These tribes were united into one kingdom under Saul and David. By the conquests of David the ,territory of the Hebrews was extended to the Euphrates and the 2Elanitic Gulf. But these conquests are never included under the name of Palestiue. By the revolt of Jere bo im, Palestine was divided into the two kingdoms of Judah an Israel, of which the former included the territories of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Dan, and Simeon, having for its northern boundary a line drawn from a point on the Jordan a little north of the Dead Sea, westward to the Mediterranean at Joppa : the latter included all the rest of Palestine to the north of this line.
The kingdom of Israel was overthrown, and the people carried captive by the Assyrians. The country, being thus depopulated, was next inhabited by the neighbouring heathen people and by colonies from other parts of the Assyrian empire, who, mixing with the scat tered remains of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh which were left about Samaria, formed the people spoken of in the New Testament as the Samaritans, who were regarded by the Jews as an impure race, and between whom and the Jews there always existed a strong mutual hatred.
Iii the year n.c. 588, Nebuchadnezzar overthrew the kingdom of Judah and carried the greater number of its inhabitants into captivity. Many were however left in the land as subjects of the Babylonish empire. Upon the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus, Palestine fell under the dominion of the Persians, under whom it was divided for the purposes of government into small circles, each of which had its governor. By an edict of Cyrus, the Jews were permitted to return Judaea and to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, but they still remained subject to Persia. When Alexander the Great invaded Asia, Palestine submitted to him without a struggle. After his death the possession of it was the subject of fierce contests between the Greek kings of Egypt and of Syria. Having been driven' to revolt by the oppreesions of the Syrian kings, the Jews, under the leading of the Maccabeee, recovered their independence, and restored the kingdom of Judah.
In the year s.c. 63 the country was conquered by Pompey, and it remained thenceforward in subjection to the Romans, by whom the part of it west of the Jordan was divided into the three provinces of Judasa, Samaria, and Ganes. Judaea nearly coincided with the ancient kingdom of Judah; its northern boundary was at the parallel of Joppa. Samaria extended to the north as far as the plain of Esdraelon. Galilee lay north of Samaria, reaching up to Lebanon, and having Phoenicia along its western border : it was divided into Upper and Lower Galilee, the former containing the northern and the latter the southern half of the province. The former was also called Galilee of the Gentiles, as it was inhabited by Syrians, Greeks, Phconicians, and Eeyptians, as well as Jews. On the east of the Jordan lay the province of Perma, between the Anton and the Hierontax ; and to the north of this the districts of Batansea, Traclionitia, Auranitis, and Gaulanitia, which commonly had one governor with Palestine. The whole country was considered by the Romans as a part of Syria, though it sometimes had a separate governor.
Under Constantine, Palestine was divided into Prima, Secunda, and Tertia. Pal:retina Prima included the country of the Philistines, Samaria, and the northern part of Judres. ; its capital was Caesarea. Palseetina Secunda included Galilee and part of the country east of the Jordan ; its capital was Seythopolis. Palmatina Tertia (also called Salutaris) contained the southern part of Judaea and the whole of Idumma ; its capital was Petra.
Tenn, and nUages.—In Upper Galilee, near the sources of the Jordan, was Dan, more anciently called Laiah, the most northern town of Palestine. In its immediate neighbourhood stood, in the time of
the Romans, Cmsarea Philippi, or Paniaa. At the point where the Jordan enters the Lake of Genneaareth stood Bethaaida. This city was beautified by Philip the Tetrarch, who called it Julies. On the western side of the tame lake were Capernaum, Chorazin, and Magdala. On the same side of the lake, but in Lower Galilee, was Tiberias (Tabarieh); to the west of which laT Cana (Kann); and farther to the west Sepphoris (.5afrareA), the principal city of the district, which was enlarged by Iferod, who called it Dio Ctesarea ; south-east of Sepphoris was Nazareth (Nasnrah); near the source of the Kishon was Nain. The city of Esdraeloo, the ancient Jezreel, stood in the great plain of the same name; west of it was Shunem. In the sonth-met corner of Galilee was Bathshean (Biean), afterwards Scythopolia The most ancient city of Samaria was the Shechem, or Sichem, of the Old Testament, the Sychar of the New Testament, which stood in the valley between Mounts Ebal and Gerizim. The Romana erected close to it the city of Neapolis, which still retains the name of Nablette Near to Shechem, on the south-east, was Jacob'. Well. A few miles to the north of Shechem lay Samaria, which was built by Omri, who transferred the capital of the kingdom of Israel from Shechem to this city. It was rebuilt and beautified by Herod, who called it Selassie In honour of Augustus, which name it still beers. In the time of the Romans the chief city of Samaria was Ca:lunch (Kaisarich), on tho sea-coast, which was built by Herod on the site of an insignificant place called Turris Stratonia On the coast, north of Caesarea, was Dora (Tories), and near it En-dor ; south of Caesarea was Apolloniae (Gas Ala/ad), a Creek town. To the south-east of this was Antipatrie, formerly called Caphamabe ; and south of this was Saran, whence the Vale of Sharon obtained Its name.
The chief city of Judo* was JERONALEW, in the neighbourhood of which were the villages of Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, and Emmaus (afterwards called Nicopolig, farther to the north-west. Near Emmaus were Aijalon and Gtbeon ; and farther to the north E:phralm and Luz, or BetheL To the east of Bethel, and in the north-eastern corner of Judaea, lay Jericho, which is sometimes called in Scripture the City of Palm-Trees. Between it and the Jordan was Gilgal • month of Jericho was Engeddi. Bethlehem, or Ephratah (Bait-el-Lai as), was about five miles to the south of Jerusalem. Farther south of Jerusalem lay Hebron (El-Khalil). Joppa (Jaffa) was the frontier town of Judas and Samaria on the sea-coast ; to the east of it lay Lydda, or Dioepolis (Led). South-east of Joppa was Arimathei (Rass/aa), and near it 3Iodin, the residence of Mattathins, the father of the Maccabees. On the east of the Jordan, in the district of Batanaat, &c., were-- Canatha (kanney:ro); hippos, on the Lake of Genoesareth ; Ganlan, or Golan, one of the cities of refuge ; and Grnge, on the same lake. In the north of Persia, near the Lake of Osnanseareth, was &Ware (Ons Keis); and to the south-west of it Pella, built by the Macedonians ; and farther south Ger:ma, now Jercesh ; and Jabesh-Gilead. Jereesh contains a large mass of noble ruins of the ILunan period, consisting of fortifications, hot baths, and a nanmachia, which is now converted into a corn-field. On the Jabbok stool Itarnoth-Gilead, one of the cities of refuge, and on a branch of the same river, Amatlius (Arcata). In the southern part of Perma was lIeshbon (Ethan), the chief city of the Amorites; farther to the west Bethoran, which was beautified by Herod Antipm who called it Liviaa; near it was the citadel of DIachterun, where St. John the Baptist is said to have been beheaded.