...
During the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000 - c. 1550 BCE), the people returned to city-building. Urbanization and trade flourished and an early version of the Phoenician alphabet was developed which would have a significant impact on other nations of the time and later history. At this time, however, cuneiformwas still the written language of trade in t...
Ahmose I, in an effort to make sure no other foreign people ever gained a foothold in Egypt as the Hyksos had, created a buffer zone around his country and this initiated the age of the Egyptian Empire (c. 1570 - c. 1069 BCE). Canaan was absorbed into the empirefollowing Ahmose I's return from subduing the Hyksos in Syria. Although the Middle Bronz...
According to the biblical narrative in the Book of Exodus, the patriarch Mosesled his people, the Israelites, out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt and toward the 'promised land' of Canaan where their god had promised them they would live in peace in a "land flowing with milk and honey." The Book of Joshua, following the Exodus narrative, tells of...
As noted, scholars date the invasion of the Israelites to about 1250 BCE and archaeological excavations in the region have confirmed some kind of disturbance in the region between c. 1250 and c. 1150 BCE which resulted in the destruction of Canaanite towns and cities. These ruins, however, do not always match the descriptions given in the Book of J...
The Babylonians, in their turn, were conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great (d. 530 BCE) who allowed the Jews to return to their homeland in 538 BCE. There, during the era known as the Second Temple Period (c. 515 BCE - 70 CE) the clergy would revise their religious beliefs and canonize their scripture to establish Judaismas recognized in ...
Canaan was a large and prosperous ancient country in the Levant region, known for its trade, religion, and cities. Learn about its origin, history, culture, and religion from various ancient sources and modern scholarship.
- Joshua J. Mark
The Land of Canaan (Heb. אֶרֶץ]כְּנַעַן ,כְּנָעַן]]), was promised to the Israelites by God (e.g., Gen. 17:8; Ex. 6:4). The name Canaan first appears in documents from the 15 th century B.C.E. and was variously written: Akkadian: Kinani ( m ), Kinaḫḫu / i , etc.; Egyptian: Kn ʿ n·w and P - kn ʿ n ; Ugaritic: Kn ʿ ny ...
Canaan was an ancient name for a region in Palestine, where various civilizations and religions developed. Learn about its history, geography, culture, and connections to Baal, cuneiform, and Asia from Britannica's editors.
