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

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)

ﺔﻠﻳﺪﺑتﻻﺎﻤﺘﺣا :ﻪﺛاﺮﺗوﻦﻴﻄﺴﻠﻓﺦﻳرﺎﺗدﺮﺳ

دﻋرمﺴﺎﺒ

دﻋرمﺴﺎﺒ

صﺨﻠﻤ

صﺨﻠﻤ

تﺎــﺴاردﻰــﻠﻋﻲــﻨﺒﻤﻟاﻲــﻤﯿﻠﻗﻹاثارــﺘﻟاونﯿطــﺴﻠﻓﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻟﺔــﻠﯿدﺒﺔــﯿﻤوﻗﺔــﯿاوررــﯿوطﺘﺔــﯿﻨﺎﻛﻤإلﺎــﻘﻤﻟااذــﻫﺞــﻟﺎﻌﯿ

ةءﺎــﻨﺒﺔــﯿؤرمدــﻘﯿوﻪــﻀرأﻰــﻠﻋﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟابﻌــﺸﻟاوﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻟاﺔﯿرارﻤﺘــﺴﻻســﺴﺄﺘﺔــﯿرﺎﺠتﺎﻓﺎــﺸﺘﻛاوﺔــﺜﯿدﺤ

،ﺔــﻤﺎﻌﻟاتﺎــﺒﺎطﺨﻟاو،دــﯿﻟﺎﻘﺘﻟاﻲــﻓســﻛﻌﻨﯿﺎــﻤﻛ،ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟاتاذــﻟامــﻬﻓجﺎــﺘﺤﯿو .ﺔــﯿوﻬﻟاعوــﻀوﻤﻟرــﺜﻛأ

ﻊــﯿﻀاوﻤﻟاﻩذــﻫﻲــﻓةدــﯿدﺠﻟاثﺎــﺤﺒﻷاﻪــﻤدﻘﺘﺎــﻤﺒطارــﺨﻨﻻاﻰــﻟا،ﺔﯿﺤﺎﯿــﺴﻟاتﺎــﯿﺒدﻷاوﺔﯿــﺴاردﻟاﺞــﻫﺎﻨﻤﻟاو

ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟاﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻟاعﺎــﯿﻀ،ﻻوألﺎــﻘﻤﻟاﺞــﻟﺎﻌﯿو .ﻲﻨﯿطــﺴﻠﻔﻟاﺦــﯿرﺎﺘﻠﻟﺔﻠﻤﺎــﺸﺔــﯿاورعﺎﺠرﺘــﺴﻻﺎــﻬﻨﻤةدﺎﻔﺘــﺴﻻاو

حرــﺘﻘﯿو .ﺔﯿﻛﻼﻤﺘــﺴﻻاﺔــﯿﻨوﯿﻬﺼﻟاوﺔــﯿﺒرﻐﻟاﺔــﯿﻓرﻌﻤﻟامــظﻨﻟادــﯿﻰــﻠﻋوﺔــﯿﻌﺠرﻤرــطأدــﯿﻰــﻠﻋﻩرــﯿﻤدﺘومــﯿدﻘﻟا

رــﯿوطﺘﻟﺎــﻬﺒطارــﺨﻨﻻانــﯿﺜﺤﺎﺒﻠﻟنــﻛﻤﯿتﺎــﯿوﻟوأﺔــﻤﺌﺎﻘﺒﻲــﺼوﯿوعوــﻀوﻤﻟالوــﺤةدــﯿدﺠتﺎــﻬﺠوﺘلﺎــﻘﻤﻟا

.تﺎــﻬﺠوﺘﻟاﻩذــﻫ

ﺔﻌﻤﺎﺠﻲﻓﻲﻤﻠﻌﻟاثﺤﺒﻟاةدﺎﻤﻋوأﺔﻠﺠﻤﻟارﯿرﺤﺘﺔﺌﯿﻫرﺎﻛﻓانﻋﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟاﻲﻓةدراوﻟارﺎﻛﻓﻻارﺒﻌﺘﻻ

ﺎﻬﯿﻓءﺎطﺨأﺔﯿأوأﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟانوﻤﻀﻤنﻋدﯿﺤوﻟالوؤﺴﻤﻟافﻟؤﻤﻟارﺒﺘﻌﯿ .مﺤﻟتﯿﺒ

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