Trying to get my head straight, simplified version of some events over time:
- 3000 BC rise of Canaanite civilisation as a set of city states
- 1468 BC Defeat of Canaanite army at Megiddo by Pharaoh Thutmose laid the city states to Egyptian Rule
- Over next 200 years, rise of two peoples: From the sea the Philistine invaders (hence Palestine), and second the local Hebrew tribes who coalesced into a political entity known as Israel.
- Not known quite how, Hebrews managed to take control of Palestine, and first Sovereign they declared was Saul. His successors laid the foundations of the Jewish Nation – David (1010-930 BC) captured Jerusalem and then Solomon (970-930 BC) built the First Temple there. After Solomon, the ‘nation’ split in two – Kingdoms of Israel in the North and Judea in the South.
- 200 years later, 730BC the Assyrians concurred both nations
- In 587BC the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians, captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the Solomon’s First Temple, and exiled the Jews
- In 538 Persians under Cyrus The Great defeated the Babylonians, and allowed the Jews to return, and build a new Second Temple on the site of the first
- In around 500 BC Alexander The Great conquered all and gave Palestine to the Syrian based Seleucids. Greek Culture was extensive. Jerusalem/Hebrews resisted, in response 175 BC the Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes rededicated the Jewish Second Temple to Zeus.
- In 164 BC the Jewish Hasmoneans lead a revolt, took Jerusalem, couldn’t hold power because of internal arguments with Pharisees, a more priestly sect demanding strict observance of Hebrew Religious Tradition, and so asked for help from Rome. The Romans came in 63 BC, and installed the Jewish Herod the Great as King (37-4BC). He built Ceaserea, Masada, and his sons briefly superceded him.
- After that Romans took control, imposed tax and controls on the Jews creating discontent. There was a full revolt in AD66 which was the First Jewish War, and after Roman victory they destroyed the Second temple.
- In 132-5AD there was a Second Jewish War, at which they were defeated, and Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem, banned/exiled Jews from teh city, sold them into Slavery, others fled to Egypt and Babylon. This is known as the Diaspora.
- In 306-37 Emperor Constantin (of Rome) had converted to Christianity, moved to Constantinople (Byzantium) and allowed teh CHristians back into Jerusalem The Holy Sepulcre Church was dedicated in 335AD.
- The next 300 years saw the ex Roman Byzantine Era see a period of relative stability
- In 638AD, troops from Muhammad’s Army that had conquered Mecca in 628, turned on the Byzantines and in 638, under leader Omar defeated them at Yamuk River. The Muslims now ruled Palestine
- Arabs believed Muhammed had ascended to Heaven on his Night Journey from the same rock Jews believe Abraham had been about to sacrifice his own son, and where the Jews had previously built their temples.
- Christians were tolerated and allowed access, until 1009 when Muslim leader El-Hakim took a harder line and destroyed the Church of Holy Sepulchre, and persecuted non Muslims.
- There followed 200 years of Crusades from Christian Europe to recapture the holy city. In 1099 they did. But it was retaken by Saladin in 1187, after which followed the Third Crusade, which failed but Richard the Lionheart negotiated access.
- After that the Mamelukes (ex guards from the Saladin Ayubid dynasty) ruled from Cairo, Egypt.
- In 1516 Ottoman empire attacked from the North, and took over, being ruled by Suleyman the Magnificent. They ruled well untill 18th century and then weakened.
- During 19th century there was extensive Jewish immigation from Europe, after widespread persecution there, which lead to early 20c claims for a Jewish Peoples Home in Palestine, which was started under the British overseeing Palestine in 1922 after the First World War settlement
- After extensive continued immigration and conflict in the mid war years, the British put the Palestinian question infornt of the United Nations who ratified it in 1947, and the State Of Israel was born in 1948.