PALESTINE'S PRE-ISLAMIC HISTORY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: A PROPOSAL FOR PALESTINIAN HIGH-SCHOOL CURRICULUM REVISION

This article is presented in the hope of engaging debate on Palestine's cultural heritage in view of recommending a revision of the Palestinian high-school curriculum for the pre-Islamic history of Palestine. After a brief clarification of intent and an introduction to the current status of research on Palestine's history, brief summaries of the proposed curriculum are offered in chronological order: 1) the Stone Age; 2) the Bronze Age; 3) regional histories from Iron I to Alexander and 4) the Hellenistic Period. The presentation closes with a conclusion, followed by 3 appendices on early legendary figures in Palestinian history; on Palestinian place names and on the importance of structuring Palestine's history regionally.