Neighboring Peoples

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau who inhabited the red rock fortresses of Seir and maintained a perpetual, jealous rivalry with their brother nation Israel, culminating in the Herodian dynasty.

The Ammonites were the cruel and idolatrous descendants of Lot who occupied the region of modern-day Jordan and were known for their brutal warfare tactics and worship of Molech.

The Moabites were the descendants of Lot who inhabited the plateau east of the Dead Sea, serving as both a spiritual stumbling block to Israel through idolatry and a vessel of divine grace through Ruth.

The Amalekites were the nomadic, predatory descendants of Esau who became Israel’s perpetual enemy by attacking the weak and weary during the Exodus, symbolizing the persistent opposition of the flesh against the spirit.

The Perizzites were the rural, village-dwelling inhabitants of the Canaanite hill country who controlled the forests and open lands until they were defeated by the tribes of Judah and Ephraim.

The Girgashites were one of the seven Canaanite nations destined for destruction, an obscure people likely dwelling near the Sea of Galilee whose complete disappearance testifies to the thoroughness of the Israelite conquest.

The Jebusites were the confident Canaanite inhabitants of Jerusalem who held the fortress of Zion for centuries until King David conquered them, turning their city into the capital of Israel and their threshing floor into the site of the Temple.

The Hivites were a pragmatic Canaanite people known for the incident at Shechem and for the Gibeonites’ successful deception of Joshua, which secured their survival as servants in God’s house.

The Hittites were a formidable ancient empire and local Canaanite power who interacted with Israel as landowners, fierce military rivals, and loyal mercenaries like Uriah.

The Amorites were a powerful, mountainous civilization whose entrenched wickedness and military might posed the greatest challenge to the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land.