700 years. It is now called Judea, and its divisions, at different times, have been as follows:
Ancient Canaanitish Division. Israelilish Div. Roman Div.
Sidonians, Tribe of Asher, (in Lebanon.)
Napthali. (Northwest of the lake of Genesaret Upper Galilee.
Unknown, 1
Perizzites, Zebulon. (West of Genesaret.) Issachar. (Valley of Esdraelon, and S. Lower Galilee. Same Mt. Tabor.)
Half tribe of Manasseh. (Dor and Cesarea.)
Hivites Same, Ephraim. (Shechem & Samaria.) Samaria Jebusites, Benjamin. (Jericho & Jerusalem.) Amorites, Hittites, Judah. (Hebron & Judea proper.) Judea Simeon. (Southwest of Judah, Dan, and Joppa.) Philistines, Moabites, Reuben. (Gilead and Heshbon.) Ammonites, Gilead, Ammonites. (Gilead.) Gilead. Half tribe of Manasseh. (Golan Kingdom of Bashan, Bashan } *
The boundaries of Canaan, as generally laid down, are Lebanon on the north, Arabia on the east, Idumea on the south, and the sea on the west.
At the time when Abraham came into the land of Canaan, there were already in existence numerous towns, which are mentioned in the book of Genesis; Sodom and Gomorrah, Zeboim, Admah, Bela, Hebron and Damascus. This last is truly venerable, as it is beyond doubt the oldest city in the world. The spies who were sent over Jordan brought back an account of well fortified cities. In the book of Joshua, we read of no less than 600 towns, of which the Israelites took possession. When the city of Ai was taken, its inhabitants, who were put to the sword, amounted to 12,000, (Josh. viii. 16, 25,) and we are told that Gibeon was a still greater city.—(Josh. x. 2.)
Ashtaroth, (Josh, ix, 10,) called Astaroth, (Deut. i. 4,) and Ashteroth Karnaim, (Gen. xiv. 5,) was one of the chief cities of Bashan, and is supposed to be the same with the modern Mezaraib, on the route of the pilgrims from Damascus to Mecca.
- A section of Canaan, extending across from the Jordan to the Medi-
terranean Sea, and northwardly to the territory of Benjamin and Dan (Josh. xv. 1— G3.)
