An international expert in Ancient Near Eastern studies will answer the question, "Who is a Canaanite?" in a Nov. 26 lecture at Mississippi State University.
Israeli professor Anson F. Rainey has studied the problems of identifying and differentiating Canaanites, Israelites and other peoples living in South Canaan during the late second and first millennia B.C. This was a time when the Hebrews, the Semitic people who traced their ancestry to Abraham, were emerging as a distinct political entity in the region.
According to the Bible (Genesis 10:19), the Canaanite boundaries extended from Sidon to Gaza on the East Mediterranean coast and inland to the Jordan River Valley. The Semitic inhabitants are referred to as descendants of Ham, one of Noah's sons.
Using linguistic and archaeological data, Rainey will describe the features that characterize Canaanite society. The Tel Aviv University researcher also will review issues now being debated about the relationship of this culture to the formation of the nation of Israel.
In addition to his responsibilities at Tel Aviv University, Rainey teaches historical geography at the American Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem.
He holds a doctorate in Near Eastern languages and literature from Brandeis University. He earned undergraduate and master's degrees, respectively, from John Brown University and the California Baptist Theological Seminary.
The public lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. in Simrall Hall auditorium.
For more information, telephone Kathy Elliott of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology at (601) 325-3826.