Understanding the San Remo Agreement - Why It Matters to the Jewish People

A Historical Agreement and the Ancient Biblical Promise

There are moments in history when political decisions made by nations intersect with questions that are much older than the nations themselves.

For the Jewish people, the San Remo Agreement of 1920 is one of those moments.

When I study the history of the modern State of Israel, I find it important to distinguish between two very different questions:

What did nations decide politically and legally in the twentieth century?

And:

What does the Tanakh say about the Jewish people's relationship to the Land of Israel?

The San Remo Conference did not create the biblical relationship between the Jewish people and the Land.

That relationship appears thousands of years earlier in the Hebrew Scriptures.

The modern agreement is therefore best understood as an important historical event in the long story of Jewish restoration—not as the source of the Jewish people's biblical claim.

What Was the San Remo Agreement?

The event commonly called the San Remo Resolution took place on April 25, 1920, at the San Remo Conference in Italy.

The conference dealt with the disposition of former Ottoman territories following World War I. The principal Allied Powers considered how territories would be administered under the emerging League of Nations mandate system.

Regarding Palestine, the resolution entrusted its administration to a mandatory power and directed that the mandatory implement the earlier British declaration supporting the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people.

The resolution also explicitly stated that nothing should prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, nor the rights and political status of Jews in other countries.

Britain was selected as the Mandatory Power for Palestine.

The decision subsequently became part of the legal framework that produced the Mandate for Palestine, which the League of Nations approved in 1922.

The 1922 Mandate itself stated that recognition had been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home there.

That historical wording is significant.

But to understand why the Jewish connection to the Land matters so deeply, I have to go much further back than 1920.

I have to go back to Genesis.

The Promise Begins With Abraham

The Jewish relationship with the Land does not begin with the San Remo Conference.

It does not begin with the British Empire.

It does not begin with the League of Nations.

It does not begin with modern Zionism.

According to the Tanakh, it begins with God and Abraham.

God said to Abram:

“Go forth from your country,
And from your birthplace,
And from your father's house,
To the land that I will show you.”

— Genesis 12:1

God then continued:

“I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing.”

— Genesis 12:2

The journey toward the Land was therefore connected from the beginning with God's covenantal dealings with Abraham.

God later made the promise even more explicit:

“Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever.”

— Genesis 13:14–15

The Tanakh presents the Land as part of the covenant relationship established with Abraham and his descendants.

The Covenant Continues Through Isaac and Jacob

The promise was not presented as something belonging only to Abraham.

God reaffirmed it to Isaac:

“Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; I will assign all these lands to you and to your offspring, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.”

— Genesis 26:3

Then God reaffirmed the covenant to Jacob.

At Bethel, Jacob heard:

“I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring.”

— Genesis 28:13

The biblical story therefore establishes a continuous connection:

Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → the children of Israel.

This is why I cannot understand the Jewish relationship with the Land merely through twentieth-century political documents.

The San Remo Resolution belongs to modern history.

The biblical covenant belongs to the much deeper story of Israel recorded in the Tanakh.

“To You and to Your Descendants”

One of the most important passages is found in Genesis 17.

God told Abraham:

“I will maintain My covenant with you and your offspring to come, throughout the ages, as an everlasting pact, to be God to you and your offspring to come. I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding.”

— Genesis 17:7–8

That passage matters when I consider the significance of modern international recognition.

The nations gathered at San Remo did not give the Land to the Jewish people in the biblical sense.

They were not the authors of the covenant.

They were not the source of the promise.

The Tanakh presents God—not an international conference—as the One who made the covenant.

Moses Repeated the Promise

The connection to the Land did not disappear during Israel's centuries in Egypt.

When Moses spoke to Israel before entering the Land, he reminded the people of God's covenant:

“See, I have given the land before you; go, take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to assign to them and to their offspring after them.”

— Deuteronomy 1:8

This is important because the biblical narrative consistently connects the Land with the covenant made with the patriarchs.

The Land is not an accidental geographical detail.

It is woven throughout the story.

Jerusalem Is Not Just Another City

The Jewish connection to Jerusalem is also deeply rooted in the Tanakh.

Jerusalem becomes the place that God chooses for His Name to dwell.

Deuteronomy repeatedly speaks of the place that God would choose.

For example:

“But look only to the site that the LORD your God will choose amidst all your tribes as His habitation, to establish His name there.”

— Deuteronomy 12:5

Later, Jerusalem becomes central to the biblical history of Israel.

David captured the stronghold of Zion:

“David captured the stronghold of Zion; it is now the City of David.”

— 2 Samuel 5:7

Solomon then built the Temple in Jerusalem.

The biblical story therefore gives Jerusalem an extraordinary place within Israel's national and spiritual history.

The Exile Did Not Erase the Promise

One of the most important things I notice in the Tanakh is that exile did not mean the end of Israel.

Israel experienced judgment, destruction, dispersion, and exile.

Jerusalem was destroyed.

The Temple was destroyed.

The people were carried away.

Yet the prophets continued speaking about restoration.

Jeremiah declared:

“Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O maiden of Israel!”

— Jeremiah 31:4

And later:

“Again I will build you so that you shall be built, O maiden of Israel!”

— Jeremiah 31:4

The prophets repeatedly described a future in which the children of Israel would return.

Ezekiel and the Return of Israel

Ezekiel contains some of the most striking passages concerning Israel's restoration.

God says:

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.”

— Ezekiel 36:24

The wording is remarkably direct:

“Bring you into your own land.”

The restoration described by the prophets is not merely spiritual.

It repeatedly involves people, nations, land, cities, and physical restoration.

Ezekiel continues:

“They shall dwell upon the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, wherein your fathers dwelt; they shall dwell upon it, they and their children and their children's children, forever.”

— Ezekiel 37:25

Whatever questions people may have about how individual prophetic passages should be interpreted, the Tanakh unquestionably contains a powerful theme of Israel's restoration to its ancestral land.

The Dry Bones and the Return of Israel

Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones is perhaps one of the most recognizable images of national restoration in the Hebrew Scriptures.

God tells Ezekiel:

“These bones are the whole House of Israel.”

— Ezekiel 37:11

Then God declares:

“I am going to take the Israelite people from among the nations they have gone to, and gather them from every quarter and bring them to their own land.”

— Ezekiel 37:21

This is followed by the promise:

“They shall be My people, and I will be their God.”

— Ezekiel 37:23

For me, this is one of the most profound biblical passages to read when considering Jewish restoration.

The San Remo Conference was a twentieth-century political event.

Ezekiel was speaking about Israel's restoration centuries earlier.

What San Remo Did—and What It Did Not Do

It is important to be precise.

The San Remo Resolution did not establish the biblical covenant.

It did not give God-given promises to Israel.

It did not create the Jewish people's ancient connection to Jerusalem.

And it did not originate the Jewish people's connection to the Land.

What it did was establish an important international framework concerning the administration of Palestine after the First World War and incorporated the commitment to establish a national home for the Jewish people into the emerging mandate system.

The later League of Nations Mandate formally recognized the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine.

That distinction matters.

International recognition is not the same thing as biblical covenant.

The Rights of the Non-Jewish Communities

There is another part of San Remo that I believe should not be overlooked.

The resolution explicitly included a safeguard for the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.

That principle is compatible with something I find repeatedly throughout the Tanakh:

God cares about how people treat the stranger and the vulnerable.

Leviticus says:

“The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

— Leviticus 19:34

Israel's relationship with the Land never gave Israel permission to abandon righteousness.

Quite the opposite.

The Torah repeatedly commands justice.

“You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kinsman fairly.”

— Leviticus 19:15

And:

“Justice, justice shall you pursue.”

— Deuteronomy 16:20

Therefore, recognizing the Jewish people's biblical connection to the Land does not require me to deny the humanity, dignity, or civil and religious rights of other people living there.

The Tanakh calls me to hold both truths together.

The Land Belongs to God

There is another biblical principle that should shape the conversation.

God declares:

“The land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me.”

— Leviticus 25:23

That verse changes the way I think about the entire discussion.

Ultimately, the Land does not belong to politicians.

It does not belong to conferences.

It does not belong to empires.

It does not belong to international organizations.

The Land belongs to God.

Human beings are accountable for how they live upon it.

This means that discussions about sovereignty, borders, ownership, and political authority should never become excuses for abandoning righteousness.

The San Remo Resolution and the Long Story of Jewish Return

When I place San Remo within the larger story, I see a remarkable historical sequence.

The Jewish people experienced exile.

Centuries passed.

Empires rose and fell.

The Ottoman Empire ruled the region.

The First World War transformed the political map.

The Allied Powers met at San Remo in 1920.

The Palestine Mandate followed.

Jewish immigration and national development continued.

And eventually, in 1948, the State of Israel declared independence.

But the biblical story reaches much farther back.

Moses spoke about Israel.

David ruled in Jerusalem.

The prophets spoke about restoration.

Isaiah proclaimed:

“Your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land forever.”

— Isaiah 60:21

Jeremiah spoke of planting Israel in the land.

Ezekiel spoke of gathering Israel from the nations.

Amos spoke of Israel being planted upon its soil:

“I will plant them upon their soil, nevermore to be uprooted from the soil I have given them.”

— Amos 9:15

These passages are why I believe the Jewish story cannot be reduced to San Remo.

San Remo is one chapter.

The Tanakh is the much larger story.

Why Understanding San Remo Matters

I believe understanding San Remo matters because historical confusion can easily produce biblical confusion.

Some people speak as though the Jewish connection to the Land began in 1920.

It did not.

Others speak as though international diplomacy has no relevance whatsoever.

But San Remo was an important historical development in the modern international recognition of a Jewish national home.

Both extremes miss something.

The Jewish connection to the Land is ancient.

The San Remo Resolution is modern.

The two should not be confused.

I Do Not Need San Remo to Make Genesis True

This is perhaps the most important conclusion I take from studying the subject.

If San Remo had never happened, Genesis 12 would still be Genesis 12.

Genesis 15 would still contain God's covenant.

Genesis 17 would still speak of the Land.

Deuteronomy would still speak about Israel possessing the Land.

Isaiah would still speak about restoration.

Jeremiah would still speak about Israel being planted again.

Ezekiel would still speak about Israel being gathered from the nations.

Amos would still speak about Israel being planted upon its soil.

The promises of the Tanakh do not depend upon the decisions of twentieth-century politicians.

Yet History Matters

At the same time, I do not believe history should be ignored.

God's purposes in Scripture frequently unfold through ordinary historical events and through the actions of nations and rulers.

The book of Isaiah even speaks of a foreign ruler, Cyrus, who would participate in the restoration of Jerusalem:

“Thus said the LORD to His anointed one, to Cyrus.”

— Isaiah 45:1

Cyrus was not an Israelite king.

Yet the Tanakh describes God using him in connection with Israel's restoration.

That reminds me that I should never assume God can work only through people who already understand what He is doing.

A Biblical Perspective on the Jewish People and the Land

When I step back, I see several principles.

1. The covenant comes before the conference.

The relationship between Israel and the Land begins in the biblical narrative long before modern international diplomacy.

2. The Jewish people have an ancient historical connection to the Land.

The Tanakh repeatedly identifies the Land with the covenantal promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.

3. Exile did not erase the biblical hope of restoration.

The prophets repeatedly spoke about Israel being gathered and restored.

4. Jerusalem has unique biblical significance.

The Tanakh repeatedly identifies Jerusalem as central to Israel's worship and history.

5. Justice remains essential.

A biblical defense of Israel's connection to the Land cannot be separated from the biblical commands to pursue justice and protect the stranger.

6. God remains sovereign.

Ultimately:

“The earth is the LORD's and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants.”

— Psalm 24:1

The Bigger Picture

When I hear someone mention the San Remo Agreement, I no longer see merely a political conference held in Italy in 1920.

I see one moment in a much longer historical story.

I see a people whose biblical identity is rooted in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I see a Land repeatedly named throughout the Torah and the Prophets.

I see Jerusalem.

I see exile.

I see prophets speaking about return.

I see international diplomacy eventually recognizing the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine.

And I see the importance of separating what human governments decided from what the Tanakh says God promised.

San Remo matters historically.

But San Remo is not the foundation of Israel's biblical story.

The foundation is much older.

The prophet Isaiah declared:

“The LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and He will settle them on their own soil.”

— Isaiah 14:1

And Jeremiah proclaimed:

“Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt.”

— Jeremiah 31:4

For me, that is the heart of the matter.

San Remo was a twentieth-century political milestone.

The story of Israel and the Land begins thousands of years earlier in the Tanakh.

And whatever political debates continue among the nations, the Hebrew Scriptures remind me that the ultimate story is not written by conferences, empires, treaties, or governments.

It is written under the sovereignty of God.

“He is the Rock, His deeds are perfect,
Yes, all His ways are just.”

— Deuteronomy 32:4

Samaria - A History and Geography for the Jewish People

The Land Between the Hills

When I think about Samaria, I am not simply thinking about a modern geographic region.

I am thinking about a land deeply woven into the history of Israel—a land of mountains and valleys, ancient cities and forgotten roads, kings and prophets, conquest and exile, judgment and restoration.

Samaria sits in the heart of the Land of Israel, between the central hill country associated with Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. Its landscape is dominated by mountains, ridges, valleys, springs, and fertile agricultural areas.

For me, understanding Samaria begins with understanding something fundamental:

Samaria is not merely a name on a modern map. It is a biblical land with a long history.

The Tanakh repeatedly describes the land of Israel in geographic, tribal, political, and covenantal terms.

“And the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.”
— Genesis 12:7

That promise provides the larger biblical framework for understanding the geography of Israel.

Where Is Samaria?

Geographically, ancient Samaria occupied much of the central hill country of the Land of Israel.

Its territory lies approximately between the region of the Jezreel Valley to the north and the Judean hill country to the south.

To the west, the land gradually descends toward the coastal plain.

To the east, the central mountains descend dramatically toward the Jordan Valley.

The landscape is therefore very different from the flat coastal plain.

Samaria is a mountainous region.

Its hills provided natural defensive positions, while its valleys created routes connecting different parts of the country.

Several important biblical locations are associated with this region, including:

Shechem
Mount Gerizim
Mount Ebal
Shiloh
Bethel
Samaria
Jezreel
Dothan
Tirzah

These were not isolated places. They belonged to a broader landscape through which people traveled, farmed, worshiped, governed, fought, and traded.

The Land of Ephraim and Manasseh

Much of the territory later identified with Samaria was associated with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

After the Israelites entered the Land, the territory was divided among the tribes.

Joshua records the inheritance of Ephraim:

“And the lot of the children of Joseph went out from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel.”
— Joshua 16:1

The territory of Joseph included both Ephraim and Manasseh.

The central hill country therefore became particularly associated with the descendants of Joseph.

This is important because the history of Samaria cannot be separated from the history of the northern tribes of Israel.

Shechem: One of Samaria's Great Biblical Cities

When I look at the history of Samaria, I cannot begin anywhere more appropriately than Shechem.

Shechem was situated between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.

The location is extraordinarily significant in the Tanakh.

Abraham passed through the land and came to the place of Shechem:

“And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh.”
— Genesis 12:6

There the LORD appeared to Abraham.

Shechem therefore connects the geography of Samaria directly with the earliest promises made to Abraham.

Later, Jacob came to Shechem.

“And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan.”
— Genesis 33:18

Jacob purchased land there.

His family history became permanently connected with the region.

Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal

The mountains surrounding Shechem are among the most important geographical landmarks in the biblical history of Israel.

Mount Gerizim stands to the south of Shechem.

Mount Ebal stands to the north.

Moses commanded Israel to pronounce blessings and curses associated with these mountains.

Deuteronomy records:

“And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.”
— Deuteronomy 11:29

Joshua later carried out these instructions.

“Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal.”
— Joshua 8:30

The Israelites gathered there and heard the words of the Torah.

This makes the geographical setting enormously important.

The mountains were not simply scenery.

They became part of Israel's covenantal memory.

Shiloh: The Sanctuary in the Hill Country

Another important location in the Samarian region is Shiloh.

After the conquest of the land, the Tabernacle was established there.

Joshua records:

“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there.”
— Joshua 18:1

Shiloh became one of the earliest major centers of Israelite worship.

For generations, the sanctuary stood there.

The story of Hannah and Samuel is connected with Shiloh.

Hannah prayed at the sanctuary, and Samuel was brought there to serve the LORD.

The prophet Jeremiah later referred back to Shiloh as a warning to Jerusalem.

“But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first.”
— Jeremiah 7:12

Shiloh therefore reminds me that the central hill country was not merely politically significant.

It was profoundly connected with Israel's spiritual history.

Bethel

Another important biblical location in the region is Bethel.

The name itself means House of God.

Jacob encountered God at Bethel.

“And he called the name of that place Bethel.”
— Genesis 28:19

Bethel became an important location throughout Israel's history.

The geography of the central hill country meant that Bethel was positioned along important routes through the mountains.

Its location helped make it strategically significant.

Yet its later history also became tragic.

After the kingdom divided, Bethel became one of the places where Jeroboam established one of his golden calves.

The Tanakh records:

“And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.”
— 1 Kings 12:29

A place associated with Jacob's encounter with God became associated with idolatrous worship.

That transformation tells us something important about the biblical history of Samaria:

The land itself was not the problem. What people did in the land mattered.

The Kingdom Divides

The history of Samaria changes dramatically after the reign of Solomon.

Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom divided.

The tribes in the north formed what became known as the Kingdom of Israel.

Judah and Benjamin remained associated with the southern kingdom centered on Jerusalem.

Jeroboam became king over the northern kingdom.

The division was political, but it also became spiritual and religious.

The northern kingdom established alternative centers of worship.

Eventually, the city of Samaria itself became the capital of the northern kingdom.

The City of Samaria

The city of Samaria was founded by King Omri.

The Tanakh tells us:

“And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.”
— 1 Kings 16:24

This is where the name Samaria becomes particularly important.

The word can refer to the city itself and, more broadly, to the surrounding territory associated with the northern kingdom.

The city occupied a strategically important hill.

From this elevated position, the capital could command views across the surrounding countryside.

Its location also provided defensive advantages.

Samaria became the political center of the northern Kingdom of Israel.

A Kingdom of Mountains, Valleys, and Fertile Land

Samaria's geography helped shape its history.

The central hill country contains numerous valleys between mountain ridges.

These valleys provided agricultural land and transportation corridors.

The hills themselves provided defensible locations for settlements.

The region also contains springs and agricultural terraces.

In biblical times, people cultivated crops such as grain, grapes, olives, and other produce.

The Tanakh repeatedly describes the abundance of Israel's land.

Moses described the Promised Land as:

“A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey.”
— Deuteronomy 8:8

Samaria participated in this broader agricultural landscape.

The land could be beautiful and productive.

But its agricultural wealth also made it economically and strategically valuable.

The Jezreel Valley

To the north of the central Samarian mountains lies the broad and fertile Jezreel Valley.

This valley became one of the great agricultural and military landscapes of ancient Israel.

The city of Jezreel appears repeatedly in the biblical narrative.

King Ahab maintained a royal residence there.

The story of Naboth's vineyard took place at Jezreel.

The Tanakh records:

“So Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him.”
— 1 Kings 21:4

The Jezreel Valley also provided a natural corridor connecting different parts of the country.

Whoever controlled this region possessed significant strategic advantages.

Samaria and the Prophets

The prophets spoke extensively about the northern kingdom and its capital.

One of the most powerful voices was Amos.

Amos confronted the wealthy and powerful inhabitants of Samaria because of injustice.

He declared:

“Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy.”
— Amos 4:1

Amos's words remind me that biblical geography is never merely geography.

The mountains of Samaria became the setting for a moral confrontation.

God cared about how people treated one another.

The wealthy could not hide behind prosperous cities, fortified hills, or political power.

Isaiah and the Pride of Samaria

Isaiah also spoke against Samaria.

He described the northern kingdom's pride and political confidence.

“Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower.”
— Isaiah 28:1

Ephraim was one of the dominant tribes of the northern kingdom.

The expression connects the political and spiritual condition of the kingdom with its geographic heartland.

The lesson is sobering.

A prosperous land does not guarantee a righteous people.

A powerful capital does not guarantee security.

The Assyrian Conquest

Eventually, the northern kingdom fell.

The Assyrian Empire invaded the Kingdom of Israel.

Samaria was besieged.

The Tanakh records:

“Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.”
— 2 Kings 17:3

Eventually:

“And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria.”
— 2 Kings 17:6

This was one of the great catastrophes in Israel's biblical history.

The northern kingdom was destroyed.

Large numbers of Israelites were deported.

The political kingdom of Israel ceased to exist.

Why Samaria Became Associated With the Northern Tribes

After the Assyrian conquest, the population and political character of the region changed dramatically.

The Assyrian Empire relocated populations from various conquered territories.

The Tanakh records:

“And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel.”
— 2 Kings 17:24

This passage is fundamental to understanding the later history of the region.

Samaria became a land in which different populations lived.

The biblical account describes conflict, adaptation, intermarriage, religious confusion, and competing claims regarding worship.

At the same time, the descendants of Israelites from the northern tribes did not simply disappear from biblical history.

The Tanakh continues to mention members of the northern tribes.

The Return of Judah and the Question of Samaria

Later, the Babylonian exile brought another major transformation.

Judah was conquered.

Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.

But eventually, the people of Judah returned.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The people living in the surrounding region sought involvement in the rebuilding.

But the returning Judeans refused their participation.

Ezra records:

“Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God.”
— Ezra 4:3

From this period onward, relations between the Jewish community centered in Jerusalem and the Samaritan population became increasingly hostile.

The conflict was not merely geographic.

It involved competing claims concerning ancestry, worship, authority, and the proper place of worship.

Samaria and Mount Gerizim

Mount Gerizim became particularly important to the Samaritan community.

Its significance was rooted in the biblical geography surrounding Shechem.

Deuteronomy had commanded Israel to associate blessing with Mount Gerizim.

The Samaritan community eventually regarded Mount Gerizim as its sacred mountain.

The Jewish biblical tradition, however, centered Israel's worship upon Jerusalem and the Temple.

The Tanakh declares concerning Jerusalem:

“But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek.”
— Deuteronomy 12:5

Jerusalem therefore became the central sanctuary of Jewish worship.

The distinction between Jerusalem and Mount Gerizim became one of the defining religious divisions between Jews and Samaritans.

Samaria in the Books of the Prophets

The prophets continued to speak about Samaria.

Micah declared:

“Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard.”
— Micah 1:6

The image is striking.

A capital city could become ruins.

A powerful kingdom could disappear.

Buildings could collapse.

Political institutions could vanish.

Yet the land itself remained.

The hills remained.

The valleys remained.

The ancient roads remained.

The biblical landscape continued to testify to Israel's history.

Samaria's Relationship to Ephraim

When studying Samaria, I often encounter the word Ephraim.

That is because Ephraim was one of the most influential tribes of the northern kingdom.

The prophets frequently used "Ephraim" as a designation for the northern kingdom.

Hosea repeatedly speaks about Ephraim.

“Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.”
— Hosea 4:17

But Hosea also speaks about restoration.

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.”
— Hosea 14:4

This combination of judgment and hope is characteristic of the prophetic message.

God's judgment is real.

But so is His concern for restoration.

Samaria Is Not the Same as Judea

It is important for me to distinguish the ancient regions.

Judea refers primarily to the southern region associated with Judah.

Samaria refers to the central region associated historically with the northern Kingdom of Israel.

Galilee lies farther north.

These regions have distinct geographic characteristics and different histories.

Yet they are all part of the larger biblical landscape of the Land of Israel.

The Tanakh does not present Israel as an abstract idea.

It repeatedly names mountains, valleys, rivers, cities, borders, tribal territories, and roads.

The geography matters.

The Mountains of Samaria Today

When I look at the physical geography of Samaria, I see a continuation of the central mountain spine of the Land of Israel.

The terrain includes:

Mount Ebal
Mount Gerizim
the hills around Shechem
the highlands of Ephraim
the valleys surrounding the mountain ridges
the approaches toward the Jezreel Valley
the eastern descent toward the Jordan Valley

The landscape is rugged in many places.

Ancient communities often occupied elevated positions.

Terraces allowed farmers to cultivate hillsides.

Natural springs supported settlements.

Valleys provided transportation routes.

The result is a landscape in which geography and history are inseparable.

Samaria and the Biblical Idea of Inheritance

For Jewish people, one of the most important questions surrounding the Land is the concept of inheritance.

The Tanakh repeatedly describes the Land as an inheritance given to the tribes of Israel.

The LORD told Joshua:

“Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh.”
— Joshua 13:7

The tribal territories were not merely political districts.

They were connected with family, ancestry, covenant, and inheritance.

That is why biblical geography can carry such profound meaning for Jewish people.

When I read about Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Judah, and the other tribes, I am not reading a random list of ancient territories.

I am reading the story of a people and their inheritance.

The Prophetic Promise Concerning Israel

The story of Samaria does not end with conquest.

The prophets repeatedly spoke about the future restoration of Israel.

Jeremiah gives a particularly powerful promise:

“Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel.”
— Jeremiah 31:4

And he specifically mentions the northern tribes:

“Again thou shalt plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria.”
— Jeremiah 31:5

This verse is remarkable.

Jeremiah does not speak of Samaria merely as a symbol of destruction.

He speaks of planting again.

Building again.

Living again.

Restoration is part of the prophetic vision.

“Mountains of Samaria”

That phrase deserves special attention.

Jeremiah says:

“Again thou shalt plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria.”
— Jeremiah 31:5

The prophecy connects the physical landscape with restoration.

The mountains are still there.

The vineyards can be planted again.

The land that experienced war and exile can become productive again.

This is one of the reasons biblical geography matters so much to me.

The mountains described by the prophets are real mountains.

The valleys are real valleys.

The ancient cities stood in real places.

The promises were spoken concerning a real land.

The Valley of Jezreel and Hope

The prophet Hosea also speaks about the Jezreel Valley.

The name Jezreel itself is connected with the biblical theme of sowing and planting.

Hosea declares:

“And I will sow her unto me in the earth.”
— Hosea 2:23

The imagery of sowing, planting, vineyards, fields, and fruitfulness appears repeatedly in the prophetic literature.

These images are particularly meaningful when considered against Samaria's actual agricultural geography.

The land is capable of producing.

The hills can support vineyards and olive trees.

The valleys can produce crops.

The prophetic language of restoration therefore speaks in terms deeply connected with the physical character of the land.

What Samaria Teaches Me

When I study Samaria, I see several lessons.

1. Geography preserves memory.

Mountains and valleys can outlast kingdoms.

A political empire may disappear, but the landscape remains.

2. Prosperity does not equal righteousness.

The northern kingdom became wealthy and powerful in certain periods, yet the prophets repeatedly condemned injustice and idolatry.

3. Israel's history is deeply geographic.

Shechem, Bethel, Shiloh, Samaria, Jezreel, Mount Gerizim, and Mount Ebal are not interchangeable names.

Each place carries its own history.

4. Exile does not erase biblical memory.

The Assyrian conquest changed the population and political structure of the region.

But the prophets continued to speak about Israel, Ephraim, and Samaria.

5. Judgment and restoration appear together.

The Tanakh does not hide Israel's failures.

It records them honestly.

But it also records God's promises concerning restoration.

Samaria and the Jewish Connection to the Land

For me, Samaria is ultimately part of a much larger biblical story.

The story begins with Abraham.

It continues through Isaac and Jacob.

It moves through the twelve tribes.

It continues through the conquest under Joshua.

It passes through the judges, the united monarchy, the divided kingdoms, the Assyrian conquest, the Babylonian exile, and the return.

The land witnessed all of it.

The mountains of Samaria saw generations come and go.

The roads carried travelers.

The fields were cultivated.

Cities rose.

Cities fell.

Prophets warned kings.

Families mourned.

Children were born.

Israel experienced both blessing and judgment.

And throughout the Tanakh, the land remained intertwined with God's covenantal dealings with Israel.

A Land Remembered by God

Perhaps the most important thing I take away from studying Samaria is that biblical geography is not merely about borders.

It is about memory.

The Tanakh repeatedly reminds Israel where things happened.

God appeared to Abraham.

Jacob lived in the land.

Joshua divided the inheritance.

Israel worshiped at Shiloh.

The kingdom divided.

Samaria became a capital.

The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom.

The people were exiled.

The prophets warned.

And the prophets also promised restoration.

Jeremiah's words remain especially powerful:

“Again thou shalt plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria.”
— Jeremiah 31:5

That single verse captures something profound.

The mountains of Samaria have witnessed sorrow.

But the prophetic vision includes planting.

Growth.

Life.

Renewal.

Conclusion: Remembering Samaria

Samaria is a region of mountains, valleys, ancient cities, agricultural terraces, springs, and historic roads.

But for Jewish people, it is more than geography.

It is part of the biblical inheritance and memory of Israel.

It is connected to Ephraim and Manasseh.

It contains Shechem, Mount Gerizim, Mount Ebal, Shiloh, Bethel, Jezreel, and the ancient capital of Samaria.

It witnessed the rise and fall of the northern kingdom.

It experienced the devastation of Assyrian conquest and exile.

It became the center of a complicated relationship between Jewish communities and the Samaritan population.

And yet the prophets did not speak only of destruction.

They spoke of restoration.

They spoke of vineyards on the mountains of Samaria.

They spoke of rebuilding.

They spoke of Israel's future.

When I look at Samaria through the Tanakh, I therefore see both history and hope.

I see a land whose hills remember.

I see a land whose valleys have carried generations.

I see a land that became the stage for some of the most consequential events in Israel's history.

And I am reminded that the biblical story is inseparable from the physical land in which that story unfolded.

“And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.”
— Zechariah 2:12

The Tanakh calls me to remember the land not simply as territory, but as part of the story of Israel, its covenant, its history, its failures, its promises, and its hope.

Samaria is not merely a place I can locate on a map.

It is a landscape of Jewish history.

Judea - A History and Geography of the Heartland of the Jewish People

There are places on earth that become important because of what happened there.

And then there are places whose very landscape becomes woven into the identity, memory, faith, and history of a people.

For the Jewish people, Judea is one of those places.

When I look at Judea through the pages of the Tanakh, I do not see merely a political territory or a collection of ancient hills and valleys. I see the land of the patriarchs, the inheritance promised to the descendants of Abraham, the territory of Judah, the hills surrounding Jerusalem, the land where kings ruled, prophets spoke, battles were fought, temples were built, and generations of Jewish people lived, worshiped, worked, mourned, celebrated, and hoped.

The name "Judea" is associated with the ancient territory of Judah, or Yehudah.

To understand Judea, I first need to understand Judah.

And to understand Judah, I need to go back to the beginning.

Abraham and the Land of Promise

The story begins long before the name Judea became associated with a particular political or administrative region.

God called Abram and brought him into the land of Canaan.

The Tanakh records:

"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said: Unto thy seed will I give this land."

— Genesis 12:7

This promise became foundational to Israel's relationship with the land.

The land was not simply a place Abraham happened to visit. It became part of the covenantal story between God, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.

God later told Abraham:

"For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."

— Genesis 13:15

From the beginning, the geography of the land is connected to the story of the Jewish people.

Where Is Judea?

When I think geographically about ancient Judea, I picture the central and southern hill country of the Land of Israel.

The territory historically associated with Judah extended across a large portion of the southern highlands.

Its most important geographical features included:

Jerusalem
Bethlehem
Hebron
the Judean hill country
the wilderness of Judah
the eastern slopes descending toward the Dead Sea
valleys and passes connecting the hill country with surrounding regions
the southern territories extending toward the Negev

The terrain is remarkably varied.

There are mountains and hills, valleys and wilderness, cultivated areas and rocky deserts.

The Tanakh repeatedly reflects this geography.

David, for example, spent considerable time in the wilderness areas of Judah while fleeing Saul.

The wilderness was not an abstract place to the biblical writers.

It was part of the physical landscape of Judah.

Judah Becomes a Tribal Inheritance

After the Israelites entered the land under Joshua, the territory was divided among the tribes.

Judah received an extensive inheritance.

Joshua 15 describes the boundaries of the territory of the tribe of Judah in considerable detail.

It begins:

"And the lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was unto the border of Edom."

— Joshua 15:1

The chapter then describes cities, borders, valleys, mountains, wilderness areas, and neighboring territories.

This is important because it demonstrates that the biblical understanding of Judah was geographical as well as tribal.

Judah was not merely an idea.

It had boundaries.

It had cities.

It had mountains.

It had roads and valleys.

It had agricultural lands and wilderness.

It was a physical inheritance.

Hebron: One of the Ancient Centers of Judah

One of the most important places in Judea is Hebron.

Its biblical history reaches back to Abraham.

Genesis tells us that Abraham purchased the field and cave of Machpelah near Hebron as a burial place for Sarah.

Abraham said:

"Give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

— Genesis 23:4

He ultimately purchased the property from Ephron the Hittite.

The cave of Machpelah became the burial place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah.

The Tanakh later identifies Hebron as an important city within Judah.

During David's reign, Hebron became especially significant.

David was anointed king over Judah at Hebron:

"And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah."

— 2 Samuel 2:4

David then reigned in Hebron for seven years and six months before Jerusalem became the center of his kingdom.

Jerusalem: The City at the Heart of Judea

If Hebron represents the ancient patriarchal roots of Judah, Jerusalem represents its royal and spiritual center.

Jerusalem occupies a strategically important position in the Judean hill country.

Its location among the mountains made it defensible while also placing it along important routes through the central highlands.

But its importance to Israel cannot be explained merely by geography.

The Tanakh connects Jerusalem with God's chosen place.

David captured the stronghold of Zion:

"Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion; the same is the city of David."

— 2 Samuel 5:7

David established Jerusalem as his royal capital.

Then Solomon built the Temple there.

The dedication of the Temple became one of the defining moments in Israel's history.

Solomon prayed:

"But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded!"

— 1 Kings 8:27

Jerusalem became the city toward which Jewish prayer, pilgrimage, kingship, worship, prophecy, and national memory repeatedly converged.

The Judean Hill Country

One of the defining geographical characteristics of Judea is its hill country.

The central highlands rise dramatically above the surrounding lowlands and valleys.

The Tanakh frequently speaks about the mountains of Judah.

Psalm 125 declares:

"As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever."

— Psalm 125:2

That verse captures something important about Judean geography.

Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains.

The landscape itself became part of biblical imagery.

Mountains represented stability, refuge, elevation, and permanence.

They also shaped everyday life.

Communities built on hills and ridges could cultivate terraces, protect themselves from flooding, and observe surrounding approaches.

Bethlehem: The City of David

South of Jerusalem lies Bethlehem.

The Tanakh identifies Bethlehem as a city of Judah.

It was the hometown of David.

When Samuel was sent to Jesse's family, God instructed him to go to Bethlehem.

The story eventually leads to David's anointing.

The prophet Samuel was told:

"Arise, anoint him: for this is he."

— 1 Samuel 16:12

David's connection with Bethlehem became an enduring part of Israel's royal history.

The town demonstrates how Judean geography is repeatedly connected to the people and events that shaped Jewish history.

The Wilderness of Judah

Judea is not entirely mountainous farmland.

To the east, the landscape changes dramatically.

The Judean wilderness descends toward the Dead Sea.

This is one of the most rugged and dramatic environments in the region.

David knew this wilderness personally.

When Saul pursued him, David hid in the wilderness of Judah.

Psalm 63 begins:

"A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah."

The verse immediately connects a physical landscape with an intensely personal spiritual experience.

David wrote:

"O God, Thou art my God, earnestly will I seek Thee; my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in a dry and weary land, where no water is."

— Psalm 63:2

The wilderness became part of Jewish biblical memory.

It was a place of danger and isolation, but also of dependence upon God.

The Dead Sea and the Eastern Boundary

The eastern side of Judea drops toward the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is one of the lowest places on the surface of the earth, and its surrounding landscape is stark and dramatic.

The Tanakh refers repeatedly to the Salt Sea.

In describing the territory of Judah, Joshua mentions:

"the Salt Sea, even unto the end of Jordan."

— Joshua 15:5

This geographical reference helps us understand the eastern side of Judah.

The Judean highlands descend sharply toward the Dead Sea, creating a landscape dramatically different from the fertile hill country farther west.

Jericho and the Jordan Valley

Although Jericho was not itself part of the central Judean hill country, its proximity to Judah's eastern approaches made the Jordan Valley geographically important.

The Judean highlands are connected to the Jordan Valley through steep wilderness routes.

These routes created natural corridors between the mountain country and the lowlands.

The geography of Judea therefore cannot be understood by looking at the mountains alone.

The surrounding valleys, wildernesses, plains, and routes were all interconnected.

The Negev and Southern Judah

To the south, Judah gradually transitions into the Negev.

The Hebrew word Negev is associated with the southern region.

Joshua 15 describes the southern portion of Judah's inheritance.

The landscape becomes increasingly dry as one travels south.

Yet even these arid regions were part of the biblical geography of Judah.

The Tanakh speaks of cities and settlements throughout the southern territory.

This reminds me that ancient Judah was geographically diverse.

It was not simply "Jerusalem and the mountains."

It included agricultural communities, wilderness zones, fortified cities, valleys, and southern desert regions.

The Kingdom of Judah

After the reign of Solomon, the united monarchy divided.

The northern tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel, while Judah became the southern kingdom.

The biblical account says:

"And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying: 'What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse.'"

— 1 Kings 12:16

The kingdom of Judah centered around Jerusalem.

Its history included kings such as Rehoboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others.

Some kings were faithful to God.

Others led the nation into idolatry and disobedience.

The prophets repeatedly warned Judah that its covenant relationship with God carried responsibility.

Jerusalem and the First Temple

The First Temple stood at the center of Judah's religious life.

Solomon's Temple was built in Jerusalem according to the plans and instructions associated with David and Solomon.

The dedication of the Temple is described extensively in 1 Kings 8.

Solomon prayed:

"When Thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy, when they turn again to Thee, and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication unto Thee in this house..."

— 1 Kings 8:33

The Temple represented the centrality of worship in Jerusalem.

But the prophets repeatedly emphasized that the presence of the Temple could not substitute for obedience.

Jeremiah warned:

"Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place."

— Jeremiah 7:3

Judea's biblical history therefore involves both land and covenant responsibility.

The Assyrian Threat and the Survival of Judah

The northern Kingdom of Israel eventually fell to Assyria.

Judah survived for a longer period.

During the reign of Hezekiah, the Assyrian army invaded Judah.

The Assyrian threat reached Jerusalem itself.

The biblical account describes Hezekiah's prayer and the deliverance of Jerusalem.

Hezekiah prayed:

"Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech Thee, save Thou us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD God, even Thou only."

— 2 Kings 19:19

The story became one of the great examples in the Tanakh of Jerusalem's survival in the face of overwhelming military power.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

Yet Judah's survival was not permanent.

Babylon eventually conquered Judah.

Jerusalem was destroyed.

The First Temple was burned.

The people were exiled.

The book of Lamentations gives us an unforgettable picture of Jerusalem's devastation:

"How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!"

— Lamentations 1:1

The destruction of Jerusalem was a catastrophe for the Jewish people.

The land was devastated, the Temple was destroyed, and many inhabitants were taken into exile.

But exile did not erase the Jewish connection to Jerusalem.

Instead, Jerusalem became even more deeply embedded in Jewish memory and hope.

The Prophets Promised Restoration

The Tanakh does not end Judah's story with destruction.

Again and again, the prophets speak of restoration.

Isaiah proclaimed:

"Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God."

— Isaiah 40:1

Jeremiah spoke of restoration:

"And I will bring back the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD."

— Jeremiah 30:3

The prophetic vision included Jerusalem.

Isaiah declared:

"For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

— Isaiah 2:3

The land remained part of Israel's future hope.

The Return to Zion

After the Babylonian exile, Jewish exiles returned to the land.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The return was difficult.

The people faced opposition, poverty, political challenges, and the enormous task of rebuilding a devastated city.

Yet Jerusalem was rebuilt.

The Temple was restored.

Nehemiah describes the rebuilding of the walls.

The return demonstrated something extraordinary: even after conquest and exile, Jewish life in Judah could be rebuilt.

Judea in Jewish Memory

The name "Judea" comes from the same historical root as Judah.

Over time, the geographical and political terminology changed as different empires ruled the region.

But the underlying Jewish historical geography remained recognizable.

Jerusalem remained Jerusalem.

Hebron remained associated with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Bethlehem remained connected with David.

The Judean mountains remained part of the landscape.

The wilderness remained east of the highlands.

The land continued to carry the memories recorded in the Tanakh.

Why Judea Matters to Jewish History

When I study Judea, I see layers upon layers of Jewish history.

I see Abraham walking through Canaan.

I see Sarah being buried at Machpelah.

I see Jacob's family becoming the tribes of Israel.

I see Judah receiving its inheritance.

I see David ruling from Hebron.

I see David capturing Jerusalem.

I see Solomon building the Temple.

I see prophets warning kings.

I see armies approaching Jerusalem.

I see the Temple destroyed.

I see Jewish exiles weeping in Babylon.

And I see the return.

Judea is therefore more than a geographical expression.

It is a landscape filled with memory.

Judea's Geography in Simple Terms

If I were explaining Judea geographically in the simplest possible way, I would describe it like this:

Jerusalem sits within the central Judean highlands.

Hebron lies farther south in the hill country.

Bethlehem lies south of Jerusalem.

The Judean wilderness stretches toward the east.

The Dead Sea lies beyond the eastern descent.

The Negev begins farther south.

The western side of the Judean highlands descends toward the coastal plain and lower elevations.

This combination of mountains, valleys, wilderness, and desert created the distinctive geography of ancient Judah.

And that geography shaped its history.

A Land of Mountains, Memory, and Covenant

Perhaps the most striking thing about Judea is how frequently the physical land and spiritual story intersect.

The Tanakh does not treat geography as irrelevant background.

Mountains matter.

Wilderness matters.

Cities matter.

Rivers matter.

Borders matter.

Inheritance matters.

Jerusalem matters.

The land is repeatedly presented within the larger story of God's covenant with Israel.

Psalm 48 declares:

"Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain."

— Psalm 48:2

And Psalm 87 says:

"His foundation is in the holy mountains."

— Psalm 87:1

These verses remind me that Jerusalem and the surrounding mountains were not merely geographic coordinates for ancient Israel.

They became central to Israel's national and spiritual imagination.

Judea and the Jewish People Today

When Jewish people speak about Judea today, the conversation can quickly become political.

But before politics, there is history.

Before modern borders, there were ancient tribal territories.

Before modern governments, there were biblical kingdoms.

Before modern political terminology, there was Judah.

And long before modern disputes over maps, the Tanakh recorded Jewish cities, mountains, borders, kings, priests, prophets, battles, exiles, and returns.

That does not mean every modern political question can be answered simply by quoting an ancient boundary description.

But it does mean that the Jewish historical connection to the Judean landscape is extraordinarily ancient.

The Tanakh gives us a geography of memory.

The Land and the Promise

For me, the most powerful way to understand Judea is to remember that its story began with a promise.

God said to Abraham:

"Unto thy seed will I give this land."

— Genesis 12:7

Generations later, the descendants of Abraham became the tribes of Israel.

Judah received its inheritance.

Jerusalem became David's city.

The Temple was built.

Judah became a kingdom.

Jerusalem was destroyed.

The Jewish people went into exile.

And then Jewish people returned.

The story of Judea is therefore a story of inheritance, kingdom, destruction, exile, remembrance, and restoration.

It is a story written across mountains and valleys.

Conclusion: Judea Is More Than a Place on a Map

When I look at a map of Judea, I can see mountains, valleys, wilderness, cities, and roads.

But when I look at Judea through the Tanakh, I see something much larger.

I see Abraham.

I see Sarah.

I see Isaac.

I see Jacob.

I see Judah.

I see David.

I see Jerusalem.

I see the Temple.

I see the prophets.

I see the exile.

I see the tears of Jerusalem.

And I see the hope of return.

Judea's geography helps me understand its history, but its history helps me understand why its geography matters so deeply to the Jewish people.

The mountains are not merely mountains.

The cities are not merely cities.

The roads are not merely roads.

They are places where generations of Jewish history unfolded.

And perhaps that is why Judea remains so powerful in Jewish memory.

It is not simply a territory remembered from the past.

It is part of the story of a people who, throughout the Tanakh, were repeatedly called to remember where they came from, whom they belonged to, and the God who had made covenant with them.

As the Psalmist wrote:

"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her cunning."

— Psalm 137:5

For the Jewish people, Judea is therefore not simply geography.

It is geography filled with memory.

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