BSN: The Land of Canaan

  • There is a separate article on the Canaanites.
  • Canaan = the promised land = Israel = the holy land = Palestine
  • The land of Canaan was so named because it was associated with Canaan, the son of Ham, the son of Noah (Gen 9:18). Some of Canaan’s descendants are named in Gen 10:15-20.)
  • Because Canaan and his descendants sinned, God promised their land to the descendants of Abraham (who was descended from Shem, another of Noah’s three sons). For this reason, it was called “the promised land.”
  • Under God’s direction and Joshua’s leadership, the nation of Israel invaded and occupied this land, making it their own – calling it Israel, after the nation and its namesake (who was also called Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham).
  • Because it was the homeland of Israel, the nation God created from Abraham’s descendants through the leadership of Moses, it came to also be called “the holy land.” This name was reinforced when Jesus walked the earth because He was a Jew and this was therefore His land and nation. He never traveled to other nations. In the time of Jesus, the land was divided into three regions:
    • Galilee – the northern portion, including the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus grew up – in the town of Nazareth; and where He lived as an adult during the two-three years of His ministry – in the city of Capernaum, on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee.
    • Samaria – the central region, occupied by the Samaritans.
    • Judea – the southern region, with Jerusalem as its capital. This is where Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified. And where He rose from the dead three days later, and from which He ascended into heaven 40 days later.
  • In 70 AD (key dates in Israel’s history), the Romans destroyed Israel and later drove Jews out of the land. Centuries later, when Jews no longer dwelt in the land in significant numbers, the area came to be called Palestine. This remained the case until the modern nation of Israel was established in 1948, at which time the name “Israel” once again was applied to the land.

Question or Comment