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In the earlyIron Age,Canaan was characterized by a significant increase in asedentaryIsraelite population inSamaria.[1]
Archaeological field surveys conducted since the 1970s found a large increase in the settled population dating to the 12th century BCLate Bronze Age collapse. It is not known whether theIsraelites arrived in the wake of conquests or the new villages were established by formernomads or displaced persons. A similar increase was not found in the surrounding lowland areas. According to archaeological evidence, these areas may have been inhabited byCanaanites orSea People.
A 2005 book byRobert D. Miller applies statistical modeling to the sizes and locations of the villages, grouping them by economic and political features. He found highland groupings centered onDothan, Tirzah,Shechem, andShiloh.The tribal territory of Benjamin was not organized around any main town.
TheBook of Joshua describes the conquest of Canaan, including theFall of Jericho and theBattle of the Waters of Merom.
This evidence does not prove there was a conquest, but if the biblical reference to "daughter villages" means all villages closest to a specific town, thelist of Canaanite towns not taken in theBook of Judges (Judges 1:27–35), which begins: "Nor did Manesseh drive outBet Shean and her daughter-villages ...", the correspondence to the survey results is remarkably accurate. Towns not captured in the central zone were Taanach, Ibleam,Megiddo,Dor,Gezer,Aijalon,Shaalbim, andJerusalem.
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