Canaanites Culture

Located along the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Gulf of Aqaba is Israel. Lebanon borders to the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan to the east, Palestinian to the west and Egypt to the southwest. Upon independence in 1948, the country formally adopted the name "State of Israel" after other proposed historical and religious names including "the Land of Israel, Zion, and Judea were considered and rejected.
The original Canaanites were a civilized culture consisting of mostly farmers along with several nomad tribes who shaped their judicial system and military after the Mesopotamians. The Canaanite cities were smaller versions of the bigger cities of Sumer, Assyria and Babylonia. Canaan, in 1600
to 1200BC, was a shadow of what it had been centuries earlier with many citiesbeing abandoned while others cities reduced in size, which led to the total population of Canaan of not much more than 100,000 people. Most of the people lived in cities located along the coastal plain and major trade routes to the central and northern hill country later becoming the Monarchy of Israel.
Politically and culturally Canaan was dominated by Egypt with each Canaanite city under its own ruler, consequent arguments between the neighboring cities frequently occurred, resulting with the Egyptians providing arbitration in order to settle the differences. The Canaanite city-state system broke down, around the end of 1200BC, and the Canaanite culture was eventually absorbed by the Philistines, Phoenicians and Israelites while still under the political influence of Egypt, in 1050BC, which eventually lost its influence in the
Levant. According to the Old Testament, after the death of Moses, Joshua continued to lead the Israelites as they began to settle into Canaan. The Israelites, in 1198BC, entered into Canaan conquering the nation of Moab as well as many small city-nations in Midian, now modern northern Saudi Arabia. Joshua directed the Israelites to defend themselves against the Jebusites resulting with the Israelites acquiring the land, cities and villages of the Jebusites, in 1170BC.

The Israelites continued to expand their territory by conquering more Canaanite cities, however, the Israelites lose some of their southern territory back to the Moabs, in 1150BC, along with designating the city of Samaria as their capital city. Beginning in 1140BC, a period of the "Judges" developed from the rulers of the Twelve Tribes which were Simeon, Reuben, Issachar, Judah, Benjamin, Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, Asher, Ephriam, Gad and Manasseh. The "Judges" exercised their authority over all the tribes of Israel and were generally recognized by all the tribes. They decided over disputes between the tribes and administered legislative duties. The "Judges" were not only men but women as well Deborah being one of the most important "Judges" during her time. Each of the tribes with their individual territories continued to expand their territories into the remaining unconquered areas of Canaan. This required another governing group named the "Delivers" whose purpose was to regulate and organize the expansion of the Monarchy of Israel. The "Deliverers" composed of military commanders who organized the tribes into a militarized and they became powerful during these times against the oppressors of the Israelites. The Israelites continued to be uncertain of their future because of constant warfare and civil war between themselves requiring an identity to make a stable and unified monarchy. In 1035 to 1005BC, Saul becomes king creating the small Monarchy of Israel and declares that Jerusalem to be their capital city. The Israelites defeat both the nearby nations of Ammon and Edom ending with Edom as a vassal nation of the Monarchy of Israel. David becomes king of the monarchy, from 1005 to 965BC, defeating the Philistines. Solomon becomes David's successor, from 965 to 928BC, completing the construction of the First Temple of Jerusalem. In 955BC, Solomon imposes heavy taxes and forced labor of the citizens in order to complete his extensive construction projects and extravagant lifestyle.

Solomon's son and successor Rehoboam, who rules from 928 to 925BC, continues with the taxation program started by his father which leads to a civil war and ends with the separation of the Monarchy of Israel into the two individual kingdoms.
To the north is the Kingdom of Israel, beginning in 928BC, which consists of 10 of the 12 tribes originally from the United Monarch named Reuben, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim and Manasseh with Jeroboam, as their king. To the south is the Kingdom of Judah, which begins in 926BC, with Rehoboam as their king and consists of only two of the 12 tribes Judah and Benjamin. The Kingdom of Israel, in 723BC, comes to an end when it is attacked, besieged and conquered by the Neo-Assyrians Empire followed the Neo-Babylonia Empire, in 586BC, who attacks and conquers the Kingdom of
Judah. In 1200BC, the worship of Yahweh in Israel remains in competition with the worship of the many deities of the Canaanite Pantheon such as El, Asherah, Baal, and Dagan. According to biblical history the Israelites frequently abandon their worship of Yahweh for the deities of the Canaanite Pantheon and because of this their religious leaders threatened the pagan worshippers with the wrath of God if they did not stop worshipping the deities. The Israelites would at times depending on the circumstances tear down the altars of Yahweh in order to build altars for Baal. The Israelites that settled in the Canaanite cities became part of the Canaanite religious culture along with the worship of Yahweh that continued among the nomadic groups in the hill country. Mentioned in the Book of Kings, is king Solomon, who had temples built to the other deities and it was Josiah who removed and destroyed these statues of Asherah and Baal. After the separation of the Monarchy of Israel, both the Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah continued to worship Yahweh as their national god along with the deities of the Canaanite Pantheon. It was only after the Assyrian and Babylonian Exile that a monotheistic culture became established among the Israelites.