Palestine Across Millennia: A History of Literacy, Learning and Educational Revolutions

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In this magisterial cultural history of the Palestinians, Nur Masalha illuminates the entire history of Palestinian learning with specific reference to writing, education, literary production and the intellectual revolutions in the country. The book introduces this long cultural heritage to demonstrate that Palestine was not just a holy land for the four monotheistic religions Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Samaritanism rather, the country evolved to become a major international site of classical education and knowledge production in multiple languages including Sumerian, Proto-Canaanite, Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin. The cultural saturation of the country is found then, not solely in landmark mosques, churches and synagogues, but in scholarship, historic schools, colleges, famous international libraries and archival centres. This unique book unites these renowned institutions, movements and multiple historical periods for the first time, presenting them as part of a cumulative and incremental intellectual advancement rather than disconnected periods of educational excellence. In doing so, this multifaceted intellectual history transforms the orientations of scholarly research on Palestine and propels current historical knowledge on education and literacy in Palestine to new heights.

Reviews

Taking us through a tour du force of 4000 years of Palestine he reveals to the reader a rich and multi-layered history of literacy, learning and education embedded in a fabric of culturally and religiously diverse society. Nurs exploration of this rich history reveals to us the wealth and complexity of the culture of Palestine and reclaims its history as an al-Andalusian model of cultural and religious Convivencia. * Yosefa Loshitzky, SOAS, University of London, UK *
"This is a truly magnificent and revealing work. It will hopefully destroy once and for all the inane myths about literacies and education intended to belittle Palestinian millennial achievements in these fields. In reminding us of these achievements, debunking suspect 'regimes of truth' and unearthing subjugated (deliberately) knowledge, the book is an exercise in cognitive justice on behalf of an oppressed people...genealogically sound and convincing." * Peter Mayo, University of Malta, Malta *
'In this ground-breaking study, Nur Masalha brilliantly traces the pedagogical and intellectual beginnings, evolution and multifaceted histories of Palestinian learning, literacy and education. Masalhas exciting book deepens and broadens our understanding of oral representation, textuality and written literacy in modern and ancient Palestine. Drawing on a rigorous intellectual and historical framework, Masalha dismantles mainstream Zionist propaganda and its patronizing myths of cultural and educational superiority.' * Tayseer Abu Odeh, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Jordan *

Author Bio

Professor Nur Masalha is a Palestinian writer, historian and academic. He is a member of the Centre for Palestine Studies, SOAS, University of London, UK, and editor of Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies. His books include Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History (2018), An Oral History of the Palestinian Nakba (with Nahla Abdo, 2018), The Palestine Nakba (2012) and The Bible and Zionism (2007).