ABSTRACT

In the light of the recent revision of the history of ‘ancient Israel’, this paper discusses the Western involvement on representing the historical realities of Palestine. It traces the effort back to the 16th century, to John Speed’s map of Palestine as a clear example of it and its representation of the landscape mirroring British experiences and expectations. The paper also highlights the imperial context of cartographic representations of the world, one proper of a period of European expansion, and the symbolic appropriation of territories.