Rejoinder to Zionist claims that the Romans were the first to use the term “Palestine” this is not correct…

https://x.com/blakandblack/status/2005379763616264461

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Rejoinder to Zionist claims that the Romans were the first to use the term “Palestine” this is not correct… Herodotus, often called the "Father of History," wrote his seminal work “The Histories” around 430–425 BCE. In it, he provides the earliest known written reference to the term "Palaistinê" (Παλαιστίνη in ancient Greek, typically translated as "Palestine" or "Palaistine" in English), using it to describe a region in the Levant. He employs the word seven times across various books, generally referring to it as a district or part of Syria ("Syria Palaistinê" or "Palaistinê Syria"), encompassing the coastal area between Phoenicia (modern Lebanon) and Egypt, but sometimes implying a broader scope that includes inland territories up to the Judean hills or Jordan Valley. This usage derives from the name of the Philistines ("Palaistinoi"), a people who inhabited the southern coastal plain during the Iron Age, and reflects Herodotus' observations from his travels, likely limited to coastal areas. He portrays it within the context of the Persian Empire's administrative divisions, particularly the fifth satrapy (province), and associates its inhabitants ("Syrians of Palestine") with cultural practices like circumcision and maritime contributions to Persian forces. Geographically, Herodotus defines Palestine as extending from the city of Posideion (on the Cilician-Syrian border) southward along the Mediterranean coast to Egypt, including cities like Ascalon (Ashkelon), Cadytis (likely Gaza), Azotus (Ashdod), and Ienysus (possibly Khan Yunis or Yamnia). He notes its arid nature in parts and ties its people to origins near the Red Sea, suggesting migrations. The term is not used for the entire modern concept of Palestine but rather a maritime or coastal strip under Persian control, sometimes equated with the biblical "Land of the Philistines" or even overlapping with areas inhabited by Hebrews (whom he calls "Syrians of Palestine"). Below are the specific instances with exact quotes from A.D. Godley's English translation, including context for each: Book 1, Chapter 105: In describing a Scythian invasion toward Egypt around the 7th century BCE, Herodotus writes: "From there they marched against Egypt: and when they were in the part of Syria called Palestine, Psammetichus king of Egypt met them and persuaded them with gifts and prayers to come no further." This places Palestine as a transitional zone on the route to Egypt, where the Scythians encounter the Egyptian king and later plunder a temple in Ascalon. Book 2, Chapter 104: Discussing the origins of circumcision, he states: "The Phoenicians and the Syrians of Palestine acknowledge that they learned the custom from the Egyptians, and the Syrians of the valleys of the Thermodon and the Parthenius, as well as their neighbors the Macrones, say that they learned it lately from the Colchians." Here, the "Syrians of Palestine" are grouped with Phoenicians as adopters of Egyptian customs, implying cultural ties across the region. Book 3, Chapter 5: Outlining the overland route into Egypt, Herodotus notes: "The road runs from Phoenicia as far as the borders of the city of Cadytis, which belongs to the so-called Syrians of Palestine." He describes this as a coastal path passing through Arabian-controlled ports, then back to Syrian territory up to the Serbonian marsh (Lake Bardawil), emphasizing its aridity and role as Egypt's gateway. Book 3, Chapter 9: Detailing the Persian Empire's satrapies under Darius I, he explains: "The fifth province was the country (except the part belonging to the Arabians, which paid no tribute) between Posideion... and Egypt; this paid three hundred and fifty talents; in this province was all Phoenicia, and the part of Syria called Palestine, and Cyprus." This frames Palestine as part of a tribute-paying administrative unit, highlighting its economic and political integration into the empire.

7:46 AM · Dec 29, 2025

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https://x.com/blakandblack/status/2005379763616264461