The Past and Present of Palestine

The place name “Palestine” originally referred only to the coastal region of the land of Canaan inhabited by the Philistines in the 12th century BC. In the Old Testament, it is called “Philistia,” which means “land of the Philistines.” Later, the Greek form of the word, “Palestine,” was gradually used to refer to the entire region, also known as the “Land of the Hebrews.” This area has also been called the “Holy Land,” “the Land of the Lord,” “the Promised Land,” and “the Land of Canaan.”

The name “Palestine” does not appear in the Bible. Its boundaries have been a subject of varied interpretation and have changed over time. It was not until after World War I that its recognized boundaries were defined by the League of Nations as the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Jordan River, south of Syria and Lebanon, and north of the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, with Jordan bordering it to the east. Its area is similar to the original biblical Land of Canaan, so it can be considered one and the same. As it was the land promised by God to the Israelites, it is also called the Land of Israel and the Promised Land. Before the 15th century BC, this land was inhabited by ten peoples collectively called the Canaanites, so it was then called the Land of Canaan. After the Israelites entered and conquered the land, it was renamed the Land of Israel. It was only after the successive fall of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel that the name Palestine was gradually adopted to refer to the Land of Canaan.

1. Babylonian Empire Period (587–538 BC): Babylon defeated Assyria and established a larger empire. In 586 BC, Jerusalem was completely destroyed by Babylon, the Temple was torn down, and the people and treasures were carried away. The Kingdom of Judah ended.

2. Persian Empire Period (538–332 BC): The Persian Empire conquered Babylon, and Syria and Palestine became a Persian province. In 538 BC, Cyrus the Great permitted the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple. The first group of about 50,000 returned under the leadership of Sheshbazzar. In 444 BC, Nehemiah led another group back. During this period, the Temple and city walls were rebuilt, and there were frequent conflicts with the Samaritans.

3. Greek Period (332–63 BC): Alexander the Great defeated Persia and established the Greek Empire. After his death in 321 BC, the empire was divided. Palestine was first ruled by the Ptolemies of Egypt and then, starting in 198 BC, by the Seleucids of Persia until 166 BC. During this time, the region was thoroughly Hellenized politically, religiously, and culturally, and the Jewish people suffered great persecution.

4. Maccabean and Hasmonean Dynasty (167–63 BC): In response to religious persecution, the Jewish Maccabean family led a revolt, expelled the Seleucids, and reclaimed the land, establishing the Hasmonean dynasty. Its territory was nearly identical to that of King David’s time.

5. Roman Empire Period (63 BC – 324 AD): The Roman Empire rose to power and took control of all Greek territories. In 63 BC, Rome conquered Palestine, establishing it as a province. In 37 BC, Herod the Great was appointed King of the Jews. Shortly after Herod’s death, the region came under direct Roman rule in 6 AD. Both Jews and Christians were heavily persecuted and constantly resisted. In 70 AD, the Roman general Titus completely destroyed the city of Jerusalem. The people were either killed or taken captive to Rome. In 132 AD, Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem, renaming it Aelia Capitolina and building a Roman temple on the former site of the Jewish Temple. Jews were forbidden from entering, with violation punishable by death, which triggered another Jewish revolt. This revolt failed even more disastrously (136 AD), and the Jews were completely expelled from Jerusalem. All of the foundations of Jewish life were eradicated. For the next two hundred years, Jerusalem was a thoroughly gentile city.

6. Byzantine Empire Period (324–636 AD): After Constantine became Roman Emperor, he declared Christianity the state religion of Rome and moved the capital to Byzantium. This was a period of Christian flourishing that lasted for about 300 years. In 326 AD, Constantine’s mother, Helena, came on a pilgrimage and built several churches in Palestine. Many churches and monasteries were constructed during this time. However, there was a Samaritan revolt in 529 AD, and a Persian invasion in 614 AD, during which many churches were destroyed and Christians were persecuted.

7. Arab Islamic Empire Period (636–1099 AD): Arab Muslims conquered Palestine. Jews and Christians were both persecuted, and many churches were destroyed or converted into mosques.

8. Crusader Period (1099–1263 AD): European Christians organized the Crusades to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control. In 1099, they captured Jerusalem, but also massacred Muslims and Jews. They established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, which prospered for about 90 years. In 1187, Jerusalem was captured by the Egyptian Muslim king, Saladin. Crusader influence in the Holy Land diminished, and they engaged in a long-standing back-and-forth with Egypt, mostly holding only a few coastal cities. The Crusaders were completely forced out of Palestine in 1291.

9. Mamluk Period (1263–1517 AD): During a period of continuous conflict between Egypt and Syria, the Egyptian Mamluks occupied Palestine for about 260 years. The Catholic Franciscan Order entered the Holy Land during this time, making great efforts and significant contributions to the preservation of the holy sites. 

10.Ottoman Empire (1517–1918 AD): The Turkish Ottoman dynasty conquered Palestine. The population of Palestine gradually decreased, and the land became desolate, but Jews began to immigrate back in the late 17th century. 

11.British Mandate Period (1918–1948 AD): After World War I ended and Turkey was defeated, Palestine was placed under a British mandate until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

12.State of Israel (1948–Present): Since Israel’s declaration of independence on May 14, 1948, it has experienced several Arab-Israeli wars and peace agreements. Its current de facto administered area is 25,740 square kilometers, which includes the Golan Heights and the region of the former Kingdom of Jordan west of the river (i.e., the West Bank; see image below left). Furthermore, Israel grants three different levels and degrees of autonomy to the Palestinian people living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (see image below right).

Over the decades that followed, Arab nations and Israel fought five major wars, while smaller conflicts continued unabated. The Cold War provided a backdrop, with shadows of the US-Soviet rivalry lingering in the background. Both sides paid a heavy price. Israel’s controlled territory grew larger, while the Palestinian-controlled area became smaller, eventually leaving only Gaza and the West Bank.

Even after the end of the Cold War, talks and agreements failed to fundamentally improve the situation. The “land flowing with milk and honey” promised in the Bible has become a land “flowing with blood and fire.”

Image: The content above is used with authorization from the Holy Light Biblical Geography Information Network.