Turawan Bizantine Kiristoci sun canza birnin Falasdinu ta fuskar zamantakewa, addini, tattalin arziki da gine-gine, kuma wannan zamani daga karni na 4 zuwa farkon karni na 7 ya nuna muhimmancin Kiristanci a tarihin Falasdinu. Yaduwar sabon addinin cikin sauri zuwa dukkan kasashen da ke makwabtaka da Falasdinu ya sa wannan zamani ya zama mai muhimmanci saboda wani dalili na daban:

The Christian Byzantines transformed urban Palestine socially, religiously, economically and architecturally, and this particular period from the 4th to the early 7th century underscored the centrality of Christianity in Palestinian history. The fast spread of the new religion to all countries bordering Palestine made this period important for an additional reason:

Ya kasance cibiyar wata addini mai ƙarfi, mai yarda da kai kuma mai ƙaruwa, wadda aka haifa a cikin ƙasar, kuma ta ci gaba da ɗaukar Falasɗinu a matsayin cibiyarta ta ruhaniya ko bayan da aka kafa Cocin Katolika a babban birnin Daular Rum.

it was the centre of a strong, confident and growing religion which was born in the country, and continued to consider Palestine as its spiritual centre even after placing the Catholic Church in the capital city of the Roman Empire.

Har yanzu ana iya ganin ragowar daukakar gine-gine ta birane a Falasdinu karkashin Byzantine. Falasdinu ta zamanin Byzantine ta kuma haifi Julian na Ascalon, dan asalin birnin bakin teku na Falasdinu na da, wanda ya zama sanannen injiniyan gine-gine na Falasdinu, kuma aikinsa kan batutuwan ci gaba da tsare-tsare na muhallin da aka gina, da kan dokokin gini da zane a Falasdinu a karni na 6, ya yi tasiri a kan tsara birnin Istanbul, kuma ya dore fiye da shekaru 1400; aikinsa na iya dacewa har yanzu da tsara birane na muhalli a zamani (Hakim 2001).

The remnants of the architectural splendour of urban Palestine under the Byzantines can still be seen today. Byzantine Palestine also gave birth to Julian of Ascalon, a native of the ancient Palestinian coastal city, who became a renowned Palestinian architect and whose work on the growth and planning issues of the built environment and on construction and design rules in 6th century Palestine influenced Istanbul’s urban planning and endured for more than 1400 years; his work can still be relevant to modern environmental urban planning (Hakim 2001).

Bayan da Romawa Kiristocin Byzantine suka maye gurbin Romawa, Palaestina da manyan biranenta – Caesarea-Palaestina, Urushalima, Gaza, Neapolis (Nablus), Scythopolis (Beisan), Tiberias da Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) – sun sami mafi girman ci gaba da wadata a zamanin da. A duk tsawon zamanin farkon Kiristanci da na Byzantine, daga karni na 4 zuwa na 7 miladiyya, Palaestina ta ci gaba da zama sunan da ya fi mamaya kuma ana amfani da shi a ko'ina ga wannan yanki. Kiristocin Byzantine sun raba tsoffin lardunan Romawa na ‘Syria Palaestina’, kuma sun sake tsara yankunan gudanarwa na kasar. An sake tsara Palaestina zuwa rabe-raben guda uku. Yaduwar Kiristanci mai harshen Girkanci da Aramaic a Gabashin Bahar Rum, Gabas ta Tsakiya da Lardin Arabia na Romawa,1 da kuma kafa babbar Falasdinu a karni na 4 miladiyya, sun kara fadada ra'ayin farko na Romawa game da Falasdinu da sunan da marubuta na Girka na zamanin da, kamar Herodotus, suka yi amfani da shi tun tsakiyar karni na 5 kafin haihuwar Annabi Isa. Wannan babbar Falasdinu ta kunshi Palaestina Prima (a tsakiyar kasar), Palaestina Secunda (yawancin Galili) da Palaestina Salutaris (a kudu da kudu maso gabas).

After the Christian Byzantines replaced the Romans, Palaestina and its major cities – Caesarea-Palaestina, Jerusalem, Gaza, Neapolis (Nablus), Scythopolis (Beisan), Tiberias and Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) – experienced their greatest growth and prosperity in Antiquity. Throughout the early Christian and Byzantine period, the 4th to the 7th centuries AD, Palaestina remained the dominant and universally applied name for this region. The former Roman provinces of ‘Syria Palaestina’ were split by the Christian Byzantines, who also redrew the administrative regions of the country. Palaestina was reorganised into three subdivisions. The spread of Greek- and Aramaic-speaking Christianity in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East and Roman Provincia Arabia1 and the creation of greater Palestine in the 4th century AD further expanded the early Roman concept of Palestine and the designation employed by classical Greek writers such as Herodotus from the mid-5th century BC onwards. This greater Palestine consisted of Palaestina Prima (in the centre of the country), Palaestina Secunda (much of the Galilee) and Palaestina Salutaris (in the south and south-east).

Masarautar Kiristocin Bizantiyawa ta kawo babban sauyi a tsarin Falasdinu. Bizantium kanta (wacce aka sake sunanta Constantinople, daga baya kuma Istanbul)

The Christian Byzantines came up with a major reconfiguration of Palestine. Byzantium itself (renamed Constantinople and later Istanbul)

ya fito fili a lokacin da ya zama wurin zaman sarki a karni na 4, kuma Daular Roma ta Gabas mai magana da Helenanci ta fara zama sananne da Daular Byzantine bayan shekara ta 476 miladiyya. Kirkirar babbar Falasdinu da sake tsara gudanarwar Falasdinu da aka fadada a hukumance da Daular Roma ta Gabas kusan shekarar 284–305 miladiyya sun haifar da lardunan 'Falasdinu Uku' wadanda harshen da ake amfani da shi a tsakanin mutane daban-daban shi ne Helenanci. Wadannan lardunan gudanarwa guda uku na Falasdinu sun dore daga karni na 4 zuwa farkon karni na 7.

came to the fore upon becoming the imperial residence in the 4th century and the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire came to be known as the Byzantine Empire after 476 AD. The creation of greater Palestine and the official administrative reorganisation of expanded Palestine by the Eastern Roman Empire around 284–305 AD produced ‘Three Palestine’ provinces whose lingua franca was Greek. These three administrative provinces of Palestine lasted from the 4th to the early 7th centuries:

• Palaestina Prima (wanda ya haɗa Filistiya, Yahudiya da Samariya), yana miƙewa daga Rafah a kudu zuwa mashigin Haifa a arewa, tare da Caesarea-Palaestina a matsayin babban birninsa. A shekara ta 630 zuwa 640 AD, lokacin da rundunonin Musulmi Larabawa suka karɓi ikon Falasdinu, sun fara ajiye Caesarea a matsayin babban birnin lardin Jund Filastin (cibiyar gudanarwa ta hukuma ta Falasdinu).

• Palaestina Prima (combining Philistia, Judaea and Samaria), extending from Rafah in the south to the bay of Haifa in the north, with Caesarea- Palaestina for its capital. In the 630s AD when the Arab Muslim armies took control of Palestine they initially kept Caesarea as the capital of the province of Jund Filastin (the official administrative centre of Palestine).

An ƙaura babban birnin zuwa Lydda na ɗan lokaci, wanda shi ma babban birnin wucin gadi ne na Sulaiman ɗan ‘Abd al-Malik, gwamnan Umayyawa na Filastin (wali Filastin, ‘ والي فلسطين ’ ), har sai da ya gina sabon birnin al-Ramla. Bayan ya zama Khalifa a shekarar 715‒717, Sulaiman ɗan ‘Abd al-Malik ya mayar da babban birnin Filastin zuwa al-Ramla har abada.

The capital was temporarily moved to Lydda, which was also the temporary capital of Suleiman ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad Governor of Filastin (wali Filastin, ‘ والي فلسطين ’ ), until he built the new city of al-Ramla. Becoming Caliph in 715‒717, Suleiman ibn ‘Abd al-Malik permanently transferred the capital of Filastin to al-Ramla.

Ar-Ramla, wadda take kimanin kilomita 20 a kudu-maso-gabas da Yafa, tana da matsayi mai muhimmanci a kan babbar hanyar al-Sham–al-Fustat, wato Dimashƙu–Tsohon Alƙahira, inda na ƙarshen ta kasance babban birnin Masar na farko a ƙarƙashin mulkin Musulunci. Ar-Ramla ta ci gaba da zama babban birnin gudanarwa na lardin Larabawa Musulmi na Jund Filastin, kuma cibiyar tattalin arziki ta ƙasar, sama da shekaru ɗari uku da rabi, har zuwa ƙarshen karni na 11.

Al-Ramla, approximately 20 kilometres south-east of Jaffa, was located strategically on the highway of al-Sham-al-Fustat, Damascus‒old Cairo, the latter being the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule. Al-Ramla remained the administrative capital of the Arab Muslim province of Jund Filastin and an economic hub for the country for over three and a half centuries until the late 11th century.

• Palaestina Secunda (ta hada da mafi yawan yankin Galilee da tuddan Golan, wasu sassan Peraea2, da wasu daga cikin garuruwan Roman Decapolis na tsohon Gabashin Palestine3), tare da Scythopolis (Beisan) a matsayin babban birninta.

• Palaestina Secunda (including most of the Galilee and the Golan Heights, parts of Peraea2 and some of the cities of the former Roman Decapolis of Eastern Palestine3), with Scythopolis (Beisan) for its capital.

• Palaestina Salutaris (wanda aka ƙirƙira a ƙarni na 4 kuma daga baya aka fi sani da Palaestina Tertia) ya ƙunshi tsohon lardin Romawa na Provincia Arabia (Ward 2008), Idumaea, Naqab/Negev, wasu sassan Sinai, kudu-maso-yammacin Transjordan, kudancin Tekun Matattu da Arabia Petraea, 4 wanda babban birninsa na Nabataea a farkon karni na 2 miladiyya shi ne Petra. An raba shi daga Arabia Petraea a karni na 6 miladiyya (Shahin 2005: 8). Petra ta zama babban birnin Palaestina Salutaris. Abin sha'awa shi ne, sunan "Palestine Uku" (Prima, Secunda da Tertia) an yi shi ne bisa wakilcin gargajiya na Girka da Kiristanci na farko na "Uku a Ɗaya". Shahararren misalin wannan ra'ayin Girka-Byzantine shi ne ka'idar tauhidi ta Triniti, wadda aka tabbatar aka kuma rubuta a Majalisar Nicaea a shekara ta 325 miladiyya. Abin lura shi ne, ba a tsara "Palestine Uku" a matsayin lardunan da suka rabu gaba ɗaya ba. A siyasance, a soji, a al'adance da kuma a cikin coci, an tsara su, aka ci gaba da gudanar da su aka kuma kare su a matsayin lardunan "Uku a Ɗaya" na Palaestina. "Palestine Uku" suna da alaƙa sosai ta fuskoki huɗu daban-daban:

• Palaestina Salutaris (created in the 4th century and later became known also as Palaestina Tertia) included the former Roman Provincia Arabia (Ward 2008), Idumaea, the Naqab/Negev, parts of Sinai, south-west of Transjordan, south of the Dead Sea and Arabia Petraea,4 whose Nabataean capital at the beginning of the 2nd century AD was Petra. It was split from Arabia Petraea in the 6th century AD (Shahin 2005: 8). Petra became the capital of Palaestina Salutaris Interestingly, the naming of the ‘Three Palestines’ (Prima, Secunda and Tertia) was inspired by classical and early Christian representation of ‘Three in One’. The most famous analogy of this Greco-Byzantine concept was the theological idea of Trinity which was settled and codified at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Crucially the ‘Three Palestines’ were not conceived as totally separate provinces. Politically, militarily, culturally and ecclesiastically they were conceived and evolved, managed and defended as ‘Three in One’ provinces of Palaestina. The ‘Three Palestines’ were closely linked in four different areas:

1. Ta fuskar siyasa, soja da kuma ta coci, Palaestina Prima ce ke mamaye su. Babban birnin Falasdinu ta Byzantine da na Palaestina Prima shi ne Caesarea-Palaestina, ‘Kaisariya ta Falasdinu’ (von Suchem 1971: 7, 111; 2013; Gilman et al. 1905). Haka kuma ana kiran wannan birni da ‘Kaisariya a Bakin Teku’, ko Caesarea Maritima. Tun bayan kafuwar Isra'ila a 1948, masana tarihi a Yamma sun kan guji ambaton sunan tarihin birnin Falasdinu, Caesarea-Palaestina, suna amfani da sunan Caesarea Maritima kawai. Amma, kamar yadda za mu gani a ƙasa, tunanin al'umma game da Caesarea-Palaestina ya tsira a cikin bayanan coci, kuma ta hannun cocin Katolika da na Orthodox na Falasdinawa.

1. Politically, militarily and ecclesiastically they were dominated by Palaestina Prima. The capital of Byzantine Palestine and of Palaestina Prima was Caesarea-Palaestina, ‘Caesarea of Palestine’ (von Suchem 1971: 7, 111; 2013; Gilman et al. 1905). This city was also called ‘Caesarea by the Sea’, or Caesarea Maritima. Since the creation of Israel in 1948 historians in the West have tended to avoid referring to the historic name of the Palestinian city, Caesarea-Palaestina, and use only the name Caesarea Maritima. But, as we shall see below, the social memory of Caesarea-Palaestina has been preserved in ecclesiastical records and by both the Catholic and Palestinian Orthodox churches.

2. Ta fuskar al'adu, sun shiga ƙarƙashin tasirin manyan cibiyoyin al'adu guda biyu a Falasdinu da Gabashin Bahar Rum: Caesarea-Palaestina5 (ko Caesarea Maritima) da Gaza, waɗanda dukansu suna cikin Palaestina Prima.

2. Culturally, they came under the influence of the two most important cultural centres in Palestine and the Eastern Mediterranean: Caesarea- Palaestina5 (or Caesarea Maritima) and Gaza, which were both also located in Palaestina Prima.

3. Ta fuskar soja da dabarun yaki, an jagorance su ne ta hannun Dux Palaestinae, wato 'kwamandan sojan Falasdinu', wanda hedkwatarsa take a Caesarea-Palaestina kuma yana jagorantar dukkan Falasdinu.

3. Militarily and strategically they were commanded by Dux Palaestinae, the ‘military commander of Palestine’, whose headquarters were in Caesarea-Palaestina and who commanded all Palestine.

4. A fannin addini, tun tsakiyar karni na 5 zuwa gaba, an haɗa "Falasɗinu Uku" ƙarƙashin wata Patriarchate guda ɗaya mai zaman kanta ta dukan Falasɗinu a Aelia Capitolina (Urushalima), mai ikon addini da aka amince da shi a hukumance bisa "Falasɗinu Uku".

4. Ecclesiastically, from the mid-5th century onwards the ‘Three Palestines’ were united under one single independent all-Palestine Patriarchate of Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem) with officially recognised religious jurisdiction over the ‘Three Palestines’.

Daga cikin larduna uku na ƙasar, Palaestina Prima ita ce mafi girma, mafi ƙarfi a fannin tattalin arziki, kuma mafi ci gaba a fannin al'adu. Bishop-bishoppinta na Aelia Capitolina da Caesarea-Palaestina ne suka mamaye Cocin All Palaestina mai cin gashin kansa (autocephalous ko 'mai kai da kansa'). Notitia Dignitatum ('Jerin Mukamai') wata takarda ce ta musamman ta ofishin sarauta tun farkon karni na 5, wadda ke bayyana tsarin mulkin gudanarwa na Daular Byzantine.

Of the three provinces of the country Palaestina Prima was the largest, most powerful economically and most developed culturally. Its bishops of Aelia Capitolina and Caesarea-Palaestina dominated the independent (autocephalous or ‘self-headed’) All Palaestina Church. The Notitia Dignitatum (‘the List of Offices’) is a unique early 5th century imperial chancery document that details the administrative organisation of the Byzantine Empire.

Yana nuna cewa Palaestina Secunda da Palaestina Salutaris suna karkashin mulkin wani praeses,6 yayin da Palaestina Prima kuwa wani gwamna ne ke jagorancinta wanda ke da babban matsayin proconsul (Ward 2008: 89‒90). Kada a rude wannan da Dux Palaestinae, ‘kwamandan sojojin Palestine’, wanda yake zaune a Caesarea-Palaestina kuma yana jagorantar sojojin tsaron ‘Palestine Uku’ a karni na 5 da na 6 (Shahid 1995: 192‒193; Röhricht 1890: 7).7

It notes that Palaestina Secunda and Palaestina Salutaris were administered by a praeses,6 while Palaestina Prima was presided over by a governor who bore the high rank of proconsul (Ward 2008: 89‒90). This should not be confounded with the Dux Palaestinae, the ‘military commander of Palestine’, who was based in Caesarea-Palaestina and commanded the garrison of the ‘Three Palestines’ in the 5th and 6th centuries (Shahid 1995: 192‒193; Röhricht 1890: 7).7

Palaestina Prima ya ci gaba da wanzuwa daga shekara ta 390 miladiyya har zuwa farkon karni na 7. A shekara ta 614, Sassanawan Farisa suka ci Palaestina Prima da Palaestina Secunda. Daular Bizantine ta rasa ikon lardunan Falasdinu uku a karo na biyu, kuma ba ta sake dawo da su ba, a cikin shekarun 636‒638 miladiyya, yayin fadada musulunci zuwa Bilad al-Sham da Falasdinu. Tsarin birane na Falasdinu da Bilad al-Sham bai lalace sosai ba sakamakon mamayar Sassanawa da ta musulunci (Walmsley 2000: 273), kuma tsakiyar babbar Falasdinu, ko Provincia Palaestina, a karkashin Bizantine – wadda ta hada Palaestina Prima da Palaestina Tertia (Salutaris) – ta zama sananne da lardin Jund Filastin a karkashin musulunci.

Palaestina Prima lasted from 390 AD until the early 7th century. In 614, both Palaestina Prima and Palaestina Secunda were conquered by the Persian Sassanids. The Byzantines lost control of the three Palestine provinces again and irreversibly in 636‒638 AD in the course of the Muslim conquest of Bilad al-Sham and Palestine. The urban structure of Palestine and Bilad al-Sham remained largely unscathed by the Sassanid and Islamic conquests (Walmsley 2000: 273) and the core of greater Palestine, or Provincia Palaestina, under the Byzantines – which combined Palaestina Prima and Palaestina Tertia (Salutaris) – became known as the province of Jund Filastin under Islam.