JStone
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- Jun 29, 2011
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- #1
Countries are usually called by the name of their inhabitants: Italians and Italy, Rome and Romans in earlier times, Greece and Greeks and Israel and the Israelites and Israelis, etc.
Palestine, however, is strangely different for it was not named for Palestinians. The Romans first called Judaea, the ancestral Jewish land from which "Jew" is derived, "Syria Palaestina" in retribution for the Jewish rebellions against Roman oppression. But, the Romans did not name Palaestina after Palestinians. Palaestina was based on the Philistines, ancient enemies of the Jews who originated from Greece. The word Philistine is based on the Hebrew "Peleshet" that means "invader" Although, the Jews continued to call their country Israel or "Eretz Yisrael" the land of Israel. The Romans were foreign occupiers from Europe with no authority to change the name of the Jews' land that was called Israel or Judah for several centuries before Rome and Romans even existed.
Centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the British took control of Israel after WW I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and during the British Mandate re-named the land Palestine not after any Palestinians but after the Roman Palaestina. Funnily enough, anyone living there--Jew or otherwise--was called a Palestinian.
So, in the end, Palestine was never named after its inhabitants, the so-called Palestinians, it was based on the British, Romans, Greeks and Hebrews. The Palestinians were never involved in the creation of their own name.
Funny how the so-called Palestinians don't have their own identity and call their land Palestine by others' names for it.
Palestine, however, is strangely different for it was not named for Palestinians. The Romans first called Judaea, the ancestral Jewish land from which "Jew" is derived, "Syria Palaestina" in retribution for the Jewish rebellions against Roman oppression. But, the Romans did not name Palaestina after Palestinians. Palaestina was based on the Philistines, ancient enemies of the Jews who originated from Greece. The word Philistine is based on the Hebrew "Peleshet" that means "invader" Although, the Jews continued to call their country Israel or "Eretz Yisrael" the land of Israel. The Romans were foreign occupiers from Europe with no authority to change the name of the Jews' land that was called Israel or Judah for several centuries before Rome and Romans even existed.
Centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the British took control of Israel after WW I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and during the British Mandate re-named the land Palestine not after any Palestinians but after the Roman Palaestina. Funnily enough, anyone living there--Jew or otherwise--was called a Palestinian.
So, in the end, Palestine was never named after its inhabitants, the so-called Palestinians, it was based on the British, Romans, Greeks and Hebrews. The Palestinians were never involved in the creation of their own name.
Funny how the so-called Palestinians don't have their own identity and call their land Palestine by others' names for it.
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