Palestine

Judean coins from the first century AD. These were some of the last coins minted by the local government until 1948.

Palestine was an imperial administrative region in western Asia, designated as such by Roman and British governments. Following independence, it evolved into the modern countries of Israel and Jordan.

Over the years it has been inhabited and variously ruled by Philistines, Canaanites, Egyptians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, Crusaders, British etc.

The term was first used by the Romans in the mid 2nd century (as Palestina, derived from the long-gone people, the Philistines), replacing the previous terms of Judaea, Samaria and Transjordania. It was part of an attempt to "de-Judaise" the area following the second Jewish War. Later, the League of Nations established the Mandate of Palestine covering the whole of what is now Israel and Jordan, following the naming convention used by the Roman Empire, of which Great Britain was also once a part.

See also

• Great Britain
• Roman Empire