
In these inscriptions, ancient Canaan was much bigger than modern Israel. But ancient writings on stone or clay give a different meaning to the name Canaan. Where Was the Land of Canaan?įrom synagogue or church, you may think of Canaan as the home of the ancient Israelite people-a country perhaps the size of modern Israel and the Palestinian territories combined. Their cultures are described in this book. These three ancient groups-the Israelites, Phoenicians, and Philistines-shared the land once called Canaan during a time known as the Iron Age. Canaanites called the Phoenicians (fo-NEE-shuns) took advantage of the weakening empires and began to create their own. Philistines (FILL-iss-teens) settled on Canaan’s southern coast, while Israelites (IZ-ray-e-lites) built small villages on its sparsely settled hills.


New people entered ancient lands, among them the land of Canaan (KAY-nan or Ke-NA-an) in western Asia. Mighty empires buckled as shiploads of invaders attacked their coasts. About 3,200 years ago, huge changes occurred in lands around the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
