The rest of the land was nominally under Syria, but was practically in a condition of anarchy.
East of the .Tordan the Naliatean Arabs were in possession of all but the territory of the Greek cities. Under the Asmoneans. Byre:inns I., Aris tobulus I., and Alexander Janntens (B.C. I 55-7:').
the Jews in subjugating, first 1 ilumea and Samaria, then Galilee, and filially nearly all of the old east-jonlan territory. The blumeans and were compelled to adopt Judaism, while the saw their temple (e.127 n.c•.l and capital ( c. 1 ns' B.c.) destroyed. The Greek cities east of the Jordan also suffered greatly. The Jewish population of Galilee, so familiar to the readers of (he New Testament, dates only from n.c. 105-104.
The quarrels of the rival factions opened the way for Roman intervention. Pompey arrived in Syria and captured Jerusalem in B.C. 63. Ile deprived the Jews of the greater part of their• territory except Judea proper and transferred the remainder to the government of the new Roman province of Syria, of which it remained a part from B.C. 63 to A.D. 67. During most of this time Judea and other districts were under the control of Herod the Great and his successors. (See IlEiton.) The greater part of the (saintly was included in the four dis tricts. Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and Perea, east of the Jordan, south of the Jabbok. The territory north of the dlabbok was broken up into minor divisions, Gaulanitis, Auranitis, Tra chonitis, Batandua, etc., under petty tetrarchs or governors. At the breaking out of the Jewish War (A.D. 66-67) Palestine was made a separate province under charge of Vespasian. The great struggle against Rome was closed by the capture and ruin of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the destruc tion of the Jewish State. New cities now sprang up under Roman protection, and alma from Je rusalem the country was prosperous. In 133 1:15 occurred the rising of the Jews under Bar Cochba. This rebellion was crushed out with fearful bloodshed and devastation, and the Em peror Hadrian in rebuilding Jerusalem changed its name to 'Elia Capitolina, and absolutely for bade any Jew to dwell in it. Never since has Jerusalem been a Jewish city, or Palestine a Jewish land. Greeks, Romans, Arabians, and
large elements of the fundamental Aralneall (Syrian) stock with the remnant of the Jews made up its population then, and of these the Arabian and Syrian are dominant to-day.
Palestine remained an integral part of the Roman Empire, and afterwards of the Byzantine Empire until the invasion of the Persian King Khosru 11. in 614. l3p to the era of Constantine the condition was especially flourishing. Re mains of buildings and cities in now absolutely deserted places are a wonderful testimony to the great prosperity. After Constantine and the division of the Empire C reek Christianity been me dominant and Palestine became a Chris tian land. It was now the habit to speak of it as divided into Palestina Prima (Judea and Samaria), Seeunda (Galilee), and Tertia or Selutaris (Idumea and 'Moab). Each of these districts was divided ecclesiastically into vari ous bishoprics. See also the article JEWS for Palestine during the Roman period.
The Persian control was transient, but that of Aboliammedanism, beginning in 635, proved to be permanent. Since then, apart from the era of the Crusades, the history of Palestine contains little of general importance. Partly under the influence of Islam, but much more from other general causes, the culture of the Grieco-Roman period passed away, the beautiful cities, temples, and churches fell into decay and ruin, and no new developments took their place. The era of degeneration had set in. The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (see JERUSALEM) frnIndyll by the Crusaders in 1099, and overthrown by Saladin in 1187, was only an episode of no permanent value, though the Crusaders left their imprint in church es, monasteries. etc.. all over the land.
After the conquest by the Ottomau Turks in 1516 the condition of Palestine became only worse. In the nineteenth century, however. mainly as a result of the labors of the mission ary societies, the beginning of new activity and a better era began to manifest themselves. The large influx of Jews from Europe under the Zionist movement, and above all the opening of the country to railway enterprise, promise a better future.