PALESTINE, formerly denoted the whole Land of Canaan, bounded on the north by Syria, on the east by Arabia Deserta, on the south by Arabia Petrxa, and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. It extended about 140 miles from north to south, between 31° 10' and 33° 15' of north latitude, and was of very unequal breadth. It was originally occupied by the Canaanite nations, who were conquered by the Israelites under Joshua. From this period to the Babylonish captivity it was called the Land of Israel, and the name Palestina was restricted to the maritime tract extending southward from Joppa to the frontiers of Egypt, inhabited by the Philistines, which was successively subjected to the kings of Israel, Syria, Egypt, Persia, and Macedonia. After the return of the Jews from Babylon, the whole country from Tyre to Egypt was re cognised in the enumeration of the Roman provinces by the name of Palestina, consisting of four provinces, viz. Judxa, Samaria, Galilea,Perxa. In modern times, the term Palestine denotes a Turkish pachalic, which includes the territory between the pachalic of Damascus and the Medi terranean Sea ; and between two lines drawn from the sea coast, the one southward of Gaza, and the other north of Joppa, so as to comprise only the country of the Philis tines, together with a portion of Judxa, and Samaria. But the name is generally employed to denote the whole of what is called the Holy Land, and was formerly compre hended in the Roman Province of Palestina. It is gene rally divided into the following districts, Gaza, Hebron, Elkods or Jerusalem, Naplos or Naplousa, Harite, Jouret Cafre-Kanna, Nazareth, Sapheth, and the country beyond Jordan.
After the taking and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, A. D. 72, Judea ceased to he the residence of the Jewish people, of whom only a small remnant was left in the country. These scattered relics of the once renowned tribes of Israel having again raised the standard of rebel lion against the power of Rome, the emperor Adrian com pleted the desolation of their capital, and built another city on its ruins, which he called Elia Capitolina. In the reign of Dioclesian the name of Jerusalem was almost for gotten ; but the scattered bands of the Jewish race were often attempting to make head against the succeeding em perors of Rome. After the unsuccessful project of Julian to reassemble the nation, and rebuild the city of Jerusalem, there is little recorded in history of their state and that of their native land till the year 501, when they openly re volted in the reign of Justinian. Jerusalem was taken by Cosroes, king of the Persians, in the year 613 ; but was recovered by Heraclius in C27. Nine years afterwards Palestine was subdued by the Caliph Omar, the third in succession from Mahomet ; and in consequence of the con tentions which arose among the rival dynasties of the Mahommedans, the country was involved in troubles and calamities for more than 200 years. In 868, Palestine was overrun by Ahmed, the sovereign of Egypt; but was again brought under the dominion of the caliphs of Bagdad about the beginning of the tenth century. Passing repeatedly through the hands of various invaders, but remaining chiefly in the possession of the caliphs of Egypt, Pales tine was occupied by the Fatimites of Cyrene in the year 1078, when the Crusaders appeared on its frontiers ; and Godfrey of Bouillon was elected king of its captured me tropolis in 1099. Saladin, the conqueror of Asia, wrested
the greater part of the Holy Land from the hands of the Christian princes in the year 1188; and the Baharite Sul tans of Egypt completely expelled the remaining crusaders in 1291. In 1382, the Circassian Mamclukes, having usurped the supreme authority in Egypt, became masters of Palestine; bu t, in 1517,the Turks of Constantinople under Selim extended their conquests over all Syria and Egypt.
The beauty and fertility of the Holy Land, so much celebrated in ancient times both by sacred and profane writers, are scarcely discernible in its present desolate and neglected condition. The culture of its finest plains has long ceased. Its springs are buried beneath heaps of rub bish. The soil of the mountains formerly kept up by ter races and covered with vines, is washed down into the val leys. And its eminences, once crowned with woods, have been stripped bare, and parched into barrenness This melancholy change is not owing to any deterioration of the soil or the climate, but to the degeneracy of the inhabi tants, who groan under the most oppression, and are exposed to every kind of pillage. But still there are many delightful spots to be seen, which confirm the ac counts of its ancient fruitfulness, and prove its capability of being rendered a plentiful and populous country. The plain of Zabulon is every where covered with spontaneous vegetation, flourishing in the utmost luxuriance. The plain of Esdraelon is a vast meadow covered with the richest pasture ; and the country around Rama resembles a conti nued garden. The variety and beauty of the different kinds of carduus, or thistle, are sufficient indicatiGns of a fertile soil. The new globe thistle particularly (the stem and leaves of which are of a dark but vivid sky blue colour) grows to such a size in many parts of Palestine, that some of its blossoms are nearly three inches in diameter. The soil is often sandy and mixed with gravel, and, in some places, such as in the neighbourhood of Tiberias, it is black, appearing to have been formed by the decomposi tion of rocks, which have a volcanic aspect. The scenery described as resembling, in many districts, the finest parts of Kent and Surrey. The crops principally cultivated are, barley, wheat, doura, maize, cotton, sesanium, and linseed. The water melons of Palestine excel those of any other country in the world. " Under a wise and beneficent go vernment," says a recent traveller,* " the produce of the Holy Land would exceed all calculation. Its perennial harvest; the salubrity of its air ; its limpid springs ; its rivers, lakes, and matchless plains ; its hills and vales ; all these, added to the serenity of its climate, prove this land to be indeed a field, which the Lord hash blessed.'" The country is full of wild animals. Antelopes especi ally are very numerous. The chamxleon, the lizard, the serpent, and all sorts of beetles, are frequently to be seen.