At the time of the Exodus, all Western Palestine was held by these Canaanitish and Philistine tribes; and the country east of the Jordan was divided into three kingdoms. On the north lay the kingdom of the giant Og, the last of the Rephaim, which extended over Ba- shan and the section of Gilead north of the Jabbok. Between the Jabbok and the Arnon was the kingdom of Sihon; while the region south of the Arnon was possessed by the Moabites.
In addition to the tribes now enumerated, Moses mentions the Kenites, Keiiizzitcs, and Kadmonites; but these, though included in the land promised to Abra- ham, had their territories in Arabia, beyond the boun- daries of Palestine (Gen. xv, 18-21). The Perizzites are also mentioned as a tribe distinct from the Canaanites, residing in some part of Western Palestine. Little is known either of their origin or their possessions. See Canaan.
2. The Period from Joslnta fo Solomon. — At the com- mencement of this period an entire change was wrought in the political geography of Palestine. The country was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel. The eastern section was first ajiportioned. Moab's territory south of the Arnon was left untouched. A very clear and full account of the allotment of all the rest is given in Numb, xxxii. The tai)le-land (Mishor) extending from the Arnon to Hcshbon was given to the tribe of Keuben (comp. Josh, xiii, 15 sq.). Gad received the re- gion between Heshbon and the river Jabbok, together with an additional strip along the east bank of the Jor- dan, extending up to the Sea of Chinnereth (ver. 24-28). The rest of Gilead and all Bashan were allotted to Ma- nasseh, and this was at once the largest and the richest allotment made to any of the tribes (ver. 29-31).
Western I'alestine was divided by Joshua among the remaining tribes. Judah received the country lying between the parallel of Jerusalem and the southern bor- der; but subsequently a section on the south was giv- en to Simeon; and another section was taken off its western side and allotted to Dan. These two tribes were thus, as regards their possessions, amalgamated with Judah (Josh, xv; xix, 1,40-47). North of Judah lay Benjamin, confined to a narrow strip stretching across the country from the Jordan to Beth-horon, be- tween the parallels of Jerusalem and Bethel (xviii, 11- 25). Next to Benjamin came the children of Joseph, grouped close together — Ephraim on the south and Manasseh on the north. Their united portion reached from the Jordan to the sea, and from Bethel to the bor- der of Esdraelon (ch. xvi, xvii). In addition to this large mountain territorj', the cities of Beth-shean, Taa- nach, Megiddo, and a few others situated in Esdraelon, were allotted to them. To Issachar was given the no- ble plain of Esdraelon — a territory-, however, whose fer- tility was more than overbalanced by its exposed situa- tion (xix, 17^23). Zebulun received his lot amid the picturesque hills and plains of Lower Galilee, having Tabor on the east, and the Great Sea, at the base of
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But though the whole land was thus allotted, it waa not conquered. The I'hilistines still held their plain; and the mercantile Canaanites, whom the Greeks called Phoinicians, remained in their great seaports. Many- cities, also, in difterent parts of the country, were re- tained by their Canaanitish founders (Judg. i, 21 sq.).
3. From the Death of Solomon to the Captivity. — On tlie death of Solomon, the tyranny and folly of his son rent the nation of Israel. Long before that time there liad l>een rivalry between the powerful families of Judah and Kphraim ; Kehoboam's folly was the occasion of its breaking out into open hostility. The boundaries of the tribes were not disturbed by the rupture in the na- tion. Benjamin clung to Judah, and its northern border became the line of demarcation between the two king- doms. Dan and Simeon occupied portions of the allot- ted territory of Judah, and were therefore reckoned parts of that tribe (1 Kings xii, 17) ; hence the southern king- dom is usually said to have consisted of only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, while in reahty it in- cluded four (I Kings xix, 3; 2 Chron. xi, 10; with Josh, xix, 41, 42). The remaining tribes east and west of the Jordan chose Jeroboam as their king ; but Bethel (2 Chron. xiii, 10) and some other cities farther north were afterwards added to Judah (xv, 8).
The next change in the political geography of the land was brought about by the conquests of Assyria. The northern kingdom was invaded, Samaria its capital taken, and the whole people of the land carried away captive. Foreign colonists were placed in their room ; and these, adopting the Jewish law, and conforming to some extent to the Jewish ritual, were the founders of
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Palestine at David's Accession, with Solomon's Purveyor- stiips.
Carmel, on the west (ver. 10-lG). Asher got the fertile plain of Acre and the coast of Phccnicia up to Sidon (ver. 24-31). In the mountains on the northern bor- der Naphtali found a beautiful highland home (ver. 32- 39). The lot of Dan was too small, and the Philistines hemmed the tribe in so that they were unable to culti- vate the rich soil of the Sliephclah, They consequent- ly made an expedition to the far north, and established an imjiortant colony on the plain of the upper Jordan (ver. 47 ; corap. Judg. xviii). Sec Tkike.