Canaan

Canaan, early name for Palestine. The region was inhabited from the 2nd millennium B.C. by Semitic peoples, mainly Amorites, whose script provides the earliest known alphabet. During the 13th century B.C. Canaan was occupied by the Israelites. In the next century its coasts were taken by the Philistines but later, King David (1000–961 B.C.) extended Israelite rule over all Canaan.

See also: Palestine.