Type: Canaanite Shelf Bowl
Age: 3000 BCE
Era: Early Bronze Age 
Culture: Canaanite
Excavated: Israel
Reference: Amiran, R. (1969) Ancient Pottery of the Holy Land. Drawing 3 page: 53

References to the land of Canaan can be found in the Biblical text as well as the writings of many other cultures. In fact, the earliest non-Biblical mention of Canaan comes from a letter sent to the Mari king around 1800 BCE. The Canaanites are also frequently mentioned in the Amarna Letters; letters found in the ancient city of Amarna, Egypt that were written to Pharaoh Akhenaten (see photos of the Amarna Letters below). The Bible is rife with references to the Canaanites, and states that the Canaanites stem from Canaan, Noah's grandson. After the Exodus and upon entering into the Promised Land, the Israelites were faced with many challenging battles against many nations. Many of these nations being found in the lineage of Canaan. 

The Bible (Numbers 13:29) places the Canaanites near the Mediterranean coast and in the Jordan River Valley. 

"When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations-the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you..."                                                           
Deuteronomy 7:1-2 

*On loan from the Llewelyn Collection