A Brief History Of Palestine

Until 1948, Palestine was referred to the geographic region located between the Mediterranean
Sea and the Jordan River. Situated at a strategic point between Europe, Asia, and Africa, and the
birthplace of Judaism and Christianity.

Palestine has a long and tumultuous history as a crossroads for religion, culture, commerce, and
politics. In its history, the Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires have
controlled Palestine at one time or another.

Palestine was among the earliest in the world to see human habitation, agricultural communities
and civilization.

Canaanites are known to be the earliest population that inhabited Palestine who lived in the land
around 3rd millennium BC. The 2nd millennium saw the area taken over by Pharaonic Egypt and
their rule was weakened by new invaders, who included the Hebrews from the Semitic tribes of
Mesopotamia and a group of Aegean people from Indo-European stock, the Philistines.

The country was given the name of Philistine because of their Philistine inhabitants.

The Israelites were an alliance of Hebrew tribes, who although defeated the Canaanites, found
defeating Philistines much difficult.
The philistine population took over the southern coast of Palestine and established an
independent state there, controlling Jerusalem, the Canaanite own, and defeated Israelites in
1050 BC.

The Philistines, part of Sea Peoples of Southern Europe, arrived and mingled with the local
Canaanite population.

Palestine became part of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from c. 740 BCE.

A war of Babylonians with the Judean Kingdom culminated in 586 BCE when Jerusalem was
destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II and the local leaders were deported to
Babylonia, only to be allowed to return under the rule of the Achaemenid Empire.

In the 330s BCE, Alexander the Great conquered the coastline of Palestine.

During 73-63 BCE, the Roman Republic extended its influence into the region in the Third
Mithridatic War.

After several decades as vassal of the Roman Empire, the Herodian kingdom and tetrarchy was
gradually absorbed into Roman Empire as the Roman Judea. Between 66 and 135 CE massive
Judean revolts troubled the province, resulting in sack of Jerusalem.