Hidden Histories

Palestine and the Eastern Mediterranean

Basem L. Ra’ad

For thousands of years, the region of Palestine and the East Mediterranean has been denied an indigenous voice for an inclusive history. Three religions ascribe their origins to this part of the world, appropriating and re-appropriating the “Holy Land” time and again. This book offers a powerful corrective to common understandings. It emphasizes Palestine’s long history and dispels many old and new myths – covering issues of religious origins and sacred sites, identity and self-colonization, and the retrieval of ancient heritage.

Contents

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Preface
Introduction: Understanding the History of the Eastern Mediterranean
Part One: Ancient Myths, Religions, and Cultures
1 “Canaan Nails”: Idealized Perceptions and Their Uses
2 Origins of Monotheistic Religions
3 Sacred Sites, Pagan Roots
4 Ugaritic Revelations: What an Ancient City Tells Us
5 Wheels of Fortune: The Alphabet
Part Two: Modern Myths and (De)Colonized History
6 “Last of the Phoenicians”: Identity Questions
7 Appropriation: Zionist Cultural Takeover
8 Self-Colonization: Its Symptoms and Outcomes
9 Cats of Jerusalem
10 Politics of Place Names
11 Epilogue: Retrieving the Ancient Subaltern
Notes
Index

About the Author

Basem L. Ra’ad is a Professor at Al-Quds University, Jerusalem. Born in Jerusalem, he received his education in Jordan, Lebanon, the U.S. and Canada, earning a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1978. He has been an editor and community organiser, and taught in various countries, including Canada, Bahrain and Lebanon.