Johnny Skeptic

Genesis 17:8 says "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." The Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2004 says "Canaan, in the Old Testament, designation of the land to the west of the Jordan River, later known as Palestine, and the name of the reputed ancestor of the Canaanites, the original inhabitants of that land. The Israelites gradually conquered and occupied this territory during the 2nd millennium bc or earlier. It was probably the Canaanites who gave the Israelites the language now known as Hebrew." The Encyclopedia Britannica 2003 says "area variously defined in historical and biblical literature, but always centred on Palestine. Its original pre-Israelite inhabitants were called Canaanites. The names Canaan and Canaanite occur in cuneiform, Egyptian, and Phoenician writings from about the 15th century BC as well as in the Old Testament. In these sources, 'Canaan' refers sometimes to an area encompassing all of Palestine and Syria, sometimes only to the land west of the Jordan River, and sometimesjust to a strip of coastal land from Acre (Akko) northward. The Israelites occupied and conquered Palestine, or Canaan, beginning in the late 2nd millennium BC, or perhaps earlier; and the Bible justifies such occupation by identifying Canaan with the Promised Land, the land promised to the Israelites by God."

Christians and Jews have at least three problems. First of all, we do not have any idea what area of land ancient Canaan comprised. Second of all, we do not have any idea whether or not the Jews conquered all of the ancient land of Cannan. Third of all, if the present borders of modern Palestine are the same as the borders of ancient Palestine, today, the Jews do not control all of it.

God's land promise was made to believers, who at the time were mostly Jews. Since Christianity was founded, the best evidence indicates that the vast majority of Jews have rejected Christianity. It is not reasonable for anyone to assume that God would make a perpetual land promise to unbelievers.

Boro Nut

In the words of England's most famous folk singer, Anon: 'Oh No John, No John, No John, No!'

Boro Nut

Agnostic Theist

Not one of your best

Clivedurdle

Who says that Abraham existed and that he was Jewish? Actually what is the earliest clearly Jewish archaelogical record - ie - no pigs, Hebrew etc. Is it about seventh century BCE?

Johnny Skeptic

You are of course correct that we can't be reasonably certain whether or not Abraham existed, but my main point is that even if he did, there is no credible evidence that the Jews have ever possessed all of the land of Canaan.