The Long History of the Birth of Israel-Palestine: From the Land of Canaan to the Present

Editorial Team, CNBC Indonesia

Sunday, 10/22/2023 21:20 IWST

Photo: AFP via Getty Images/AHMAD GHARABLI

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The war between Israel and Hamas has never subsided. This prolonged conflict made people reopen the history of the Zionist occupation war in Palestine, right down to the origins of the Land of Canaan.

The Land of Canaan is an ancient country that has a large area, covering Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, which includes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Britannica defines it as the Levant or Levant region.

The Bible itself also refers to the Land of Canaan as “the promised land that God gave to Abraham and his descendants”. This land has a very long history, even discussed before the era of Christ (BC).

The name Canaan, first appeared in historical sources of the Mesopotamian Civilization, dating from the 18th century BC. In the source of the written inscription, Canaan means “reddish purple” which refers to the area being a producer of purple.

In pre-literate times, the Land of Canaan was already occupied by ancient Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal humans who lived in the Paleolithic era (8,000 BC – 3,000 BC). They carry out normal activities according to their brain development, namely farming and building settlements.

From time to time, starting from the Iron and Bronze Ages, the Land of Canaan was always inhabited by humans. So, the original inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were also called Canaanites.

They are descendants of the Semitic people who lived in the period 2,000 BC – 1,700 BC. Those also known as the Amorites made up the majority of the land’s population. They often migrated to the West (now Egypt) and then to the East (Arabian Peninsula).

However, at the end of the Bronze Age (1,550 – 1,200 BC), changes occurred in the Land of Canaan after the Egyptians entered the area. They captured Canaanite villages and drove them out.

When this expulsion occurred, the rise of civilization occurred. In this regard, many historians believe that this was the beginning of Israeli civilization, marked by the founding of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel. After that, the Land of Canaan was increasingly inhabited by other nations who were equally harmonious.

Then, are there still descendants of Canaan today?

According to researchers, citing American Journal of Human Genetics, Canaanite DNA, taken from DNA traces of 3,700-year-old Canaanites, matches the DNA of present-day Lebanese.

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