Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History

Reviewed by: Abdullah Drury, University of Waikato, New Zealand

Published by: London/New York: I.B. Tauris, 2022, vii+448 pp. ISBN: 978-0755649426.

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This comprehensive and authoritative monograph delves into the rich heritage of Palestine and Palestinians, revealing cultures and societies with remarkable depth and continuity that reach back to the dawn of recorded history. Beginning with early mentions in ancient Egyptian and Assyrian records, author Nur Masalha traces the evolution of Palestinian identity across thousands of years, from the Bronze Age to today. The author is primarily concerned with the Orwellian proclivities of Zionism to erase the topography of Palestine and project an invented Hebrew- language antiquity. Using a wealth of historical sources and the latest archaeological findings, Masalha illustrates how the diverse past of Palestine has been deliberately obscured and mythologized, both by religious and political narratives and motives, and the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. He argues that Palestine, contrary to popular belief, is neither a recent construct nor an identity formed in opposition to Israel, but one deeply rooted in antiquity. Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History stands as the definitive account of this valuable historical legacy.

Nur Masalha, an academic with teaching experience at St. Mary’s University and the University of London, sets out in Palestine to present a detailed and comprehensive study. The author takes an academically nuanced and indirect approach, carefully arguing for Palestine as a genuine historical entity and casting doubt on the legitimacy of Israel, though without extensive focus on contemporary politics.