Page 40 - Biblical Backgrounds

David had to fight them. Samson also had to fight them. God used
Samson to demolish one of their temples, killing many inside it.

Government structure in Canaanite and Jewish culture at the
time.

It is helpful to remember that there are multiple types of
government at work during the conquest and settling of Canaan.
Canaan, for instance, was a group of city kingdoms ruled by
councils and later kings. The Philistines are an example of this. The
Encyclopedia Britannica states that “Until their defeat by David,
the Philistine cities were ruled by seranim, 'lords,' who acted in
council for the common good of the nation. After their defeat,
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the seranim were replaced by kings.”

The Israelites were also in a period of transition of government form. When they arrived in Canaan, they
were still a theocracy, under the leadership of Yahweh, through Joshua. This continued for a while.
Eventually, the government was implemented through the judges (Othniel, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon,
Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson) and the priests/prophets (Eli and Samuel). Others
are possible, but these are called judges in the Old Testament. Finally, it transitioned to the rulership of
a king when God selected King Saul at the request of the people.

The religious environment in Canaan:

We have already mentioned that the deities of the Canaanites included El, Ba’al, and Asherah. The
Philistines also worshiped Dagan and Beelzebub. This continued in the time of the conquest of Canaan.
Voss explains that there were cultural effects to this worship. An example is the existence of male and
female prostitutes. The worship of Ba’al and Asherah was sexually promiscuous due to the function of
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these deities' infertility.
In Israel, the worship of Yahweh alone was clearly outlined in the Shema and the first commandment.
Remaining faithful to this command was problematic. The surrounding peoples were entrenched in the
worship of idols. The Jews not only struggled not to worship these deities, but they also struggled not to
view Yahweh the same way the neighbors viewed their deities. This is why Jephthah thought Yahweh
wanted him to sacrifice his daughter when she came out the door after he made his vow. Yahweh had
made it clear that he did not approve of child sacrifice, but the surrounding deities were believed to
demand it.

The social and commercial environment in Canaan during the conquest:

Houses were not normally built or lived in by the Israelites during the conquests. Communities would
move around during the fighting to feed their flocks. As a result, they likely still lived in tents for a while.
Voss helpfully describes the two dominant styles of mud-bricked one was a basic two-roomed structure.
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The other was a four-roomed house with a courtyard.

82 Adam Augustyn, Ed. “Philistine” in The Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Philistine-
people.
83 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 116.
84 Ibid., 133.

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