Possibly the earliest distinction was political: the Canaanites were ruled by the Egyptian-dominated city-states while the proto-Israelites were Canaanite groups who lived in the countryside outside of that political orbit—hence, Apiru.
The term Canaan and Canaanite first appear around the fifteenth century B.C.E.
The Canaanite language refers to a group of closely related Semitic languages.
Biblical tradition makes much of such practices as sexual fertility rites and human sacrifice among the Canaanite tribes.
Still other passages seem to regard “Amorite” as virtually synonymous with "Canaanite" (Gen. 15:16, 48:22, Josh.
Historians debate whether Israel's rise represented an invasion, gradual infiltration, a cultural transformation of native Canaanite population, or a combination of the above.
Human habitation of the land of Canaan goes far back with both Cro-magnon and Neanderthal skeletons having been unearthed from Paleolithic times.
The Bible describes God cautioning the Israelites against the idolatry of the Canaanites and their fertility cult (Lev.
The religion of the Canaanites was inherited primarily from the great earlier civilizations of Mesopotamia.
The letters are written in the official and diplomatic language Babylonian/Akkadian, though ""Canaanitish"" words and idioms are also in evidence.
Moses' journey from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan thus symbolizes a people's journey from oppression to freedom, from sin to grace.
Hittite and Apiru (possibly Hebrew) attackers sometimes captured Canaanite towns or harassed them from the countryside.
The earliest written mention of the area later called Canaan comes in the eighteenth century B.C.E.
The Canaanites themselves, however, were considered to be the implacable enemies of the Israelites, who practiced a decadent and idolatrous religion.
Bread offerings were made to Ashera or Astarte as the "Queen of Heaven," and statuettes of the goddess of fertility have been found not only in Canaanite temples but also in many domestic buildings.
Ahmose, the founder of the eighteenth dynasty, ended a century of Hyksos rule and the Hyksos were pushed northward, some of them probably settling permanently in Canaan.
Semitic peoples are thought to have appeared in Canaan in the early Bronze Age, prior to 2000 B.C.E.
According to this and similar theories "Israelite" migration from the south indeed took place, but occurred in phases as various groups moved north into Canaan.
Another female deity, sometimes synonymous with Ashera, was Astarte or Ashtoreth, who can be viewed as the Canaanite version of the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar.
Later on, Amurru became the Assyrian term for both southern and northern Canaan.
The story also accounts for the supposed superiority of the Semitic people over the Canaanites, who were to be their servants.
Contemporary archaeologists, however, see much continuity between the Canaanite population and the early Israelites, with whom they shared a common language and customs.
Tablets found in the Mesopotamian city of Nuzi use the term Kinahnu ("Canaan") as a synonym for red or purple dye, apparently a renowned Canaanite export commodity.
Historically, one of the first mentions of the area later known as Canaan appears in a document from the eighteenth century B.C.E.
The story of the Kenites (Judges 1) joining Judah is an example of the Bible itself confirming the theory that non-Israelite people federated with Israel in Canaan.
Around 1674 B.C.E., the Semitic people known as Hyksos came to control northern Egypt, evidently leaving Canaan an ethnically diverse land.
According to the Bible, the land of Canaan was the "promised land" which God gave to Abraham and his descendants.
Apparently, Canaan at this time existed as a distinct political entity (probably a loose confederation of city-states).
The latter reference may reflect the fact that Perizzites joined Judah in Canaan and were literally "adopted" into Judah's origin-story.
The land of the Canaanites was thus deemed suitable for conquest by the Israelites partly on moral grounds.
The part of the book of Genesis often called the Table of Nations describes the Canaanites as being descended from an ancestor himself called Canaan.
The Canaanite city-king, Abd-Ashirta, and his son, Aziru—at first afraid of the Hittites—later made a treaty with them.
Ancient stone pillars and horned altars have been also found in numerous sites throughout Canaan, as well as the remains of temples, statues, and other artifacts dedicated to these deities.
The biblical patriarchs and later Israelites are described in the Bible as sharing with their Canaanite neighbors the recognition of El as the supreme deity.
Canaan is the father of Sidon, his firstborn; and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
The term "Canaan land" is also used as a metaphor for any land of promise or spiritual state of liberation from oppression.
Afterward, Noah cursed Ham's son Canaan to a life of servitude to his brothers (Gen. 9:20–27).
The Israelite god Yahweh could also be considered originally a Sashu/Canaanite deity, who in early psalms shares many characteristics with El and Baal.
sent by governors and princes of Canaan to their Egyptian overlord Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) in the fourteenth century B.C.E.
Canaanite is the first language to use a Semitic alphabet, from which most other scripts derive.
Canaanites are mentioned extensively in the Bible, as well as in Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian texts.
Human sacrifice was also practiced by both the Canaanites and the Israelites.
Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.