With the conquest of the land of Canaan, and the extirpation of the unsuspecting natives, they [the Gnostics] were at a loss how to reconcile with the common notions of humanity and justice. But when they recollected the sanguinary list of murders, of executions, and of massacres, which stain almost every page of the Jewish annals, they acknowledged that the barbarians of Palestine had exercised as much compassion towards their idolatrous enemies as they had ever shown to their friends or countrymen. (1)
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; […] And Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you […] to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian. [….] So they made war against Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed every male [….] And Moses said to them, […] Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves. (Numbers 31:2-18)
Remember this day when you went out from Egypt […] And it shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jubusite which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month. (Exodus 13:3-5)
And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. (Exodus 13:3-21)
He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. (Exodus 21:12-13)
Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "To your descendents I will give it. And I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite and the Jebusite. (Exodus 33:1-2)
Cross the Jordan River, God commanded Joshua, and take the land of Canaan that I gave to the Israelites. Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel, Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it too you, just as I spoke to Moses. (Joshua 1:2-3)
Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death: only be strong and courageous. (Joshua 1:18)
Faith of our fathers, we will strive/To win all nations unto thee;
(Lyrics to "Faith of Our Fathers," a traditional Christian hymn.)
Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel had commanded. (Joshua 10:40)
From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory. (Joshua 1:4)