Palestine's History and Heritage Narrative: Alternative Prospects
DOI | https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.36.2019.0077 |
Pages | 77-100 |
Published date | 01 January 2019 |
Date | 01 January 2019 |
Author | Basem L. Raʿad |
Subject Matter | Palestinian national narrative,Western/Zionist claim systems,appropriation,biblical historicity,sacred geography,Qumran (Dead Sea) Scrolls,Ugarit,the subaltern,ancient languages,place names |
77 Bethlehem University Journal 36 (2019)
Palestine’s History and Heritage
Narrative: Alternative Prospects
Basem L. Raʿad
Abstract
This paper examines the possibility of constructing an alternative national
narrative of Palestine’s past and of regional heritage based on current scholarship
and ongoing discoveries that would affirm the Palestinian people’s continuous
existence in their land and offer a more constructive approach to their identity.
Palestinian self-understanding, as reflected in traditions, public assumptions,
educational curricula and tourist information, needs to engage in what scholarly
work has to offer, and must benefit from it to retrieve a more inclusive account of
the past. The paper first examines how ancient Palestinian history has been lost
and destroyed by old traditions as well as by appropriative Western and Zionist
claim systems. The paper also suggests future approaches and recommends
priorities for research that bear on this effort.
Key words: Palestinian national narrative; Western/Zionist claim systems;
appropriation; biblical historicity; sacred geography; Qumran (Dead Sea)
Scrolls; Ugarit; the subaltern; ancient languages; place names
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article do not represent
the opinions of the Journal’s editorial board and staff of the Dean of Research
at Bethlehem University. The accuracy of the material and any errors in this
publication are the sole responsibility of the author.
78
Bethlehem University Journal 36 (2019)
ﺔﻠﻳﺪﺑ تﻻﺎﻤﺘﺣا :ﻪﺛاﺮﺗو ﻦﻴﻄﺴﻠﻓ ﺦﻳرﺎﺗ دﺮﺳ
دﻋر مﺴﺎﺒ
دﻋر مﺴﺎﺒ
صﺨﻠﻤ
صﺨﻠﻤ
تﺎــﺴارد ﻰــﻠﻋ ﻲــﻨﺒﻤﻟا ﻲــﻤﯿﻠﻗﻹا ثارــﺘﻟاو نﯿطــﺴﻠﻓ ﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻟ ﺔــﻠﯿدﺒ ﺔــﯿﻤوﻗ ﺔــﯿاور رــﯿوطﺘ ﺔــﯿﻨﺎﻛﻤإ لﺎــﻘﻤﻟا اذــﻫ ﺞــﻟﺎﻌﯿ
ةءﺎــﻨﺒ ﺔــﯿؤر مدــﻘﯿو ﻪــﻀرأ ﻰــﻠﻋ ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟا بﻌــﺸﻟاو ﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻟا ﺔﯿرارﻤﺘــﺴﻻ ســﺴﺄﺘ ﺔــﯿرﺎﺠ تﺎﻓﺎــﺸﺘﻛاو ﺔــﺜﯿدﺤ
،ﺔــﻤﺎﻌﻟا تﺎــﺒﺎطﺨﻟاو ،دــﯿﻟﺎﻘﺘﻟا ﻲــﻓ ســﻛﻌﻨﯿ ﺎــﻤﻛ ،ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟا تاذــﻟا مــﻬﻓ جﺎــﺘﺤﯿو .ﺔــﯿوﻬﻟا عوــﻀوﻤﻟ رــﺜﻛأ
ﻊــﯿﻀاوﻤﻟا ﻩذــﻫ ﻲــﻓ ةدــﯿدﺠﻟا ثﺎــﺤﺒﻷا ﻪــﻤدﻘﺘ ﺎــﻤﺒ طارــﺨﻨﻻا ﻰــﻟا ،ﺔﯿﺤﺎﯿــﺴﻟا تﺎــﯿﺒدﻷاو ﺔﯿــﺴاردﻟا ﺞــﻫﺎﻨﻤﻟاو
ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟا ﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻟا عﺎــﯿﻀ ،ﻻوأ لﺎــﻘﻤﻟا ﺞــﻟﺎﻌﯿو .ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟا ﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻠﻟ ﺔﻠﻤﺎــﺸ ﺔــﯿاور عﺎﺠرﺘــﺴﻻ ﺎــﻬﻨﻤ ةدﺎﻔﺘــﺴﻻاو
حرــﺘﻘﯿو .ﺔﯿﻛﻼﻤﺘــﺴﻻا ﺔــﯿﻨوﯿﻬﺼﻟاو ﺔــﯿﺒرﻐﻟا ﺔــﯿﻓرﻌﻤﻟا مــظﻨﻟا دــﯿ ﻰــﻠﻋو ﺔــﯿﻌﺠرﻤ رــطأ دــﯿ ﻰــﻠﻋ ﻩرــﯿﻤدﺘو مــﯿدﻘﻟا
رــﯿوطﺘﻟ ﺎــﻬﺒ طارــﺨﻨﻻا نــﯿﺜﺤﺎﺒﻠﻟ نــﻛﻤﯿ تﺎــﯿوﻟوأ ﺔــﻤﺌﺎﻘﺒ ﻲــﺼوﯿو عوــﻀوﻤﻟا لوــﺤ ةدــﯿدﺠ تﺎــﻬﺠوﺘ لﺎــﻘﻤﻟا
.تﺎــﻬﺠوﺘﻟا ﻩذــﻫ
ﺔﻌﻤﺎﺠ ﻲﻓ ﻲﻤﻠﻌﻟا ثﺤﺒﻟا ةدﺎﻤﻋ وأ ﺔﻠﺠﻤﻟا رﯿرﺤﺘ ﺔﺌﯿﻫ رﺎﻛﻓا نﻋ ﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟا ﻲﻓ ةدراوﻟا رﺎﻛﻓﻻا رﺒﻌﺘ ﻻ
ﺎﻬﯿﻓ ءﺎطﺨأ ﺔﯿأ وأ ﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟا نوﻤﻀﻤ نﻋ دﯿﺤوﻟا لوؤﺴﻤﻟا فﻟؤﻤﻟا رﺒﺘﻌﯿ .مﺤﻟ تﯿﺒ
Introduction
Why is it necessary to produce a comprehensive, documentable account of
Palestine’s past and its rich heritage that counters current misconceptions? A
national narrative is a prerequisite for true independence. Most nations and
peoples create a founding story, whether historical or mythical, as a source of
dignity and agency on which they depend to construct purpose and identity.
Palestine’s long history and rich heritage have yet to be presented with a coherent
view of cultural continuity, for social, religious and political reasons. Such
cultural unearthing would be of universal human benefit at this time in particular
when Palestine is struggling for liberation under the weight of centuries and
millennia of colonial control.
The problem, then, is that Palestinian historical accounts incorporate a number
of historical errors and assumptions that do not serve national self-determination,
while a Zionist claim system benefits from these erroneous assumptions and
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