Chapters

An overview of the culture and civilizations of Palestine through the Stone Age and into the Bronze Age.

A more detailed look at the cultures and dynamics in Egypt, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East that influenced Palestine through ca. 1000 BCE.

An overview of civilizations within and around Palestine that influenced the history and culture of the land from approximately 1200 BCE to around 500 BCE, including the Philistines, the Amorites, the Aramaic city-states, and the Phoenicians.

A brief summary of prehistoric Mesopotamia, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians, followed by an explanation of the political activities of Persia, Macedonia, and early Rome as they relate to Palestine.

An account of the history of the lands to the east of Palestine where Islam eventually emerged.

An overview of religion in Palestine during the Bronze and Iron ages, followed by a summary of the Mesopotamian religions and Zoroastrianism. An account of the emergence of Judaism and early Jewish history, and examination of the historicity of Old Testament accounts.

The Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires striving for control of Judea, Samaria, and Phoenicia. The revolt of the Maccabees and the emergence of the Hasmonean dynasty. Fighting among various factions for control of Jerusalem. An account of Palestine under Roman rule, including the Palestinian resistance and the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. The story of…

An account of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. The development of the Gospels and how they contextualized his life. The birth of the Jerusalem Church and the emergence of Christianity; the influence of Paul on both. An overview of Christology and the shaping of Christian doctrine.

A look at the legend of exile. The spread of Judaism through proselytism and conversion. A summary of the kingdom of Khazaria. An account of the persecution of Jews in Spain and Europe into the sixteenth century.

The origins of Mecca and its rise as a center of trade. An overview of the great powers surrounding Arabia. Muhammad’s origins and early life. Muhammad’s Revelation and the early growth of Islam. Muhammad and his followers move to Madina. An account of the battles of Islam. The end of the Prophet’s life. A summary…

Events following the death of the Prophet. The Muslim conquest of Arabia. The fall of Rome and the spread of Islam. A summary of Islamic empires, including the Umayyad dynasty, the Abbasid caliphate, the Ayyubid dynasty, and the Mamluk Empire. A summary of the Crusades. An overview of the Mongols and their impact on the…

The origins and decline of the Ottoman Empire; Mehemed-Ali tries to establish an empire; the Westernization of the Ottoman Empire; Syria-Palestine under the Ottomans; administrative policies in the Ottoman Empire; Abdul Hamid takes power; the coup by the CUP

The ghettoization of Jews in Europe; Jewish assimilation in Central and Western Europe; early Zionists in Western Europe; Jewish assimilation in Eastern Europe; early Eastern European Zionists; the realization and growth of Zionism; Zionism in the First World War

Education and the birth of Arab nationalism; the growth of the movement; the Hashemites’ role in the Arab revolt; Sharif Husayn and the McMahon correspondence

The Arab uprising and the First World War; the Sykes-Picot agreement; the Balfour Declaration; the postwar settlement; the Paris Peace Conference; French betrayal and Arab resistance

The British take political control; Zionist activism; the British mandate; Herbert Samuel; Hajj Amin; political strife and the 1922 White Paper; new measures by Samuel

Immigration and land acquisition; collaboration and resistance; the Jewish economy and industry; the autonomous Jewish education system; Palestinian collaborating parties

Ze’ev Jabotinsky; Chaim Weizmann; David Ben-Gurion; comparing Ben-Gurion and Weizmann

Palestinian influence on the Arab uprising; spreading political ideology; the 1929 Palestinian uprising; the revolt of 1936–1939; the mufti in exile; Husayn bin Ali and his sons; the partition plan; Britain withdraws

The context of the Nakba; the civil war; Deir Yasin; operations in eastern Galilee; operations in Haifa and western Galilee; Jerusalem and Jaffa; agreement between Abdullah and the Zionists; the Arab League war plan; Arab Legion operations; UN mediation efforts; the Ten Days’ War and the assassination of Bernadotte; armistice; after the Nakba; the All-Palestine…