On The Historicity And Morality Of The Canaanite Conquests (Part 2 Of 2)

          “…If we swapped “Canaanites” with “Jews” in the Old Testament, and Joshua with Hitler, we would have Archer defending Hitler on the basis that the Jews cancerous, including their infants and children. If we swapped “Canaanites” with “Jews” in the Old Testament, and Joshua with Hitler, we would have Archer defending Hitler on the basis that the Jews cancerous, including their infants and children.”

          This is a false analogy. Israel was a theocracy, not a dictatorship. Classes of people were not being eliminated at whim. The context of these battles in the Old Testament relates to purity of worship, not racial hatred. The Old Testament never paints the concept of war in a positive light.

          It can also be pointed out that no other nation in history besides Israel had been led directly by God. He commanded His people to wage this war. This was a unique situation. Consequently, this reasoning cannot simply be applied to justify any genocide committed throughout history.

          “God’s plan, however, is to not only kill all the Canaanite parents but their children and infants too. In other words, God is judging the Canaanites for practicing child sacrifice by killing their children.”

          The Canaanite children would likely have grown up to resent the Israelites who raised them and cause rebellion. Further, Israel was not strong enough like Rome was in a more developed stage to keep captured peoples under control.

          “Going on what the biblical authors tell us, God wanted to eradicate the Canaanite religion and identity because they were a major threat to Israel. But here God, given his want to eradicate the Canaanites, we learn that they were not fully wiped out (Judg. 3:1–4).”

          References to Canaanites can either be ones existing throughout Israel or to smaller tribes (Numbers 13:29). They did not get totally eliminated from the land because the Jews were not obedient to God. He made conditional promises to them. A small remainder of the Canaanites were left to test the Israelites. There is no internal inconsistency in the narrative here.