Egypt increased its involvement in Canaan during this period, and in the fifteenth century BCE Pharaoh Tutmoses III went to war in Canaan. Almost no new fortifications were built in Canaan at this time, and the country actively participated in intensive commerce all around the eastern Mediterranean basin. The settlement of the Israelite tribes in various parts of the country was once dated to the end of this period, hence it was dubbed “period of the settlement,” which relates to its latter part. In the mid-fourteenth century BCE Jerusalem is mentioned for the second time in its history, once again in Egypt, in texts that are not biblical. Jerusalem was involved in internal struggles among the rulers of other urban centers, who formed a coalition against it.

Archaeological finds from this period in and around the City of David are very meager. Nevertheless, finds were discovered that are dated to the end of this period, for example tombs found on the Mount of Olives and discoveries in the Nahalat Ahim neighborhood near the Mahane Yehuda Market and elsewhere. According to Prof. Gabriel Barkay, an Egyptian temple even stood north of the present-day Damascus Gate.