Page 43 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

the great god of the sky and prominent of the gods, and his female consort, Asherah. By the time of the
conquest, the worship of El had been overshadowed by the worship of a warrior storm god, Baal, which
we will see will place a large part in Israel’s future fall from the Lord.

Canaanite worship practices included child sacrifice and fertility rites, often involving relationships with
cult prostitutes. Images of the gods were common in worship, as were the wooden poles or objects
called “Asherim” after the goddess Asherah. Much of Israel’s religious history dealt with the conflict
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between worshipers of the one God of the Exodus and worshipers of these Canaanite deities.

Government structure in Canaanite and Jewish culture at the time.

It is helpful to remember that there were 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
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the nation. After their defeat, 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.
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 these deities in
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fertility.

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, 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:

80 So That’s Why Bible, Thomas Nelson Publisher, 1997, p.266.
81 Adam Augustyn, Ed. “Philistine” in The Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Philistine-
people.
82 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 116.

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