Let’s talk a little bit about the iron chariots the Canaanites used when battling their enemies.
The first thing you need to know is that these chariots were 100% NOT constructed out of iron.
Most of the pieces of the chariot were actually made out of wood that was just tipped with iron in certain parts.
And while it was true that the iron made the chariots much more indestructible, it also made them a heck of a lot heavier.
Because of this one feature (the weight), the types of terrain the chariots could be used on was quite restricted.
For instance, muddy land was instantly out of the question.
Rocky or hilly land was also virtually impossible.
This leaves us with pretty much just one option left: flat ground.
Therefore, for the most part, iron chariots were used primarily in plains and valleys.
This was one of the reasons the Joseph tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were reluctant to begin the battle to drive out the Canaanites from Beit-Shean and the Jezreel Valley.
If you’ve ever visited this area in Israel while on tour, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Because the area is a horizontal flat ground stretching out for miles which would have made it super easy for the Canaanites to operate their chariots on.
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN JOSHUA CHAPTER 18
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