“And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” — Genesis 16:12 (KJV)
Introduction
The question of who the Palestinians are has become one of the most debated issues in modern history and biblical prophecy. While contemporary politics has painted the term “Palestinian” in nationalistic and territorial colors, its origin and meaning are rooted in ancient peoples and prophetic destinies found in the Word of God. Understanding the true history of the Palestinians requires going beyond political rhetoric to the biblical and historical record.
Ancient Roots: From Philistia to “Palestine”
The modern term Palestine is not native to the Arab world. It originates from the Philistines, an ancient seafaring people who settled along the southwestern coast of Canaan around the 12th century B.C. (Genesis 10:13–14). The Philistines were not Semitic but likely Aegean in origin, connected to the ancient peoples of Crete or Caphtor (Jeremiah 47:4; Amos 9:7).
The Philistines became bitter enemies of Israel during the time of the Judges and the early monarchy. Their most famous conflicts involved Samson, Saul, and David, with the defeat of Goliath being one of the most defining moments in Israelite history. By the time of King David and Solomon, the Philistines were subdued and largely absorbed into surrounding peoples.
Centuries later, after Rome destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Emperor Hadrian sought to erase Jewish identity from the land by renaming Judea as “Syria Palaestina” — deliberately invoking the name of Israel’s ancient enemies, the Philistines. This act of renaming was political and punitive, meant to sever the Jews from their historic homeland.
Thus, “Palestine” became a Roman political designation, not an ethnic or national one. There was no distinct Palestinian people in antiquity. The term referred only to a geographic area under imperial control.
The Islamic Conquest and Arab Settlement
When the armies of Islam swept through the Middle East in the 7th century A.D., the land of “Palestine” came under Arab Muslim rule. The population was a mixture of Jews, Christians, and pagans. Over centuries, through Islamization and Arabization, many of the inhabitants adopted Arab language and culture and converted to Islam.
The descendants of these Arab settlers, along with various local peoples, gradually became the population that would centuries later identify as Palestinian Arabs. Yet even during the Ottoman Empire (1517–1917), the people of the region identified themselves primarily by religion, clan, or city, not by any “Palestinian” national identity.
The name Palestine remained a European geographical term, used by outsiders to describe the Holy Land region encompassing parts of modern Israel, Jordan, and Gaza. There was no sovereign Palestinian state, currency, or government in any historical period prior to the 20th century.
The Modern Invention of a Palestinian Identity
The concept of a distinct Palestinian national identity did not arise until the mid-20th century, particularly after the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Prior to that, the term Palestinian often referred to Jews living in the British Mandate of Palestine. For example, the Palestine Post (now Jerusalem Post) was a Jewish newspaper.
After Israel declared independence, Arab residents of the region who fled or remained began to be called Palestinians, especially following the Six-Day War in 1967 when Israel captured territories including the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This was when “Palestinian” became an ethno-political identity, largely distinct from the broader Arab world.
Leaders such as Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1960s and 70s codified this identity in opposition to Israel’s existence. The “Palestinian cause” became a rallying cry in Arab politics, though historically, Palestinians were part of the greater Arab nation, sharing language, religion, and heritage with neighboring Arabs.
Biblical and Prophetic Context
From a biblical standpoint, the modern Palestinian conflict is not merely political but spiritual and prophetic. The ongoing struggle over the land of Israel reflects ancient enmity — the hostility between the seed of the promise and the seed of the bondwoman (Genesis 21:10–12; Galatians 4:22–31).
The prophecy concerning Ishmael, the ancestor of many Arab peoples, declared that he would be “a wild man; his hand will be against every man” (Genesis 16:12). This prophecy has echoed through millennia of Middle Eastern conflict, culminating in modern disputes over the land promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Scripture affirms that the land of Israel was given as an everlasting possession to Abraham’s seed through Isaac (Genesis 17:19–21). While the Arab peoples have multiplied and prospered as God also promised (Genesis 16:10), the covenant of the land was not theirs. Hence, the modern Palestinian claim to the land stands in direct opposition to the covenantal Word of God.
Prophecy also foretells that in the last days, the nations will seek to divide the land of Israel (Joel 3:2), bringing divine judgment. The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict thus plays into the larger prophetic scenario leading to the return of Christ and the final establishment of His kingdom in Jerusalem.
Conclusion
The Palestinians today are largely Arab descendants of those who settled in the Holy Land following the Islamic conquests, later adopting the Roman-imposed term “Palestine” as a national identity. The term itself traces back not to an ancient people called “Palestinians,” but to the Philistines, Israel’s ancient enemies.
Their history, while deeply intertwined with the land, does not confer upon them divine ownership of it. The Scriptures declare that the land was covenanted to the children of Israel through the patriarchs. The present conflict, therefore, is not simply territorial—it is the continuation of an ancient spiritual struggle between God’s covenant promise and man’s rebellion against it.
The ultimate resolution will not come through political negotiations or ceasefire agreements but through the return of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who will reign from Jerusalem, and “the LORD shall be king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9).
Summary Statement:
The Palestinians, as known today, are a modern Arab people with roots in the Islamic and Ottoman eras, bearing a name derived from Israel’s ancient adversaries, the Philistines. Their claim to the land of Israel stands outside the covenantal promise of Scripture, and their existence within prophecy reflects the ongoing fulfillment of God’s Word concerning the nations that strive against His chosen people and land.