Final answer:
The three theories about Israel's entry into Canaan are invasion, peaceful migration, and divine covenant. Archaeological records challenge the narrative of a military conquest led by Joshua, instead suggesting more gradual assimilation or a small-scale migration may have occurred.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three theories about how Israel got into the land of Canaan are invasion, peaceful migration, and divine covenant. The invasion theory, often associated with the biblical figure Joshua, suggests a military conquest of Canaan by the Israelites. In contradiction, archaeological findings indicate a lack of evidence for such a conquest, with places like Jericho showing no signs of destruction that align with the biblical narrative. Peaceful migration suggests the Israelites gradually settled in the land of Canaan, possibly integrating with the existing populations. The divine covenant refers to the biblical account of God promising the land of Canaan to Abraham's descendants, a belief that would have reinforced the Israelites' claim to the territory.
The Exodus narrative, including the leadership of Moses, and subsequent events like the collapse of the Bronze Age, might have also contributed to the Hebrews entering Canaan. Some subset of this population might have included Hebrews who later identified with the Israelite tribes. However, the exact nature and extent of such an exodus remain contentious among scholars.
Overall, while the biblical account suggests a swift and dramatic takeover, the historical and archaeological records support more complex and less conclusive theories of how the Israelites settled in Canaan.