Who were the Canaanites?
Q: Who were the Canaanites?
A: The Canaanites were a Semitic people related to the Phoenicians, Amorites, Assyrians and Israelites.
Q: When did they settle in the region?
A: The Canaanites settled in the region around 2000 BCE.
Q: What was their main political group?
A: The main political group of the Canaanites was the city-state, where a king ruled a city or town and its surrounding villages and land.
Q: Who conquered Canaan according to the Book of Joshua?
A: According to the Book of Joshua, it was the Israelites who conquered Canaan.
Q: What evidence suggests that this conquest may not have been complete?
A: Archaeology and Biblical accounts suggest that while some areas may have been conquered by Israelite forces, other parts of Canaan remained inhabited by many of its original inhabitants for some time afterwards.
Q: Who are believed to have destroyed many cities in 1100s BCE? A: It is believed that many cities in Canaan were destroyed by Sea Peoples or Philistines from around the Aegean Sea during this time period.
Q: What gods and goddesses did they worship? A: The chief gods worshipped by the Canaanites were El (a creator god) and Baal (a storm god). They also worshipped fertility goddesses such as Anat, Asherah, and Astarte.
