How the Land of Israel Became Known as “Palestine”

Today I would like to educate you about how the land of Israel became known as “Palestine”. After all, If you are going to take a stand for something, wouldn’t you want to know the facts, the truth about what you are standing for? Wouldn’t you want to speak knowledgeably about the subject you are representing? Wouldn’t you want to be sure the information you have been told/taught is true? Especially when you protest and call for the death of a nation…

Today we see across our nation and in places around the world, especially in the universities that the Israelis are genocidal colonialists that everybody must fight against. They are the bad guys, the oppressors the “occupiers”. The poor “Palestinians” are the underdogs.

However, is that the truth? Let’s find out together, shall we? Today I want to share a few FACTS with you and you be the judge.

Palestinian Loss of Land 1947 to Present

We will not begin with the political agenda that would have you believe what is shown on this screenshot of the Palestinian map below. This will be further addressed in my next post. For now, just realize that this is how the world views this current issue today. Notice what this slide is called: “Palestinian Loss of Land 1947 to Present”.

What Does the Word of God Tell Us About the Land of Israel?

There is no Higher Authority than God the Creator, The Great I AM! Therefore, I will start there. If you open a bible you will see that Genesis 1:1 states clearly: 

In the beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth.

That is simple enough. If you create something it is yours to do whatever you want. Moreover, you can give it to whoever you desire. I enjoy crocheting hats. I call them my “bad hair day” hats. They are mine to do with as I desire. Some I keep, some I give away.

We see in Genesis 15:18 that the Creator made a covenant (a promise) with Abram and his descendants. “I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.”

God told Abram his wife Sarai would bear him a son in their old age.

Tiny problem: Sarai, Abram’s Wife was Barren

Sarah decided to “help” God and gave Abram, Hagar her Egyptian slave as a wife so he would have a son. Not a good idea, God does not need our help… (Genesis 16:1-4) Ishmael was born.

Ishmael and Isaac

However, it was not Hagar’s son that was promised this special land. It was to be Sarai’s son. Nevertheless, because Ishmael was also Abraham’s son God said the following:

• Genesis 16:10: “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
• Genesis 16:12: He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
• Genesis 17:20: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

Genesis 25:12-18 gives us the names of the 12 sons of Ishmael. And in verse 18 we see this statement: ¹⁸ His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.

Eventually, just as God said she would, Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son, and Abraham named him Isaac. (Genesis 21:1-7) Isaac had two sons who were twins. Esau the firstborn and Jacob. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. It was Jacob’s descendants that would inherit the land. (Genesis 25:19-34)

A Quick Snapshot of Jacob

So far we have seen the land many call “Palestine” was promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons. Jacob had an encounter with God and in Genesis 35:10-12 we see the following.

• God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
• God reminded Jacob that HE is… the Almighty I AM.
• God gave him the commandment to be fruitful and multiply.
  • And a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from Jacob/Israel
• Kings shall come from the descendants of Jacob/Israel.
• God told Jacob that the land He gave Abraham and Isaac was given to Jacob/Israel and his descendants.

The 12 Sons of Jacob

Genesis 35:22-26 lists the sons of Jacob:

• Through Leah:
  • Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah. Issachar and Zebulun were born.
• Leah gave her servant, Zilpah to Jacob and she bore him:
  • Gad and Asher
• Rachel, who was barren, gave Bilhah, her servant girl to Jacob who bore:
  • Dan and Naphtali.
• Rachel finally received the blessing of conception and gave birth to:
  • Joseph and she died after giving birth to Benjamin.

Due to a famine in the land, Israel’s (Jacob’s) family went to Egypt. Previously Joseph who was thought to be dead, had been sold by his brothers to a caravan of Ishmaelites (remember Ishmael?) The Ishmaelites then sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. (See Genesis 39)

Because God had a plan, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:41)

The Land of Israel 400 Years Later

Exodus 1:8-22 tells us that a new king became the Pharoh over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He enslaved them because he was afraid they would turn against him. He also declared all male children were to be drowned in the Nile… read the full chapter here.

God taught the Egyptians a lesson, freed the Israelites, and led them to the land He promised Abraham the land many today call “Palestine.”

God’s Commission to Joshua Concerning the Land of Israel

The Book of Joshua records the accounts of how Israel conquered most of the pagan lands that God gave the Israelites. We see in Joshua 1:1-4:

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ² “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

Unfortunately, the nation of Israel did not obey what God told them to do in the land he was giving them. Therefore, God allowed other nations at times to overcome them. They would repent and God would bring them back to THEIR land. Not because they were better than other nations but because God had given HIS Word.

After multiple warnings, God used Assyria around 722 BC to judge the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom. Most of the people of the Northern Kingdom were deported to ancient Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). God also exiled the two southern tribes of Judah around 608 BC to Babylon for 70 years. Then in 538 BC, the Jews in Babylon were allowed to return to the Land of Judah, due to Cyrus’s decree.

The Land of Israel Renamed

In 63 BC the Romans captured Jerusalem. Then the Romans destroyed much of the city, including the Second Temple in 70 AD just as Jesus told His disciples would happen. “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2)

Fast forward to the reign of Emporer Hadrian who aimed to transform Jerusalem into a Roman metropolis…many Jews in Judaea revolted but by 135 AD the revolt had been extinguished.

Hadrian resolved to stamp the Jews and their religion out of existence. He sold all Jewish prisoners into slavery and forbade the teaching of the Torah.

The ancient Romans renamed the Land of Israel in 135 CE, after stamping out the province of Judea’s second insurrection.  the Romans renamed the province as a punishment, to obliterate the link between the Jews and the land.

The new name was Philistia after the Philistines. The Philistines were an ancient people, who descended from Noah’s son Ham after the time of the flood (Genesis 10:14). It was during the time of the Exodus that the Lord promised that the land of Israel would include the territory of the Philistines (Exodus 23:31).

The Philistines no longer exist today. After their land was conquered by the Chaldean Empire, they assimilated into the culture of their conquerors and became extinct over time.

Hadrian renamed the province Syria Palaestina, and changed Jerusalem’s name to Aelia Capitolina. For over 1800 years the Jewish people were disbursed around the world because of their disobedience and rejection of their True Messiah Jesus of Nazareth.

But God keeps His promises. He would restore His Chosen Nation to their ancestral homeland that He Promised to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob aka Israel and their descendants.

Let’s Have a Humor Break

Closing Thoughts

So far, I have shown you from the Word of God Israel’s legitimate right to the land promised by God. Moreover, He is very protective of this piece of land. Zechariah 2:8 states: “The Lord of Glory has sent me against the nations that oppressed you, for he who harms you sticks his finger in Jehovah’s eye!” – TLB

God also has established a blessing and a curse over those who interfere with this piece of land. We see this in Genesis 12:3:

I will bless those who bless you,

and I will curse him who curses you…

In God’s eyes, everything revolves around Israel and Jerusalem. Not Europe, China, Russia, nor the United States of America. No one has any right to push, coerce, manipulate, or demand Israel to give up their land. God brought them back to the land in 1948. Never will they be destroyed and removed from their land again.

Unlike what many so-called Christians believe, Christians do not replace Israel. Replacement theology is straight out of Satan’s playbook.

The world sees this as a geopolitical issue. However, make no mistake, this is a spiritual battle that has been taking place since Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. Palestine is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. However, “Israel” occurs 2,568 times in 2,294 verses in the KJV according to BlueLetterBible.org.

Satan knows his time is short. He has been defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is returning soon to establish His kingdom and carry out the sentencing of Satan to the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Be sure that you are not going to join him.

In my next post, we will continue to look at the people who have lived in the land called “Palestine” since the Roman rule.

For Further Reading:

• What was Hadrian’s relationship with his Jewish subjects?
• What happened to the lost tribes of Israel?
• The Forgotten History of the Term “Palestine”
• God Will Punish The Sins of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Judaism
• Behold Israel/Major Amir Tsarfati