Into my inbox popped a bit of truth - you know, that thing that Jesus said would set us free.
This particular bit of truth relates to the area called “Palestina” in 1695 - in particular to who was living in that area at that time. I’ve heard similar stuff before - especially that there were very few Muslims in the area - but never with such excellent detailing, town by town.
Here, from the friend who sent the email, is a report on the content of the book:
The book, Palestina ex Monumentis Veteribus Illustrata, was written in Latin by the geographer, cartographer, traveler, and philologist Adrian Reland.
In 1695, Adrian Reland described the state of what was then called Palaestina, as labelled by the Romans.He surveyed nearly 2,500 settlements mentioned in the Bible, creating the first map of the region.
He documented each settlement mentioned in the Bible or Talmud with its original name. If the source was Jewish, it was labeled with the word "Psook," signifying its origin in the Holy Scriptures.
If the source was Roman or Greek, it received a Latin label. He also compiled population estimates for each settlement.
Key findings and facts from Reland's work include:
- The land was primarily empty, abandoned, and sparsely populated. The main population centers were Jerusalem, Acre, Safed, Jaffa, Tiberias, and Gaza.
- The majority of the population consisted of Jews, with very few Muslims, mostly Bedouins traveling throughout the Levant, except for the city of Nablus (Neapolis) which had a majority of Samaritans and a small Muslim population in Shechem.
- In Nazareth, the capital of Galilee, approximately 700 people lived, all of them Christians.
- In Jerusalem, around 5,000 people lived, with the vast majority being Jews and a few Christians.
- In 1695, it was commonly known that the land had a Jewish origin.
- There was no settlement in Palestine with native Arabic roots in its name.
- Most settlements had Jewish origins, and in some cases, Latin, Greek, or Roman origins.
- Apart from the city of Ramla, there were no original Arabic names in the Arabized names of the settlements.
- Reland mentions Muslims primarily as seasonal laborers in agriculture or construction.
- In Gaza, around 550 people lived, with half being Jewish and half Christian. Jews were involved in agriculture, especially vineyards, olives, and wheat, while Christians were engaged in trade and transportation.
- In Tiberias and Safed, Jews lived, but their occupations are not mentioned, except for the traditional fishing in the Sea of Galilee.
- For example, in the village of Umm al-Fahm, 10 families lived, all Christians (about 50 individuals). There was a small Maronite church.The book completely challenges theories about "Palestinian traditions," a "Palestinian people," and severs the connection between the land and Arabs, who have even appropriated the Latin name of the land (Palestine) for themselves, despite it not having anything whatsoever to do with Arabs.
Fabulous documentation. One drop in the bucket of facts the Invisible Hands keep sweeping away, through various glaringly visible hands (mainstream media, various governments, etc).
But of course those facts do keep surfacing.
Posted November 24, 2023
Interesting. Quite enthusiastic to dive in to weave a before and after tapestry. Did the idea of an “Op Ed” exist in the 15th century? Perhaps historical facts can be found recorded from a different perspective as each and every specific source itself must be investigated.
Thank you for this bit of interesting history! Now more to research!