Session 2|The Geographical Setting and the Historical Framework
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#1. Introduction
History, broadly defined as the study of past events, pays close attention to the ways in which people related to their physical surroundings as well as the manner in which this environment impacted their actions. Towards this end, historians/scholars rely upon geography, that is, the study of the natural characteristics of a region. The second lecture in the course will be dedicated to presenting the geographical setting within which the events in Israel/Palestine occurred. In order to develop your own acquaintance with this region, a series of maps, video clips [Video #1], along with a written surveys of the geographical units and political states that occupied this region [#4] have been provided below.
#2. Middle East Maps
Presented here are two maps of the Middle East. The first map outlines the modern states whereas the second delineates the ancient kingdoms. The dark shades on the maps mark the so called “Fertile Crescent.” For each map, underline the place names that are familiar to you, then locate and circle the region discussed in this course.
Question
Describe three geographical characteristics of Israel/Palestine that are depicted in the maps above. One of your items should relate to the Fertile Crescent and its implications for the region of Israel/Palestine
#3. George Adam Smith
The 19th century CE saw an increase in the attentiveness given to the physical landscape of Israel/Palestine by scholars in the West. It was at this time that historical geography – the combination of the methods of history and geography – began to develop as a modern academic discipline. George Adam Smith was an American scholar who extensively explored Palestine and was one of the pioneers in establishing this new discipline. Identify the reason he gives for the importance of appreciating geography in connection to historical inquiry.
“THERE are many ways of writing a geography of Palestine, and of illustrating the History by the Land, but some are wearisome and some are vain. They do not give a vision of the land as a whole, nor help you to hear through it the sound of running history. What is needed by the reader or teacher of the Bible is some idea of the main outlines of Palestine—its shape and disposition; its plains, passes and mountains; its rains, winds and temperatures; its colours, lights and shades. Students of the Bible desire to see a background and to feel an atmosphere—to discover from ‘the lie of the land’ why the history took certain lines and the prophecy and gospel were expressed in certain styles—to learn what geography has to contribute to questions of Biblical criticism—above all, to discern between what physical nature contributed to the religious development of Israel, and what was the product of purely moral and spiritual forces. On this last point the geography of the Holy Land reaches its highest interest. It is also good to realize the historical influences by which our religion was at first nurtured or exercised, as far as we can do this from the ruins which these have left in the country.”
George Adam Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, London 1894. p. vii.
Question
It is evident that George Adam Smith looked at Palestine through the lenses of religious belief. Find the phrase(s) in the above quote that indicate his religious view of this region. Do you think that this perspective affected his scholarship? In answering this, compare Smith’s point of view with Eliav’s view of Geography as presented in the short readings from his article “Judaea, the Palestinian Coast…,” pp. 259-261. For your answer here write a short paragraph explaining your position – Are the views of Smith and Eliav regarding the Geography of the Land similar or different?
#4. Gideon Biger
In the following essay, G. Biger, a geographer, illustrates the cultural interactions which took place in Israel/Palestine from the time of the Israelites until the modern era by examining the names and boundaries of this region. One can learn much about politics and religion through discovering why a certain people group chose to assign a specific name to an area. As you read Biger’s piece, make sure to list the various names of this region of the Middle East.
004. Biger, 1-22Download
Question
Return to your list of the names given to Israel/Palestine over the centuries and identify which names are the results of political views and which ones are the products of religious beliefs. Are there any instances where politics and religion are at play in the naming of the region at the same time?