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The Promised Land Debate: Why Palestine Doesn't Fit the Claim

In Abraham and Jacob’s time, in the Old Testament, the Promised Land refers to the physical land which is Canaan. This land was said to be inhabited by seven nations, and these are Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. That was the Promised Land of Yahweh to Abraham and to the Israelites back then. 

Canaan Map 1

Canaan Map 2

In the modern times, the land that once was Canaan now encompasses Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. 

Modern-day Israel


Does that makes them all the Promised Land? Of course not. It is clearly written in the New Testament that the Promised Land has changed into the New Jerusalem which is spiritual. 

One thing that many people failed to recognize is that the Canaan was a large region that included not only the Canaanites but also other groups like the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites and Girgashites, as mentioned in the Bible.

Whenever people hear the word "Canaan", they always think that it only pertains to that specific land where Canaanites lives, but the mere truth is, the land was a vast region that included many different groups, not just the Canaanites.

When we talk about Canaan in biblical times, we are referring to the land occupied by 7 nations.

For instance, many people think that the Promised Land was Palestine since Canaanites once lived in areas that now include Jerusalem, Jericho, Shechem (modern Nablus), Bethel (near modern Ramallah) and Hebron which are located in the West Bank, a territory that is currently part of Palestine.

As I have said, Canaanites is not solely the Promised Land. The Promised Land is the Canaan region that covers the 7 nations. However, the Canaanites were among the first to be attacked when the Israelites entered the Promised Land. This was because they occupied central and strategic areas that needed to be conquered first for Israel to establish control over the land.

The first major battle recorded in the Book of Joshua was against Jericho, a heavily fortified Canaanite city (Joshua 6). After the miraculous collapse of Jericho's walls, the Israelites moved on to Ai (Joshua 7-8), another key Canaanite stronghold. These early victories gave Israel a foothold in the land, allowing them to launch further attack against other Canaanite cities.


References:

1. https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel

2. https://geography.bible-history.com/products/land-of-canaan-color-map-hi-res-download-1-year-license/

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