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'''Palestine''' is the name given to the land of [[Israel]] by the [[Roman]]s and others.<ref>http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_name_origin.php</ref> it was renamed this by the Romans to decrease identification of Israel as a holy site after Jewish Zealots went to war with the Romans to try to get Israel to become independent again, the Romans also renamed Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina.

'''Palestine''' is the name given to the land that generally comprises the [[Promised Land]] given to the Israelites in the Bible.  It is not directly associated with the Jewish promise, as it geopolitical designation more than a religious one.  Palestine was a province of the Roman Empire who ruled the Jewish people at that time.<ref>http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_name_origin.php</ref>

Palestine (from Latin: Palaestina; Hebrew: פלשת‎ Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: فلسطين‎ Filastīn, Falastīn) is one of many names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan. Many different definitions of the region have been in usage in the past three thousand years.

Palestine (from Latin: Palaestina; Hebrew: פלשת‎ Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: فلسطين‎ Filastīn, Falastīn) is one of many names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan. Many different definitions of the region have been in usage in the past three thousand years.

==Ancient==

==Ancient==

The Philistines who at one time lived in part of the region were completely conquered by [[King David]].

Originally inhabited by a loose bonding of Canaanite tribes, the Israelites settled into the area after the Exodus from Egypt and were partially succesful in driving out the Canannites and making it their home.  Migrations from the 'Peoples of the Sea' led to a strong Philistine presence on the coastline, but they were generally subdued by [[King David]] and [[Solomon]] during the height of ancient Israel.  The kingdom was subsequently divided into the [[Northern Kingdom]] and {[Judea]] upon the death of Solomon.  The Northern Kingdom, and the remenants of the Philistine kingdoms, were conqured by the [[Assyrian]]s in the late 8th century B.C. and the kingdom of Judea fell under [[Babylonian]] control in the late 7th century and lost their independence completely in 586 B.C. with the fall of [[Jerusalem]], their capital.  The Jews were allowed to return under the [[Persian Empire]] and the entire area was conqured by [[Alexander the Great]] around 330 B.C.  When his empire broke apart at his death and consolidated into four different regions, it was the [[Ptolemies]] centered in Egypt who controlled the region for the better part of the next two centuries, but conquest by the [[Seleucids]] led to a harsh religious persecution on the Jews in the region.  The Jews revolted and had their independence for almost 100 years before a civil war courted Roman intervention and the area came under Roman control and eventually became the province of Palestine.  Byzantine rule was forcefully removed by the great Islamic waves of the 7th century A.D.  Portions of Palestine were reclaimed under Crusader control from the late 11th century until the mid 13th century, but the overall region was under Islamic control for over 1000 years.

The Hebrew scriptures call the region Canaan when referring to the pre-Israelite period,(Hebrew: כּנען‎) and afterwards Israel (Yisrael). The name "Land of the Hebrews" (Hebrew: ארץ העברים‎, Eretz Ha-Ivrim) is also found. The wide area appears to be the habitat of the ancient ethnic Hebrews, though perhaps shared with other ethnic groups. The land of Canaan is part of the land given to the descendants of Abraham, which extends from the Nile to the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18). Already in Genesis 12:6 and 7 we can read:

The breakup of the [[Ottoman Empire]] after their defeat in [[World War I]] saw the region come under the control of [[Great Britain]].  While there was always a Jewish remnant who never left, Jewish emigration to the area increased under the tolerant eyes of the British. This increased after the atrocities of World War II and the areas were given their independence with Palestine being divided into separate Jewish and Arab nations, the Jewish nation being called Israel and the Arab Palestine. A war broke out in which the Jews expanded their borders and the Arab nation of Palestine was absorbed by Jordan.  Hostility between the Arabs and Jews continued and in 1967 Israel conqured the West Bank from Jordan, taking the bulk of the land that had been the Palestinian state. UN resolution 242 called for the Israeli removal from that land, but it did not occur.  Attempts to hold Israel accountable were vetoed in the Security Council by the United States. Israel claimed the land was part of Jordan, but Jordan relinquished its rights in the 1980s telling the Israelis to speak with the Palestinians directly.

''And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land ''

This land is said to include an area called Aram Naharaim, which includes Haran in modern Turkey, from where Abraham the ancestor of the Israelites departed.

The events of the Four Gospels of the Bible take place entirely in Israel.

The Palestinian [[Intifada]] from the late 1980s tried to get back control of the West Bank region.  While first clamping down harshly, Israeli did sign an accord to grant the Palestinians autonomy in the West Band and the Gaza Strip, but not full independence.  The borders of a future Palestinian state has been a stumbling block to a final solution with the Arabs wanting all of the area captured in the 1967 War and Israel claiming part of the land for themselves.  A continuing series of violent actions and an inability to find a comprise has prevented any type of permanent solution.  The short term solution is bleak.  With [[Hamas]] having the majority of the control in the Palestinian legislature, an entity that does not recognize Israel's right to exist, the government of Israel has refused to talk further.    

In the Qur'an, the term الأرض المقدسة ("Holy Land", Al-Ard Al-Muqaddasah) is mentioned at least seven times, once when Moses proclaims to the Children of Israel: "O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin." (Surah 5:21)

==Culture of Palestine==

The dialect of Palestinian Arabs, and their culture is closest to the Jordanians. The flag of the Palestinians is also almost identical to the Jordanians. To this day the second biggest concentration of Palestinian Arabs is in Jordan, largely due to their becoming refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars.  

The Palestinians living in territories currently controlled by the Israelis, are trying to create a state called Palestine, whose creation is supported by most of the world excluding Israel & the United States who have consistently blocked UN resolution 242 (the internationally accepted consensus on a 2 state settlement). Israel has illegally occupied these territories since 1967 and continues to expand Jewish settlements to this day in flagrant violation of international law.

==See also==

==See also==