After forty years in the desert and the death of Moses, the people of Israel finally reach the gates of the land promised to Abraham. The settlement of the tribes of Israel in Canaan is not a peaceful process and takes a long time: first it is led by Joshua, later by judges such as Deborah, Gideon or Samson, and afterward by the prophet Samuel, until the arrival of the first kings. This is the third stage of the Old Covenant.
In the previous article we followed the journey to the Promised Land. Now we move on to the third stage, set approximately between 1200 and 1000 BC: the conquest of Canaan and the time of the judges.
This journey follows the structure of the book Bible Portico, Saxum’s work that offers timelines, maps and infographics to help readers better understand Sacred Scripture. Drawing on that material, we take a closer look at this third stage, told across three books: Joshua, Judges and Ruth.
The historical context of the conquest of Canaan
Around 1200 BC the balance of power in the Mediterranean and the Near East changes. The Doric invasion sends Mycenaean civilization into decline, and Greece is progressively occupied by tribes from the north. Between 1114 and 1076 BC, Tiglath-Pileser I restores the Assyrian Empire.
Against that backdrop, between 1200 and 1000 BC the Israelites conquer Canaan, either forging alliances or fighting against the peoples already settled in the region: Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, Arameans, Ammonites, Philistines, Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, Perizzites and Hivites.
THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN AND THE TIME OF THE JUDGES
Joshua: taking possession of the Promised Land
The book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s arrival in the Promised Land. It combines two literary genres: a narrative that idealizes the taking of possession of the land under Joshua’s leadership, and a section of speeches, which closes the book together with the renewal of the Covenant.
The events narrated take place around 1150 BC. The people of Israel probably passed down an oral account of their arrival in Canaan for centuries, with some episodes written down over time. The book must have been completed before the exile, in the time of King Josiah (7th century BC), and was included among the Nevi’im of the Hebrew Bible during the Babylonian exile.
The book is structured in three main sections:
- Prologue: forms a link with the Pentateuch and sets out the book’s main themes, which are repeated in the epilogue: the continuity between the missions of Joshua and Moses as mediators between God and the people, and the unity of the tribes, who conquer the land together.
- The conquest of Jericho: this account is narrated in theological language and is paradigmatic for the whole book. It presents the people of God as a holy nation, liturgically arranged, presided over by the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence among his chosen ones. It makes clear that the conquest of the land is a gift from God, the result of the people’s obedience and not of their military prowess.
- The distribution of the territory: the territory is divided up in places linked to shrines, such as Gilgal and Shiloh, and by lot. This shows once again that the land is not a property acquired by each tribe through its own means, but that all of it belongs to God, who has given it to Israel.
Ultimately, the book teaches that God is faithful and always fulfills his promises: he gives the Promised Land to the Patriarchs’ descendants, through the cooperation of the twelve tribes acting as one people. From then on, the Promised Land becomes an essential part of God’s Covenant with Israel.
Among its key concepts are faithfulness — God is faithful and expects man to respond with faithfulness — and the Promised Land itself, which tends to merge into one concept with the people of Israel. Joshua’s name, Joshua in Hebrew, is the same as “Jesus” and means “the Lord saves.”
A 6th-century mosaic pavement representing the Promised Land. Discovered in 1897 in a church in Madaba (biblical Medeba, Jordan).
Judges: the cycle of unfaithfulness and deliverance
Before dying, Joshua exhorts the people to stay faithful to God and his Covenant, which they renew at Shechem. With that transitional scene, the book of Judges opens. It, too, combines two genres: a narrative that relates Israel’s settlement in Canaan and its difficulties, and popular legends, which gather the stories of twelve epic heroes, one for each tribe.
The events narrated take place around 1200–1030 BC, and its composition is similar to that of the book of Joshua.
The book is likewise organized in three parts:
- Prologue: the first chapters contain the book’s basic theological lesson: Israel will remain in the land as long as it stays faithful to the Lord, but it will lose God’s favor if it turns away from him.
- The judges: the Lord shows his faithfulness by raising up judges who save the people from danger: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson, along with the so-called minor judges — Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. The accounts show Israel falling repeatedly into unfaithfulness.
- Epilogue: at the end of the book, two further stories from the time of the judges are added.
Among these episodes, around 1125 BC comes the victory of Deborah and Barak over the Canaanites (Judges 4–5). Later, around 1050 BC, Israel is defeated by the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant is captured (1 Samuel 4). Around 1040 BC, the prophet Samuel builds the shrine at Shiloh.
The book of Judges teaches that God reveals himself progressively. While these epic events help us understand God’s justice, mercy and faithfulness to his Covenant, the specific deeds of their characters are not always exemplary.
The Tribes of Israel in Canaan – Bible Portico
Ruth: the faithfulness of a Moabite woman
The book of Ruth tells the story of King David’s forebears. Ruth is his great-grandmother, which places the narrative a few decades before 1000 BC, although its composition is probably much later, from when Judah was part of the Persian Empire (6th–4th centuries BC).
It is a short popular story: the Hebrew Bible places it outside the historical books, among the scrolls read on certain Jewish feast days. It tells of Ruth the Moabite’s faithfulness to her mother-in-law: “your people shall be my people, and your God my God,” she tells her, determined not to leave her. God responds to that faithfulness by including her in the Chosen People: God is not to be outdone in generosity.
The end of this stage
Around 1030 BC, Saul is proclaimed King of Israel (1 Samuel 8–31), paving the way for the next stage in the history of salvation: the beginnings of the monarchy.
Panoramic view from the top of Mount Nebo. It is possible to make out the Dead Sea (called the Sea of Arabah or the Salt Sea in the Bible), the Jordan valley, the oasis of Jericho and the mountains of Judah.
Walking the land of the conquest from Saxum Visitor Center
Understanding the conquest of Canaan and the time of the judges helps place, in a real historical and geographical context, how a group of tribes became a people settled in their own land, very close to where, centuries later, Jesus Christ would preach his message.
Saxum Visitor Center, strategically located near Jerusalem, offers a living experience that connects the Bible, history, archaeology and Christian spirituality. Through its audiovisual and educational resources, it helps pilgrims and visitors better understand the biblical message of the Holy Land and gain a deeper insight into the historical context that precedes the Gospels.