Who was the strongest nation in Canaan in 1000bc?

Answer 1

Answer
By definition, Canaan was the land occupied by the Canaanites themselves, although there was no Canaanite nation and it is difficult even to define what peoples were Canaanite. Palestine - the southern Levant - was divided among three main ethnic groups. The Egyptians and Hittites, who had controlled the Levant between them for several centuries, were no longer a force.

The Philistines were an alliance of powerful city-states occupying the coastal plains and foothills between Egypt and approximately where Tel Aviv is now. They were powerful if they remained united, but a single city-state would be vulnerable. As an alliance, they were probably the strongest force in Palestine around 1000 bc.

The Canaanites were independent city-states occupying the northern coastal areas, not only of Palestine but what are now Lebanon and coastal Syria. By the ninth century, the fragmented nature of the alliance resulted in the conquest of the southern Canaanites by neighbouring Israel. The Aramaeans, a related West Semitic group who could be considered Canaanites, were about to become the dominant ethnic group in what is now Syria.

Israel was probably a united state based on the city of Samaria, and occupying much of the mountainous hinterland and the rich Jezreel Valley. Many scholars say that Israel was not yet powerful enough to trouble its neighbours, as it began to do more than a century later.

Judah was probably a united tribal state based around present-day Jerusalem, which may have been a minor administrative centre. Many scholars say that Judah was much smaller, weaker and more backward than Israel, with a total population of around 40,000 people. It did not yet have walled cities.

According to the Bible, Israel was a rich and powerful state with its capital in the well-defended, walled city of Jerusalem, thus incorporating Judah in a United Monarchy. No doubt it was the most powerful state in Palestine, and King David and his son, Solomon, expanded the borders of Israel into much of what are now Syria and Jordan. This is a view held by many students of The Bible, today.

Answer 2

The strongest nation in Canaan in 1000 BC was the Kingdom of Israel, which was ruled by King David and later his son Solomon. Under their reign, Israel experienced a period of military success and territorial expansion, establishing itself as a dominant power in the region.