Israel's Conquest of Canaan

"The Promised Land" - Three Theories of Israel's Conquest of Canaan

Three theories have been proposed to by biblical scholars and archaeologists to understand how the early Hebrews were able to conquer Canaan and settle in the land.

The Three Theories of Israel's Conquest of Canaan

Because there are inconsistencies in the biblical account of the book of Joshua and there are missing information in archaeological findings, scholars have arrived at different conclusions on the early Hebrews conquest of Canaan. The three theories they have proposed are:

• 1 gradual infiltration
• 2 military invasion
• 3 peasant revolution

1 Gradual Infiltration

The theory of gradual infiltration proposes that the early Israelites settled in Canaan over the space of several generations. This gradual settlement was not completed until the time of David. In this theory, no military assault was made on the land. Rather, there was instead the gradual nomadic infiltration of pastoral nomads from the desert into the sparsely settled hill country. These nomads entered the land because they were in search of pasture for their flocks. Eventually, they became in good terms with the native Canaanites - eventually intermarrying with them.

The only drawback with this theory of gradual infiltration is that the story of Joshua's conquest in the bible would be interpreted as something of a myth meant to tell a story that conveys a present truth. The writer of this biblical account would have used the literary style of the epic to portray Yahweh's mighty power in providing the Israelites with land. Though this theory departs from the truth of the biblical account, on the other hand, the theory supports the archaeological findings that show that not all cities of Canaan and its environs were destroyed through battle.

2 Military Invasion

The second theory of military invasion proposes a view that is really in line with the biblical tradition of conquest. In this theory, biblical scholars say that the writer (known as the Deuteronomistic historian) of the Canaan conquest in the bible wrote the account to proclaim to the Israelite community that it is Yahweh, the Divine Warrior, who was responsible for the victory.

This view of military conquest has some support from archaeological excavations. There is archaeological evidence for the violent destruction of some Canaanite cities in the late thirteenth century (B.C.E.) Cities mentioned in the bible that were attacked by Joshua, notably Lachish and Hagar, actually did fall in that period.

Though there is evidence of such a military invasion to support the theory, there are also archaeological evidences in 1930-1936 A.D., during a British excavation, that the destruction of those cities may be due to an earthquake. This archaeological evidence depart from the truth of this second theory.

3 Peasant Revolution

This third theory of peasant revolution has gained more attention since it sheds light on some aspects of the biblical account of Joshua's conquest. It helps to understand why some cities fell to Israel without any reported military attack. It explains why there is no archaeological evidence of the destruction of some cities claimed by the "peasant" revolutionaries. It also explains why some Canaanite elements (the Gibeonites) joined the Israelite cause.

The only drawback with this theory of peasant revolution is that there is no explicit indication of a peasant's revolt in the biblical tradition of the book of Joshua and Judges.

Conclusion

Going through all the three theories, and seeing that, indeed, no one theory can completely reconcile both the truth found in biblical accounts and the material evidences in archaeological excavations, we can simply conclude that the Israelite occupation of Canaan was far more complex than what we apparently see. As biblical scholars, historians, and archaeologists make more in-depth studies, and place all their data and information in a joint project, they may find another theory that can be as close to the truth of that Israelite conquest of Canaan during the thirteenth centuries before Christ (or before the Common Era - BCE).

Related resources:

• "Understanding the Old Testament", by Bernhard W. Anderson
• The Promised Land: Introductory Article