Canaan, historically and biblically centered on Palestine, was originally inhabited by the Canaanites. The terms "Canaan" and "Canaanite" appear in ancient writings from around the 15th century BCE, including the Old Testament. Depending on the source, "Canaan" can refer to all of Palestine and Syria, just the land west of the Jordan River, or a strip of coastal land from Acre (ʿAkko) southward.
