Canaanites
THE, a word used in two senses: (1) For the tribe of the "Canaanites" only-the dwellers in the lowland. The whole of the country W. of Jordan was a "lowland" as compared with the loftier and more extended tracts on the E. (2) Applied as a general name to the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land.
Like the Phoenicians, the Canaanites were probably given to commerce; and thus the name became probably in later times an occasional synonym for a merchant.
Like almost all nations, the inhabitants of Canaan had legends that their CANADA CANADA long-time predecessors were giants. nipeg region, contains about 7,000 These were considered aborigines, and appear to be of several races, as Anakim, Rephaim, Emim, Suzites, Zamsummim, Avim, and Horim. From earliest historical times, however, the inhabitants were of some incoming Semitic stock, variously named, and only hazily distinguishable now. At first they were sometimes all grouped as Amorites, but at a later date seven tribes were listed:
Hittites, Canaanites, Amorites, Gergazites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Hivites. When the Israelites displaced them these peoples were at an advanced stage of civilization. The Hittites founded an empire to the N., and much is now known about them. See HITTITES. Still later there were Canaanites alongside of or intermingled with the Hebrews. The Phoenicians were of Canaanitish origin, and occupied the coast plain to the N.; the Philistines, of the same general origin, on the coast to the S.