Palestine

   Region called the Holy Land situated between the Mediterranean (q.v.) and the Jordan River valley, including the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee, and the Golan Heights in the north. Its southern extent was the Negev desert. Its major cities included Caesarea Maritima, Jerusalem (qq.v.), Skythopolis, Neapolis, and Gaza (q.v.). The impact of state-supported Christianity on the region was great. Palestine became a focus for pilgrimage after Constantine I's mother Helena (qq.v.) made her own journey there, where she allegedly discovered the True Cross (q.v.). Monasticism (q.v.) spread quickly; among its many famous monks were Euthymios the Great and Sabas (qq.v.). Palestine also produced the famous historians Eusebios of Caesarea, Sozomenos, and Prokopios of Caesarea (qq.v.). Chorikos of Gaza and Prokopios of Gaza (qq.v.) were among the notable rhetoricians from the school of rhetoric at Gaza. Up to the Muslim conquest, Palestine continued to be home to Jews, Orthodox Christians, Monophysites, and Samaritans (qq.v.). In 614 the Persians (q.v.) captured Jerusalem and carried offthe True Cross. Herakleios (q.v.) restored the True Cross to Jerusalem ca. 629, but Byzantine rule over the region proved to be ephemeral. Muslim (q.v.) domination ofthe region was completed by 638, the yearbishop Sophronios (q.v.) was forced to surrender Jerusalem to the Arabs (q.v.).