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{{DOD-March}}
The heathen tribes of Canaan were divided into many little "nations," with key cities as their centers. They usually fought each other, but when [[God]]'s people arrived the little nations united to oppose [[Israel]]. However, a group of Hivites, a little-known ethnic group of Palestine, decided to try diplomacy rather than war. Their capital city was Gibeon, located five miles northwest of [[Jerusalem]] on the road to Joppa. They pretended to be friends of the [[Israel]]ites. They lied to them, saying their wineskins had become old and worn on their long journey, their bread moldy, and their sandals worn. The [[Israel]]ites believed them and made a treaty with them. The [[Israelites]] "took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the [[Lord]].".
The Gibeonites were found to be neighbors and enemies, among those who should have been destroyed. The result was [[Israel]]'s disobedience to the [[Lord]], and enemies numbered among them. Though the Gibeonites were given menial tasks, being made woodcutters and water carriers, the fact remained that they were enemies of the [[Israelites]].
