Page 40 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Student Textbook

Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of
Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. (ESV)
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Other groups such as the Philistines are present in
the region as well. This map helps visually
understand the location of the peoples being
conquered as well as the routes of the conquests.
The map to the right shows the location of the
peoples and the routes taken from battle to battle
on the east side of the Jordan River.

Conquest of the Land
Between 2 and 2.4 million people arrived on the
eastern side of the Jordan River, anticipating
entering their promised land. Just five miles to the
west was the city of Jericho and what they saw
must have been terrifying! If each family in Israel
occupied 16 square feet of space, the minimum space that that many people occupied would be 3 miles
wide and 1.75 miles deep. To get a better perspective on this number of people coming to destroy you,
consider this map:

The people at Jericho looked to the north and
then to the south and as far as they could see,
there were a massive number of people coming
to claim their land.

The people of Jericho worship Ashtaroth, the
goddess of the Moon. Here was centered all
that was the vilest and most degrading of the
religion of the Canaanites. God’s judgment on
them was certainly just.

75 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 10:15–19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

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