From Wikipedia you could learn that
"Canaan is a historical Semitic-speaking region roughly corresponding to the
Levant (modern-day Israel, Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and the western
parts of Jordan and Syria)", a large area roughly between Egypt
and Mesopotamia. It was arranged territorially from the Ottoman Empire
shortly after the end of World War I.
Several parts of this area have been involved in political violence of one sort or
another. Canaan has a long and bloody history.
Genesis Chapter 11 marks the beginning of the biblical history of Canaan.
one of Blake's distinctive characterists was his habit of using the same
name for a place and a person, such as Jerusalem: a City, but also a
Woman. Here the country called Canaan is seen as an old woman:
name for a place and a person, such as Jerusalem: a City, but also a
Woman. Here the country called Canaan is seen as an old woman:
PLATE 10 [11] of Milton
"Then Los & Enitharmon knew that Satan is Urizen
Drawn down by Orc & the Shadowy Female into Generation
Oft Enitharmon enterd weeping into the Space, there appearing
An aged Woman raving along the Streets (the Space is named
Canaan) then she returnd to Los weary frighted as from dreams
The nature of a Female Space is this: it shrinks the Organs
Of Life till they become Finite & Itself seems Infinite."
Most people know John Milton wrote Paradise Lost, which came to
be a primary myth about God and Satan. Milton was one of Blake's
greatest heroes, and outside the Bible a chief source of his
thought. But in some respects he was at odds with Milton; he
wrote the Book of Milton as a poetic attempt to bring Milton back
from Heaven to correct some of Milton's theological errors.
Milton had three wives and three daughters, which Blake used
in the poem.
"No sooner she had spoke but Rahab Babylon appeard
Eastward upon the Paved work across Europe & Asia
Glorious as the midday Sun in Satans bosom glowing:
A Female hidden in a Male, Religion hidden in War
Namd Moral Virtue; cruel two-fold Monster shining bright
A Dragon red & hidden Harlot which John in Patmos saw
And all beneath the Nations innumerable of Ulro
Appeard, the Seven Kingdoms of Canaan & Five Baalim
Of Philistea. into Twelve divided, calld after the Names
Of Israel: as they are in Eden. Mountain. River & Plain
City & sandy Desart intermingled beyond mortal ken"
(Milton; Erdman 141-42)
On page 614-15 of Erdman is an annotation to An Apology for the
Bible by Bishop R Watson; Blake wrote:
Bible by Bishop R Watson; Blake wrote:
"Horrible the Bishop is an Inquisitor God never makes one man
murder another nor one nation [p 7] There is a vast difference
between an accident brought on by a man's own carelessness & a
destruction from the designs of another. The Earthquakes at
Lisbon &c were the Natural result of Sin. but the destruction of
the Canaanites by Joshua was the Unnatural design of wicked men
To Extirpate a nation by means of another nation is as wicked as
to destroy an individual by means of another individual which God
directs (in the Bible)."
An important note is that when people systematically eradicate another
people, it is my no means God's will.
Northrup Frye suggested that it was the religion and ways that God meant for the Israelites to destroy. Be that as it may, the Hebrews did nothing of the sort; they melded in with them: body and soul.
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