We are currently living through yet another spectacle of war in a section of the Middle East long referred to as Palestine. While most of us are familiar with the current dispute and the players on each side, we have not had the opportunity to take the long view – from pre-Biblical times to the present with a cast of characters that includes Canaanites, Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Ottomans and Arabs – not to mention the French, the British, and the Americans. We will follow the gradual transformation of the region and its people over this long history.

Format: Class members will give presentations and lead discussion on topics related to a portion of Palestine’s history.

Resources/Expenses: A History of Palestine: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Founding of the State of Israel by Gudrun Kramer is available from Amazon and other online booksellers, new and used, from $27 and up.