Israel

Israel

Palestine, considered a holy land by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and homeland of the modern state of Israel, was known as Canaan to the ancient Hebrews. Palestine's name derives from the Philistines, a people who occupied the southern coastal part of the country in the 12th century B.C.

A Hebrew kingdom established in 1000 B.C. was later split into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel; they were subsequently invaded by Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, and Alexander the Great of Macedonia. By A.D. 135, few Jews were left in Palestine; most lived in the scattered and tenacious communities of the Diaspora, communities formed outside Palestine after the Babylonian exile. Palestine became a center of Christian pilgrimage after the emperor Constantine converted to that faith. The Arabs took Palestine from the Byzantine empire in 634–640. Interrupted only by Christian Crusaders, Muslims ruled Palestine until the 20th century. During World War I, British forces defeated the Turks in Palestine and governed the area under a League of Nations mandate from 1923.

Places to Visit in Israel
 

• Jerusalem attractions
• Tel Aviv attractions
• Haifa attractions
• Eilat attractions
• Nazareth attractions

 

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Popular cities in Israel

Rumat Heib, Nein, Bet Yizhaq, Kefar Shemaryahu, Timrat, Sallama, Ibtin, Nehalim, Nordiyya, Sheikh Dannun, Kefar Tavor, Sulam, Rosh Pinna, Jish, Elyakhin, Fassuta, Kafar Kama, Savyon, Sajur, Mizpe Ramon, Kefar Habad, Hurfeish, Kefar Weradim, Abu Ghosh, Ramat Yishay, Shelomi, Bet Dagan, Pardesiyya, Jaljulye, Mazkeret Batya, Rekhasim, Deir Hanna, Tel Mond, Even Yehuda, Yeroham, Kabul, Fureidis, Beit Jann, Nahef, Azur, Iksal, Ganne Tiqwa, Kefar Yona, Gedera, Kafar Manda, Gan Yavne, Or Akiva, Reine, Beit She'an, Kafar Qasem, Qalansawe, Yokneam, Tirat Karmel, Ariel, Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Qiryat Malakhi, Sederot, Nesher, Tira, Qiryat Shemona, Arad, Sakhnin, Ofaqim, Migdal HaEmek, Qiryat Ono, Netivot, Yehud-Monosson, Tamra, Giv'at Shmuel, Safed, Or Yehuda, Yavne, Baqa-Jatt, Tayibe, Dimona, Beitar Illit, Shefa-'Amr, Ramat HaSharon, El'ad, Qiryat Bialik, Ness Ziona, Qiryat Yam, Rosh HaAyin, Ma'ale Adumim, Qiryat Motzkin, Nazareth Illit, Tiberias, Afula, Hod HaSharon, Umm al-Fahm, Karmiel, Modi'in Illit, Acre, Eilat, Qiryat Gat, Qiryat Atta, Nahariyya, Giv'atayim, Rahat, Ramla,