DEFINITION OF THE DAY (PALESTINE)

Geographical designation for the land of the Bible, particularly land west of the Jordan River that God allotted to Israel for an inheritance (Josh 13-19). Various terms have been used to designate that small but significant area known in the early OT era as “Canaan” (Gen 12:5) and often referred to as the promised land (Deut 9:28). It was designated “Israel” (home of the

Southern tribal territories of Judah, Benjamin, and Simeon) at the division of the kingdoms in 931 B.C. By NT times the land had been divided into provincial designations’: Judaea, Samaria, Galilee, and others. Generally conquering powers considered the region to be a part of Syria.

The name “Palestine” is derived from Pelishtim or “Philistines.” The Greeks, familiar primarily with the coastal area, applied the name “Palestine” to the entire southeastern Mediterranean region. Although the word “Palestine” (or “Palestina”) is found four times in the KJV (Exod 15:14; Isa 14:29,31; Joel 3:4), these are references to the territory of the Philistines and so properly designate only the coastal strip occupied by the people. The Romans used “Syria Palaestina” to refer to the combined provinces of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and ancient Syria after A.D. 132. The term continued to be used in some form or another right up to the early 20th century, though it is not a biblical term.

There are no absolute given boundaries for Palestine, as they often fluctuated throughout its history. Within the OT, the borders stretch from the modern Lebanese border with Syria down to Wadiel-‘Arish in the south. The borders laid out in the descriptions of Num 34:1-2; Josh 13:4; and Ezek 47:15-20 excluded Transjordan, though it appeared to have been originally included in the land divinely allotted to the Israelites (Judg 20:1). Interestingly, the OT description “from Dan to Beer-sheeba” was a leading influence on the establishment of modern Palestine’s northern border under the British Mandate (1920-23). END OF PART 1