Third Study.
THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN.
I. Let us notice the CANAANITES before the conquest.
1. They were a varied people. There were from seven to ten different nations in Palestine when the Israelites entered it (Exod. 3. 17; Deut. 7. 1). Each tribe, often each city, had its own government. There was no unity of government, no combined action to resist the invasion of Israel. This made the conquest easy. If one king had ruled a united people the result might have been different.
2. These peoples were, however, of one stock. They belonged to the Hamite race, and were all descended from the family of Canaan (Gen. 10. 15-19). There was no reason, except the tribal spirit, for their separation into small clans and nationalities.
3. They were idolatrous and, as a result, grossly immoral. Idolatry is always associated with immorality; for the worship of idols is a deification of sensuality. Baal and Asherah (plural Ashtoreth) were the male and female divinities worshiped by most of these races (Judg. 2. 13).
4. They had been weakened before the coming of the Israelites either by war or by pestilence. The allusions in Exod. 23. 28; Deut. 7. 20; and Josh. 7. 12, have been referred to an invasion before that of Israel, or to some plague, which destroyed the native races.
II. THE CAMPAIGNS OF THE CONQUEST. These may be divided as follows:
1. The campaigns east of the Jordan. (B. C. 1451.) These were during the life-time of Moses, and gained for Israel all the territory between the brook Arnon and Mount Hermon.
1.) The conquest of Gilead was made at the battle of Jahaz, near the brook Arnon (Num. 21. 21-31). In one battle the Israelites gained the land of Gilead from the Arnon to the Hieromax.
2.) The conquest of Bashan was completed at the battle of Edrei, in the mountainous region.
3.) The conquest of Midian (Num. 31. 1-8) was led by the warrior-priest Phinehas, and by smiting the tribes on the east protected the frontier toward the desert. The land won by these three campaigns became the territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Deut. 32).
2. The campaigns west of the Jordan (B. C. 1451) were led by Joshua, and showed great tactical skill and resistless energy of action. Joshua led his people across the Jordan and established a fortified camp, the center of operations during all his campaigns, at Gilgal (Josh. 4. 19).
1.) The first invasion was of central Palestine, beginning with Jericho (Josh. 6), taking Ai on the way (Josh. 8), and ending with Shechem, which apparently fell without resistance (Josh. 8. 30-33). This campaign gave to Israel the center of the land and divided their enemies into two sections.
2.) Next came the campaign against southern Palestine. At this time was fought the battle of Beth-horon (Josh. 10. 10), the most momentous in its results in all history, and one over which, if ever, the sun and moon might well stand still (Josh. 10. 12, 13).[D] After this great victory Joshua pursued his enemies and took the towns as far south as Hebron and Debir (Josh. 10. 29-39).
3.) Lastly, Joshua conquered northern Palestine (Josh. 11). The battle in this campaign was near Lake Merom (Josh. 11. 7), and, as before, it was followed by the capture of many cities in the north. Thus, in those marches Joshua won all the mountain region of western Palestine.
3. There were certain supplementary campaigns, partly in Joshua's time, partly afterward.
1.) Caleb's rapture of Hebron, which had been re-occupied by the Amorites (Josh. 14; Judg. 1. 10-15).
2.) The Judahites' capture of Bezek, an unknown place between Jerusalem and the Philistine plain (Judg. 1. 1-8).
3.) The Danites' capture of Laish, in the extreme north, which afterward bore the name of Dan (Judg. 18).
But, after all these campaigns, a large part of the land was still unsubdued, and the war of the conquest did not end until the days of David, by whom every foe was finally placed under foot.
III. GENERAL ASPECTS OF ISRAEL AT THE CLOSE OF THE CONQUEST.
1. With regard to the native races. They were not destroyed nor driven away, as had been commanded.[E] They remained as subject people in some places, as the ruling race on the sea-coast and in the Jordan valley. We see their influence, always injurious, throughout all Israel's history (Exod. 23. 31-33; Deut. 7. 1-5); and some think that the present inhabitants of the country belong to the original Canaanite stock.
2. The Israelites did not occupy all the country. They possessed most of the mountain region, but none of the sea-coast plain on the Jordan valley. They were like the Swiss in modern times, living among the mountains. Even in the New Testament period the lowlands were occupied mainly by Gentiles.
3. The landed system was peculiar. Estates were inalienable. They might be leased, but not sold; and on the year of Jubilee (every fiftieth year) all land reverted to the family originally owning it. Thus every family had its ancestral home, the poor were protected, and riches were kept within bounds.
4. The government was a republic of families without an executive head, except when a judge was raised up to meet special needs. Each tribe had its own rulers, but there was no central authority after Joshua (Judg. 21. 25). This had its evils, for it led to national weakness; but it had its benefits: 1.) It kept Israel from becoming a great worldly kingdom like Egypt and Assyria, which would have thwarted the divine purpose. 2.) It promoted individuality and personal energy of character. There would have been no "age of heroes" if Israel had been a kingdom like Egypt.
5. The religious system was simple. There was but one altar at Shiloh for all the land and for all the tribes, and the people were required to visit it for the three great feasts (Deut. 12. 11, 14; Josh. 18. 1). This was the religious bond which united the people. If it had been maintained they would have needed no other constitution, and even its partial observance kept the people one nation.
6. The character of the people was diverse. Throughout the history we trace the working of two distinct elements. There was the true Israel—the earnest, religious, God-worshiping section, the Israel of Joshua and Gideon and Samuel. Then there was the underlying mass of the people—secular, ignorant, prone to idolatry, the Israel that worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth, and sought alliance with the heathen. One element was the hope of the nation, the other was its bane.
Blackboard Outline.
I. Canaanites. 1. Var. 2. Ham. rac. 3. Idol. 4. Weak.
II. Camp. Conq. 1. Camp. Eas. Jor. 1.) Gil. Jah. 2.) Bash. Ed. 3.) Mid.
2. Camp. Wes. Jor. 1.) Cent. Pal. Jer. Ai. She. 2.) Sou. Pal. Beth-hor. 3.) Nor. Pal. L. Mer.
3. Supp. Camp. 1.) Cal. cap. Heb. 2.) Jud. cap. Bez. 3.) Dan. cap. Lai.
III. Gen. Asp. Isr. at Clo. Conq. 1. Nat. rac. sub. 2. Isr. in mtn. reg. 3. Land. sys. 4. Gov. rep. fam. 5. Rel. sys. 6. Char. peo.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.
What was the political system of the Canaanites before the conquest?
How did this condition affect the result of the war?
To what race did the Canaanite tribes belong?
What was their religion?
What was the effect of their worship on their character?
What had taken place shortly before the coming of the Israelites?
What campaigns of conquest were made before the death of Moses?
What battles were fought in these campaigns?
What tribes took possession of this territory?
On which side of the Jordan were Joshua's campaigns?
What traits as a military leader did he show?
What places were captured on the first of Joshua's campaigns?
What was the effect of this campaign on the enemies?
Against what section was Joshua's second campaign?
Where was the great battle fought?
What is said to have taken place at this battle?
What cities were captured at this time?
Where was the third campaign of Joshua directed?
Where was the battle fought in this campaign?
What were the three supplementary campaigns?
What city was conquered by Caleb?
What city was occupied by the tribe of Dan?
What king, long after Joshua, completed the conquest of Canaan?
What was the condition of the native races after the conquest?
What was the result of their continuance in the land?
What portion of the country was occupied by the Israelites?
What modern analogy is given to them?
What was the system of land-tenure among the Israelites?
What were some of its benefits?
What was the form of government?
Wherein was this system defective?
What were its excellences?
What was the religious system of the Israelites?
What was the effect of this system?
What was the religious character of the people?
What was the condition of the mass of the Israelites?
Subjects for Special Papers.
Joshua as a General.
Beth-horon as one of the World's Greatest Battles.
The Moral Aspects of the Destruction of the Canaanites.
The River Jordan.
The History of Jericho.