Canaanites and Semites Discussion

Dedicated for all DNA, Analysis Results, History, Research topics related to: Canaanites and Semites

Canaan was the key Semitic-speaking region in the Ancient Near East around 2000 BC corresponding to the Levant in the Bible. This includes the area of Phoenicia, Israel, Philistia and other nations. All people in this region shared the similiar languages, culture and ethnic background - this included the Israelites, Moabites, Phoenicians and Ammonites. Archaeological and linguistic evidence shows the Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah represented a subset of Canaanite culture.
In the Bronze Age, cities like Jerusalem were large and important walled settlements. The Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II had to campaign vigorously in Canaan to maintain Egyptian power. Egyptians setup permanent fortress garrisons in Moab and Ammon.
During the Iron Age, southern Canaan was dominated by the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as well as the Philistine city-states on the Mediterranean coast. Northern Canaan was divided into Syro-Hittite states and Phoenician city-states. The entire region was conquered by the Assyrian Empire from the 10th century BC until the 7th century BC. Then the Babylonians took control followed by the Persians. In 332 BC, Alexander The Great conquered Canaan. in the 2nd century BC Rome took control, and then later Byzantium folllowed by the Arab Islamic invasion in the 7th century.