Palestine was a geographical region in the Middle East, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It was also known as "the holy land" and "the land of the Hebrews". The name "Palestine" has appeared on countless maps and documents throughout history, starting all the way back with hieroglyphics on an Ancient Egyptian temple in 1150 BCE. The region was inhabited by the descendants of Canaan, who retained possession of the whole land "from Sidon to Gaza" until the time of the conquest by Joshua, when it was occupied by the twelve tribes. The word "Palestine" only occurs one time in the Bible, in Joel 3:4, and it is usually translated as "Philistia". The primary language of Palestinian Jews was Aramaic, a Semitic language closely related to Hebrew.