Does the Canaanite Narrative Warrant the Committal of Mass Violence?
The command for the extermination of the Canaanites by YHWH has been used in different modernized and colonial settings to justify genocide, displacement, and dispossession of lands throughout the globe. While the original holy war passages seem dangerous in and of itself, it is crucial to keep in mind that without studying any text in context, these can be easily weaponized by certain people groups to warrant the committal of atrocious deeds. After identifying the reasons for why YHWH has given such command which resulted in the measures taken by the Israelites out of obedience, the question that lies is this: is mass violence permissible? I would argue that YHWH’s ultimate decision to wipe out the Canaanite nation is justifiable solely within the confines of covenant history and other doctrinal principles, and this narrative should not be appropriated to legitimize violence or any kind of devaluation beyond these bounds. The American Ethos and the...
