Terminology and Timescales

Abstract

Extract In accordance with the normal conventions of British—and most other European—studies of Roman archaeology, dating is given using the ad/bc system, rather than the ce/bce system widely used in American and Israeli archaeology. If you prefer the ce/bce system, it is easy to convert these dates, because 1 ce is equivalent to ad 1; 1 bce to 1 bc. For convenience, the region today encompassed within modern Israel and the Palestinian territories is called here ‘the Holy Land’. The main historical periods with which this book is concerned are the Hellenistic period, from the fourth century bc until the Roman conquest, the Roman period—which in Galilee is from the late first century bc until the end of the fourth century ad—and the Byzantine period, which in this region dates from the fifth century ad until the seventh century. The Byzantine period was interrupted near its end by a Persian invasion in the early seventh century, and followed by the Muslim conquest later in the seventh century. Muslim control of Nazareth ceased when the European Crusaders took the city in 1099. The Crusaders lost Nazareth in 1187, but effective Crusader control of the town was restored between 1250 and 1263, after which it again came under Muslim control.