Monday, 18 August 2014

misc on the canaanites

 

Philistines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 
 
 
 
 

Who were the Philistines? - GotQuestions.org

www.gotquestions.org/Philistines.html
by S. Michael Houdmann - Answer: The Philistines were an aggressive, warmongering people who occupied a part of ... In the end, the Philistines were assimilated intoCanaanite culture.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3955-canaan




http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3955-canaan

JewishEncyclopedia.com

The unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia
 



CANAAN

 
—Biblical Data:
Name of the son of Ham, and a brother of Cush (Ethiopia), Mizriam (Egypt), and Put (Phut), occurring in the geographical-ethnographical table, Gen. ix. and x. Originally the name "Canaan" was not an ethnic term. It belongs primarily to the vocabulary of geography; the curse pronounced upon its bearer for the misconduct of Ham demonstrating only the knowledge of the author that the dominant Semitic population of the land so designated was the deposit of a wave of immigration and conquest coming from the south. Originally an appellative (compare Moore, on the use of the article in Egyptian inscriptions, in "Proceedings of Am. Oriental Soc." 1890, lxvii. et seq.), it described some peculiar aspect of the country, and was only later transferred from the territory to the inhabitants.
Like most geographical terms in the Bible, "Canaan" is employed in a very loose and confusing manner; and it is almost impossible to establish definitely the limits of its application. In earlier times its range was probably very narrow; designating the strip of coast-line along the Mediterranean, more particularly the northern—i.e., the Phenician—part thereof. With this restriction "Kan'na" appears in the Egyptian inscriptions (Müller, "Asien und Europa," pp. 206et seq.). But it was also applied to the whole coast district down to the Egyptian frontier (Philistæa). Like the Greek "Palestine," which originally designated only the southern coast-line, "Canaan" was then extended to the adjacent highlands. In Josh. xi. 3 it covers the land from the foot of Mt. Hermon to the southern end of the Dead Sea, and also the territory west of the Jordan to the Mediterranean. It is doubtful whether the name was ever given to districts east of the Jordan. These, as "the land of Gilead," are generally put in antithesis to "the land of Canaan" (Num. xxxii. 29 et seq.; Josh. xxii. 9, 32). "Canaan" is the favorite appellation of the Jahvist, sometimes with the prefix "land" and sometimes without (Ex. xv. 15; Gen. xii. 5, xvi. 3; and elsewhere).
The etymology of the name is in doubt. After Augustine ("Ennarationes in Psalmos," civ. 7), it has been explained as designating lowland either in contrast to Aram, or to the mountainous highland looming beyond the coast-line and removed from the sea only by a narrow strip of "lower land" (Num. xiii. 29; Josh. xi. 3). The former implication is now generally abandoned; but the latter, though open to objections (see Moore, l.c.), may be provisionally retained. Canaan is geographically identical with the land of the Amorites. As such it is mentioned in the El-Amarna tablets, though it also occurs in them as "Kinahhu" or "Kinahna." See Canaanites.
—In Rabbinical Literature:
The first of the seven sinners who made idols for the heathens, the other six being Phut, Shelah, Nimrod, Elah, Diul, and Shuah. Canaan, with his six companions, brought precious stones from Havilah (Gen. ii. 11-12), and made of them idols, which at night shone as brightly as the sun, and which were endowed with a power so magical that, when the blind Ammorites kissed them, they regained their eyesight ("Chronicles of Jerahmeel," p. 167; compare Kenaz).
Canaan, in a certain sense, was predestined to this and similar offenses; for he was begotten by his father while in Noah's Ark, whereas God had commanded that the sexes should live separately therein (Gen. R. xxxvi.). Canaan was of so low and base a character that Ham, in the record of his wickedness, is designated "the father of Canaan," whereby father and son were ironically characterized as a "par nobile" (noble pair) (Gen. R. l.c.; Origen on Gen. ix. 18).
Curse of Noah.
Concerning the curse of Noah upon Canaan, the Midrashim endeavored in different ways to give a solution to the question why Canaan had to suffer for the sins of his father. The old explanation was that Canaan, not Ham, though he had in no sense transgressed against his grandfather, had to be cursed by him because God had blessed Noah and his sons; and wherever the blessing of God rests there can be no curse (R. Judah, Gen. R. l.c.; Justin Martyr, "Dial. cum Tryph." cxxxix.). This explanation, however, was found to be defective; for it was contrary to Jewish sentiment to curse an innocent man; hence the new assertion that Canaan, like his father, transgressed against Noah.
There are different views as to the nature of Canaan's transgression. According to one, Canaan circulated the report that he saw Noah naked; another view is that he emasculated him that he should have no more sons (Gen. R. l.c.; Origen and Ephraem Syrus on Gen. x. 24, 25; more elaborated, in Pirḳe R. El. xxiii.).
Canaan the Father of Slaves.
Through the curse which Canaan brought upon himself, the low condition of slaves (Canaan's descendants) is to be explained; for parents exercise a strong influence, for good or for evil, upon the fate of their offspring. "Wo unto the sinners," comments a Midrash, "who bring evil upon themselves, their children, their children's children; in fact, upon all the generations that follow." Many of the sons of Canaan were worthy of being ordained as rabbis; but the guilt of their father barred them from such a career (Yoma 87a). God, however, is different from man. Man seeks to deprive his enemies of the means of subsistence; but God, though He cursed Canaan, made him a slave, that he might eat and drink of that which his master possessed (ib. 75a).
Canaan upon his death-bed left to his children the following rules of life: (1) "Let there be mutual love between yourselves." (2) "Love robbery and unchastity." (3) "Hate your masters, and do not speak the truth" (Pes. 113b). Not only by words, but also by deeds, Canaan exemplified to his sonsthe life worthy of slaves. When Noah divided the earth among his three sons, Palestine fell to the lot of Shem. Canaan, however, took possession of it, notwithstanding the fact that his father and his children called his attention to the wrong he had committed. They therefore said to him: "Thou art cursed, and cursed wilt thou remain before all the sons of Noah, in accordance with the oath which we took before the Holy Judge [God] and our father Noah" (Book of Jubilees, x., end). Later, when the Jews, the descendants of Shem, drove out the Canaanites from Palestine, the land fell into the hands of its lawful owners.
The Canaanites.
Among the various tribes of the Canaanites were the Girgashites, who, on Joshua's demand, subsequently left Palestine and emigrated to Africa (Yer. Sheb. vi. 36c; Lev. R. xvii.). Many of the Canaanites concealed their treasure in the walls of their houses, that they might not fall into the hands of the Jews. But God commanded that, under certain circumstances, the houses should fall into ruins; thus the hidden treasure came to light (Lev. R. xvii.). The Canaanites furthermore, on hearing that the Jews had left Egypt, destroyed all crops, cut down the trees, demolished the houses, and filled up the wells, in order that the Israelites should come into possession of a wasted country. But God promised the children of Israel a rich and fertile land (see Deut. vi. 10-12). He therefore led the Jews for forty years in the wilderness; and the Canaanites, in the mean time, rebuilt what they had destroyed (Mek., Beshallaḥ, i. [ed. Weiss, p. 28b]).
In the time of Alexander the Great the descendants of those Canaanites who had left Palestine at the request of Joshua, and had settled in Africa, sought to regain the Promised Land. Gebiha ben Pesisa, however, who appeared before the king in the interest of the Jews, showed that according to Scripture, by which the Africans traced their ancestry to Canaan, that ancestor had been declared the slave of Shem and Japheth. The Jews, therefore, not only had the right to hold the land of their slaves, but the Africans had to indemnify the Jews for the long time during which they had performed no service for them. In consternation, the Africans then fled to their homes (San. 91a).
Medieval Views.
In the literature of the German-French Jews of the Middle Ages the Canaanites and the Slavs were considered identical, owing to the similarity of the latter name with the German word for "slave" (A. Harkavy, "Die Juden und die Slavischen Sprachen," pp. 19-29; Kohut, "Aruch Completum," s.v. ). In Sifre, Deut. 306 (ed. Friedmann, p. 131b) the word  is used peculiarly;  (literally, "Canaanitish language") means probably "a mercantile expression."
Bibliography:
  • Bacher, in Jew. Quart. Rev. iii. 354, 356;
  • Ginzberg, Die Haggada bei den Kirchenvätern, pp. 84-87.


  • Simbarashe Sigauke
    Noah did not curse Ham, he cursed Canaan. Africans are not descendants of Canaan they are descendants of Cush.Well Cush was not cursed but Canaan. This is a lie from the Devil meant to enslave and oppress a people.This was an idea asserted by the dominant power structures in order to enrich they fat pockets.This has nothing to do with the black race being cursed.In fact the Africans were the first establishers of civilization. Egyppt was the first civilization.We were already educated in Mathematics,Astrology and architecture.The Romans came to learn from us in Africa.If you want to learn wisdom come to the motherland Africa.Actually Cush was blessed by God before the foundation of the world.He in fact is the head only.
    • Kihindei G Irvin
      You are right in some things, wrong in a few, and so is the author of this article. There are some Africans, who descend from Canaan, but there are also some Asians and Native Americans, and Europeans as well. Ham had 4 sons: Mizraim, Cush, Put, and Canaan. Ham means black, hot or burnt.

      Among Canaan's descendants are: Hivites, jebusites, Arvadites, Girgashites, Amorites, Arkites, Sinites, Hittites, Sidonians, Perizzites, Zemarites. If you follow their dispersal, you will find they moved to many different places.
  • Libby Mutchler
    Ham had a son named Cush which come the Cushites which Abrahams second wife (after sarah's death) named Keturah was a Cushite one of there sons was Midian and Moses (wife Zipporah) father in law Jethro (aka Reuel, Reguel) was a priest of Midian a Kenite shepherd
    • Dayanand Subuddy · Incident Manager at IBM India Pvt Ltd
      First was the priority always in the times of Moses...Angel of death touched all the first born in egypt.but why did Noah cursed the Last born Canaan ??
      • Joshua John Poore
        From genetic research, it looks like R1B Y-DNA (Western European DNA) could be descendants of the Hittites.
        • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaan_(son_of_Ham)


          Canaan, according to the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, was a son of Ham and grandson of Noah, and was the father of the Canaanites. He was the recipient of the so-called Curse of Ham.

          Descendants of Canaan[edit]


          Locations of Canaan's descendants
          According to the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 (verses 15-19), Canaan was the ancestor of the tribes who originally occupied the ancient Land of Canaan: all the territory from Sidon or Hamath in the north to Gaza in the southwest andLasha in the southeast. This territory is roughly the areas of modern day Israel, the Palestinian TerritoriesLebanon, western Jordan, and western Syria. Canaan's firstborn son was Sidon, who shares his name with the Phoenician city of Sidon in present-day Lebanon.[1] His second son was Heth. Canaan's descendants, according to the Hebrew Bible, include:
          1. Sidonians, i.e. the Phoenicians[2][3]
          2. Hittiteschildren of Heth
          3. Jebusites
          4. Amorites
          5. Girgashites
          6. Hivites
          7. Arkites
          8. Sinites
          9. Arvadites
          10. Zemarites
          11. Hamathites
          According to traditional Ethiopian histories, Canaan's son Arwadi (lit. "the Arvadite") and his wife Entela crossed from Asia into Ethiopia in 2101 BC, and the Qemant tribe were said to be descended from their son, Anayer. There is further an Ethiopian tradition that two other Canaanite tribes, viz. the Sinites and Zemarites, also entered Ethiopia at the time it was ruled by the Kingdom of Kush, and became the Shanqella and Weyto peoples, respectively.[4]
          The Persian historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (c. 915) recounted a tradition that the wife of Canaan was named Arsal, a daughter of Batawil son of Tiras, and that she bore him the "Blacks, Nubians, FezzanZanjZaghawah, and all the peoples of the Sudan."[5]
          The German historian Johannes Aventinus (fl. c. 1525) recorded a legend that Canaan's sons the "Arkite" and the "Hamathite" first settled in the area of Greece, and gave their names to the regions of Arcadia and Emathia.

          Curse of Canaan[edit]

          Main article: Curse of Ham
          According to Genesis 9:20-27, Noah became drunk then cursed his grandson Canaan, for the transgression of Canaan's father, Ham. This is the Curse of Canaan, to which the misnomer[6] "Curse of Ham" has been attached since Classical antiquity.[7]
          Ham's transgression:
          And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. (Genesis 9:22)
          Genesis 9:24-27
          24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
          25 And he said, Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
          26 And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
          27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
          (—Authorized King James Version)
          Some modern scholars view the curse of Canaan in Genesis 9:20-27 as an early Hebrew rationalization for Israel's conquest of Canaan.[8] When Noah cursed Canaan in Genesis 9:25, he used the expression "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren."NKJV The expression "servant of servants", otherwise translated "slave of slaves",NIV emphasizes the extreme degree of servitude that Canaan will experience in relation to his "brothers".[9] In the subsequent passage, "of Shem... may Canaan be his servant,"[9:26] the narrator is foreshadowing Israel's conquest of the promised land.[10] Biblical scholar Philip R. Davies explains that the author of this narrative used Noah to curse Canaan, in order to provide justification for the later Israelites driving out and enslaving the Canaanites.[11]

          Canaan, son of Ham in Jubilees[edit]

          The Book of Jubilees, considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, relates an anecdote of Canaan, son of Ham, that he refused to travel westward to his designated inheritance in Ham's allotment beyond the Nile, and instead occupied the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, within the inheritance delineated for Shem. His elder brothers continued on into Africa, after cursing him for violating the agreed delineations. This seizure of land in the Fertile Crescent allotted to Shem is also seen in Jubilees as a justification for the Israelite conquest of Canaan.
          And Canaan saw the land of Lebanon to the river of Egypt, that it was very good, and he went not into the land of his inheritance to the west (that is to) the sea, and he dwelt in the land of Lebanon, eastward and westward from the border of Jordan and from the border of the sea. And Ham, his father, and Cush and Mizraim his brothers said unto him: 'Thou hast settled in a land which is not thine, and which did not fall to us by lot: do not do so; for if thou dost do so, thou and thy sons will fall in the land and (be) accursed through sedition; for by sedition ye have settled, and by sedition will thy children fall, and thou shalt be rooted out for ever. Dwell not in the dwelling of Shem; for to Shem and to his sons did it come by their lot. Cursed art thou, and cursed shalt thou be beyond all the sons of Noah, by the curse by which we bound ourselves by an oath in the presence of the holy judge, and in the presence of Noah our father.' But he did not hearken unto them, and dwelt in the land of Lebanon from Hamath to the entering of Egypt, he and his sons until this day. And for this reason that land is named Canaan. -- Jubilees 10:29-34.

          Etymology[edit]

          The English term Canaan (pronounced /ˈknən/ since c. AD 1500, due to the Great Vowel Shift) comes from the Hebrew כנען (knʿn), via Greek Χαναάν Khanaan and LatinCanaan. It appears as KUR ki-na-ah-na in the Amarna letters (14th century BC), and knʿn is found on coins from Phoenicia in the last half of the 1st millennium. It first occurs in Greek in the writings of Hecataeus as Khna(Χνᾶ).[12] Scholars connect the name Canaan with knʿnKana'an, the general Northwest Semitic name for this region.
          The etymology is uncertain. One explanation is that it has an original meaning of "lowlands", from a Semitic root knʿ "to be low, humble, depressed", in contrast with Aram, "highlands".[13] An alternative suggestion derives the term from Hurrian Kinahhu, purportedly referring to the colour purple, so that Canaan and Phoenicia would be synonyms ("Land of Purple"), but it is just as common to assume that Kinahhu was simply the Hurrian rendition of the Semitic knʿn.[14][15]

          References[edit]

          1. Jump up^ María E. Aubet. "The Phoenicians and the West: politics, colonies and trade", (ISBN 0521795435ISBN 978-0-521-79543-2), 2001, p. 66
          2. Jump up^ James C. Prichard. Researches into the physical history of mankind, 1817, p. 447
          3. Jump up^ But see also: Harvard University. The Canadian journal of science, literature and history, Vol. 13, p. 533
          4. Jump up^ Yohannes Wolde Mariam, Yealem Tarik, 1948 p. 105-6.
          5. Jump up^ Tabari's Prophets and Patriarchs
          6. Jump up^ Alida C. Metcalf. Go-betweens and the colonization of Brazil, 1500-1600, (ISBN 0292712766ISBN 978-0-292-71276-8), 2005, p. 163-164
          7. Jump up^ Goldenberg. The Curse of Ham, 2009, (ISBN 1400828546ISBN 978-1-4008-2854-8), p. 157
          8. Jump up^ Donald E. Gowan, Genesis 1-11: Eden to Babel, Wm. B. Eerdmans, ISBN 0-8028-0337-7, p.110-15
          9. Jump up^ Ellens, J. Harold, & Rollins, Wayne G., eds. (2004). Psychology and the Bible: A New Way to Read the Scriptures. v.1–4. Westport: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 9780275983475 p.54
          10. Jump up^ Stephen R. Haynes. Noah's curse: the biblical justification of American slavery, 2002, (ISBN 0195142799ISBN 978-0-19-514279-2), p. 184
          11. Jump up^ Philip R. Davies; John Rogerson (2005). The Old Testament World second edition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 121–122. ISBN 0-664-23025-3.
          12. Jump up^ David Asheri, Alan Lloyd, Aldo Corcella, A Commentary on Herodotus, Books 1-4, Oxford University Press, 2007 p.75.
          13. Jump up^ Bible Places: The Topography of the Holy Land By Henry Baker Tristram
          14. Jump up^ GeseniusHebrew Lexicon
          15. Jump up^ Lemche 1991, pp. 24–32

          External links[edit]