Ancient Canaan During the Time of Joshua

Map of the 7 Nations of Ancient Canaan

"Seven nations greater and mightier than you" Deuteronomy 7:1

Deuteronomy 7:1-6 - "When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you; and when the LORD your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them; then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them; neither shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son. For he will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods. So The LORD's anger would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But you shall deal with them like this. You shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire. For you are a holy people to the LORD your God. the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth."

Joshua was a great leader both militarily and spiritually, and under his leadership the Israelites conquered the land of Canaan and settled there. The Bible says that the people of Israel were given an inheritance within the land of Canaan, and their inheritance was chosen by lot (Joshua 14:1, 2). There was actually much more of the land within that inheritance that was not possessed by the Israelites, and Joshua the great leader had died. In fact there were certain places within the inheritance that were never accomplished in this time period. The people of the land in certain areas were able to fight off the Israelites, even though God had given them the victory. God had promised them the territory of the Philistines with each of their five main cities, as well as the whole "land of the Canaanites" which was referring to the coastal plain from Gezer in the south to the Valley of Accho in the north, as well as the Valley of Jezreel. There were even territories listed way in the north like the areas of Phoenicia, and certain parts of the land of the Amorites, which covered the area from the mountains of Lebanon to the Phoenician coast line. They were still other areas on the other side of the Lebanon Mountains from the southern portions of Mount Hermon down to Hamath in Syria.

The Places mentioned in the Old Testament are not always easy to determine, since their boundaries and names have changed throughout different periods of history. This map shows some of the significant lands, nations, cities, regions, and provinces that existed in Old Testament times. Their Biblical names and locations are listed here along with a broad description of some of the information mentioned in the Bible and history.

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