Ancient Man and His First Civilizations

Canaan-4

Modern Palestine-Israel-Lebanon

When last we left Canaan, Saul had just been anointed king.

Had events followed their normal course, the Canaanites, who still controlled the coast and the Plain of Esdraelon, might have regrouped and expelled the scattered and unorganized Hebrew clans. But before this could happen, there occured the great invasion of the "Sea Peoples", in the early decades of the 12th century B.C. {The forced exodus of the original Black inhabitants of Italy, Greece, and the Mediterranean Islands}. Click here for detail and more pictures of the Sea People <<Click>>

Among these invaders from southern Europe, were the Tjeker (Minoan's) of Crete and Greece, who would become known as the Philistines. They settled in the southern coastal plain of Canaan. Within a 150 years after their settlement, they would conquer much of the region.

Saul however, won substantial victories over the Philistines, Ammonites, and Amalekites, and for a time the Philistine advance was stopped. But Saul and his son Jonathan, were killed in a disastrous battle with the Philistines in central Palestine. Saul's successor David, a former aide (and also his son-in-law) who had previously fallen out of favor with him. At first took over only the rule of Judah in the south (1010 B.C.) and then all of Israel by (1000 B.C.).

Through his superior military and administrative abilities, and political acumen, David was able to established unified rule over all of Israel. He cleared the territory of Philistines, and in the absence of any competing foreign power in the area, created his own petty empire over neighboring city-states and peoples. He established his capital in Jerusalem, which until then, had maintained its independence as a Canaanite city: wedged as it were, between the territories of Saul's Benjamin tribe and David's Judah tribe.

Meanwhile, three other peoples were settling east of the Jordan River: the Edomites in the south, the Moabites east of the Dead Sea, and the Ammonites on the edge of the Syrian Desert, east of Gilead. These people were considered by the Hebrews, to be fellow Hebrews (Amorites). They had begun to establish settled communities, even before the Hebrew invasion of Canaan. but they did not accept the Hebrew religion and remained polytheists.

A pause here for a curiosity: The name Israel - means "God Contented" in the Canaanite/Hebrew language. The God referred to, is the Canaanite God "El" not the Hebrew god Yahweh??

Under David's son "Solomon" (922 B.C.), Israel became a thriving commercial power; numerous impressive buildings were erected, including the magnificent Temple (the symbol of the religious and political unity of Israel); a large harem of foreign princesses was acquired for Solomon, these marriages served the purpose of sealing relations with other states. The country had been divided into 12 districts for administrative, supply, and taxation purposes.

But foreign cults that had been setup to serve the King's foreign wives - and foreign traders, now led to charges of idolatry and apostasy by religious conservatives. In the latter years of his reign, Solomon's unpopular policies, such as forced labor, led to internal discontent and rebellion. While externally the vassal cities of Damascus and Edom staged successful revolts against his rule.

By now Amorites that were Not part of Israel, seem to have formed a federated state called Aram/Arum, centered in north central Syria - these people came to be known as Aramaeans, Damascus and Edom being cities of Aram.

The central and northern tribes, called Israel in the restricted sense, were especially galled by the oppressive policies of Solomon, and soon after Solomon's death, the northern part - Israel - split off to become a separate kingdom. The united monarchy thus became the divided monarchy of Israel, with Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom).

Jeroboam I, the first king of this "new" state of Israel, made his capital first, at Shechem, then at Tirzah. Recognizing the need for religious independence from Jerusalem, he set up official sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel - the two ends of his realm. This "new" Israel engaged in conflicts against Judah and sometimes fought jointly "with" Judah against foreign powers. At first there was great dynastic "instability" in the northern kingdom, until the ascension of king Omri ( 872 B.C.), one of its greatest kings. Under Omri an impressive building program was initiated at the capital. The city of Moab was subjugated, and amicable relations were reestablished with Judah.

The Phoenician kingdom of Tyre, was made an ally through the marriage of Omri's son Ahab, to the Tyrian princess Jezebel. Later as king, Ahab (874–853 B.C.) fought off an attempt by Damascus, heading a coalition of kings, to take over Israel. Near the end of his reign, Ahab joined with Damascus (Aramaeans) and other neighboring states to fight off incursions by the great Assyrian Empire. Peaceful relations were cemented with Judah through the marriage of Ahab's daughter (or sister) Athaliah, to Jehoram, the son of the king of Judah. (not to be confused with Ahab's son, Jehoram of Israel).