Rephaim

The Rephaim, also known as Zamzummin, were a race of giants who inhabited parts of Canaan before the Israelite conquest.

The Rephaim, also referred to as Zamzummin by the Ammonites (Deu 2:20), were a race of giants who inhabited parts of Canaan before the Israelite conquest. They are first mentioned in Gen 14:5, where they were defeated by Chedorlaomer and his allies in Ashteroth-karnaim. The Rephaim were one of the groups that inhabited the land promised to Abraham's descendants (Gen 15:20). They were known for their great stature and strength, and their land was characterized by large, fortified cities (Deu.3.11, 13). The Rephaim were gradually dispossessed of their land by the Israelites during the conquest of Canaan. The Ammonites drove them out of the territory east of the Jordan River (Deu 2:20-21), while the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, defeated Og, the king of Bashan, who was described as the last of the Rephaim (Jos.12.4; 13.12). Despite their formidable reputation, the Israelites were able to overcome the Rephaim with God's help and claim their inheritance in the Promised Land (Jos 17:15).