The land of Canaan was devoted to the worship of Baal...
"One may question that those ancient enemies of Israel were as evil as the Bible
claims that they were, but even a superficial glance at Canaanite
religion alone ably demonstrates their iniquity. Base sex worship was
prevalent, and religious prostitution even commanded; human sacrifice
was common; and it was a frequent practice--in an effort to placate their
gods--to kill young children and bury them in the foundations of a house
or public building at the time of construction: Joshua 6:26 "In his days
did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in
Abiram his firstborn..."

Howard E. Vos,
"An Introduction To Bible Archaeology" Revised ed.
(Chicago: Moody Press, 1953) pp. 17-19.