Ancient Gaza: A City with No Palestinian Roots

Say it out loud: Gaza has no ancient Palestinian history. None. Zero. Not a shred. And it’s time we stop pretending otherwise.

Figure of King David from the Synagogue at Gaza, Shutterstock

If Gaza could talk, it wouldn’t speak Arabic. It would speak Canaanite, Egyptian, Greek, Hebrew, maybe even Latin. But not one word would be “Palestinian,” because the identity that claims Gaza today didn’t even exist until the 20th century. That’s not just inconvenient for the anti-Israel narrative—it’s devastating.

Whose Land Was It? Everyone’s… Except the Palestinians

Gaza has been conquered, ruled, and shaped by just about every ancient empire you can name. The Canaanites were there first, around 3000 BCE. Then the Egyptians came and turned it into a fortress city. They weren’t visiting—they were ruling. This wasn’t a tribal village; this was a key military and trade outpost for the Egyptian kingdom.

Then came the Philistines. These weren’t Arabs. They weren’t Muslims. They weren’t even Semitic. They were Aegean invaders—probably from what is now Greece—who planted themselves along the southern coast and fought the Israelites constantly. Gaza was one of their five main city-states. So no, even the Philistines weren’t “Palestinians.” Different people, different story.

And let’s not forget the big names: Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Islam, the Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans. Every one of them left their mark on Gaza. None of them were Palestinian. The land was valuable. That’s why it was constantly fought over. But there was no such thing as a Palestinian kingdom, Palestinian coin, Palestinian king, or even a Palestinian flag. Gaza was always someone else's prize.

Gaza during the 1890s, vintage engraving. Old engraved illustration of Gaza with people and trees in front. Trousset encyclopedia (1886 - 1891), Shutterstock

The Jewish Connection: Long, Deep, and Unbroken

Now here’s the part you won’t hear on mainstream media. The Jews were in Gaza. The Bible mentions it several times. The story of Samson—remember him? The strongman who was betrayed by Delilah? He died in Gaza, chained in a Philistine temple, pulling it down with his bare hands in an act of final defiance (Judges 16:30). That’s not just a story. It’s a reminder that Gaza has been part of the Jewish saga for thousands of years.

Later, in the Hasmonean period, Jonathan the Maccabee conquered Gaza and brought it under Jewish control. His brother Simon settled Jews there. The Jewish presence wasn’t symbolic—it was real, on the ground, and rooted in both power and faith.

By the time of the Roman Empire, Gaza had a thriving Jewish community. And even centuries later, during the Byzantine and early Islamic periods, Jews remained in Gaza, teaching Torah, conducting business, and living in peace—until they were forced out.

In fact, Gaza had Jewish residents right up until 1929, when Arab riots—fueled by hate and incited by lies—forced the Jews to flee. That community had been there for centuries. So before anyone calls Gaza an “ancient Palestinian land,” let’s ask: Where were the Palestinians then? They didn’t exist.

Samson carries the gates of Gaza, Cornelis Massijs, 1549 Samson carries the gates of the city of Gaza on his shoulders. In the background Gaza with the open city gate, Shutterstock

The Myth of Ancient Palestine

The idea of a “Palestinian people” goes back, at best, to the 1960s—when it became politically useful to cast them as a distinct, ancient nation. But history doesn’t bend for slogans. There was never a Palestinian state. No Palestinian currency. No Palestinian kings. The Ottomans ruled Gaza for 400 years. Before them, it was the Mamluks. And before them, a parade of empires. At no point was there a Palestinian ruler sitting on a throne in Gaza City.

The term “Palestine” itself comes from the Romans, who renamed Judea after crushing the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 135 CE. It was a slap in the face to the Jews, using the name of their enemies—the Philistines—to erase their legacy. But it was never an ethnic or national identity. It was a Roman province. Period.

Truth Matters—Even When It Hurts

This isn’t just about history books. This is about truth. The Palestinian claim to Gaza as some kind of ancestral homeland is based on myth, not fact. And when you build national identity on lies, you set yourself up for endless conflict. That’s exactly what we’re seeing today.

Israel left Gaza in 2005. Not because it had no historical claim—but in the hope of peace. What did it get in return? Rockets. Terror tunnels. A jihadist regime that’s more interested in martyrdom than medicine.

The truth is, Gaza could have been Singapore by now. But instead of investing in schools and jobs, Hamas built bunkers and brainwashed children. And the world just keeps rewarding the lies.

Peace doesn’t come from pretending. It comes from truth. From knowing who you are, and who you’re not. Gaza is many things—but “Palestinian from time immemorial” is not one of them.

The Jewish people have always been there. From Samson’s final breath to the last synagogue of Gaza City.

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