Israel's prophets and their confrontation with the Canaanite religion

Authors

• Arvid Kapelrud

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67037

Keywords:

Christianity, Israel, Canaanites, Bible, Old Testament, Middle East, Kings and rulers, Ancient, Prophets, Prophets in the Old Testament

Abstract

The confrontation between Israelites and Canaanites is presented in the Old Testament historical books as a violent encounter, a battle which was waged between tribes who invaded Canaan from Egypt and the people who already lived in the land and neighbouring territories. The narrators who composed the Deuteronomistic historical work (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings) have, with background in the situation in which they themselves lived, described it such that Moses gave the order for a complete extermination of other people and tribes in those regions where they settled down (Deut. 7: x ff.). The intention was that the tribes should not be tempted to take up the inhabitants' religion, thereby disrupting the domestic, harmonious unity among the Israelites and starting an internal disintegration.