Canaanites, the ancient Semitic peoples who settled what is now Israel, Lebanon, and the coast of Syria. They became dominant in the region, which came to be called Canaan, by about 2500 B.C. Palestine, the southern part of Canaan, was the Biblical “Promised Land” to which Moses led the Israelites (Hebrews) after their bondage in Egypt. The Israelites conquered the Canaanites of Palestine and adopted much of their culture. The northern Canaanites became known as Phoenicians.