During the Middle Bronze Age, approximately 2000BC to 1500BC, urbanism returned to the Canaan region and the area was divided into small city-states. Hazor became the most important of them. The Mesopotamian influence dominated the Canaanite culture, and a large international trade network became integrated into Canaan.

About 2240BC, Naram-Sin became the ruler of the Akkadian Empire (the second ancient empire of Mesopotamia). His kingdom reached its maximum strength and he proclaimed himself "God of Akkad," "King of the Four Quarters" (translated to mean king of the known world and everything in it), and "King of the Universe."

The "four quarters" were:,

-Amurru (in Modern Day Syria and Northern Lebanon). Amurra was the westernmost quarter.

-Subartu (found in Upper Mesopotamia on the Upper Tigris river.) The northernmost geographical location of the Akkadian Empire.

-Elam (centered in the far west and northeast of Iran). The easternmost boundary of the Akkadian Empire.

-Sumer (in south-central Iraq). The southernmost expanse of the Akkadian Empire. The earliest known civilization in the historical era of Southern Mesopotamia and one of the world's first civilizations.

The Amorite Chieftain Hammurabi founded Babylon in 1894BC (about sixty miles south of Modern Day Baghdad in Iraq). During this time, Babylon grew from little significance to develop into Babylonia and Babylon became the region's holy city. The Mesopotamians also established Larsa and Isin.

Larsa:

-an important city-state southeast of Uruk in Iran's Dhi Qar Governorate (in southern Iraq and the heartland of Sumer).

-may also be the source of Babylonia mathematics

-the Plimpton 322 tablets that contain two of the three Pythagorean triples that solved a, b, c equals a squared + b squared = c squared

Isin:

-known for temples and royal hymns

-Sumarian King List, a literary composition that created the legitimacy to claims of power for city-state kingdoms in Southern Mesopotamia.

During the Middle Bronze Age, Mesopotamia was divided mainly between two confederacies, one centered around Meggido in the Jezreel Valley (in the Northern District of Israel), and the other at Kadesh on the Orontes River in Syria.

Under Hazor (north of the Sea of Galilee), the prosperity of Canaan reached its apex. Hazor at least minimumly paid tribute to Egypt. Hazor was the largest fortified city in Canaan and imported large quantities of tin for its bronze industry. Joshua 11:10 called Hazor the "head of all those kingdoms."

Other significent city-states of the Canaanite Middle Bronze Age included Yamhad, the most powerful Syrian kingdom of its time. Yamhad dominated northern, northwestern, and eastern Syria. A gateway between the eastern Iranian plateau and the Aegean region, Yamhad centered on Halab and was considered a holy religious center. This helped Yamhad attain its prominence.

Qatna, in the Homs Governorate of Syria, near the village of al-Mishrifeh, contained one of the largest palaces of the Bronze Age in Syria. Qatna was abundantly fertile with a vast population that tended grazing animals.

Next Time: Sea Of Galilee #21: Canaan's Late Bronze Age

Sources:

Bible
worldhistory.org
brittanica.com
metmuseum.org
history.com