Palestine under Persian, Byzantine and Arab Rule 24 years, 3
empires, and 1 new faith in Palestine The following article is
reprinted with permission from A Historical Atlas of the Jewish
People edited by Eli Barnavi and published by Schocken Books.
The early decades of the seventh century C.E. comprised one of
the most eventful periods in the history of the Land of Israel.
Within 24 years, between 614 and 638, the country changed hands
three times. The four-centuries long conflict between Rome and
Persia was to come to an end in a final collision of the
Byzantine and Sassanid armies. Both these powers had attained
great victories and suffered terrible defeats, and as they
continued to enfeeble each other, they gave way to the rise of a
new power, the Islamic forces, which would drive them both out
of the region. The two monotheistic religions claiming Palestine
as their holy land were joined by a third faith, newly born and
extraordinarily vigorous. The Muslim conquest was destined to
shape the character of