从古典雅典文明的鼎盛时期公元前500年前后，直到拜占庭时期结束以及穆斯林军队于公元637至638年占领巴勒斯坦为止，"巴勒斯坦"这一名称在古典时代和古代晚期的约1200多年间，被最普遍、一贯且持续地使用。

Palestine was the name used most commonly, consistently and continuously for over 1200 years throughout classical and Late Antiquity, from the highlight of classical Athenian civilisation in 500 BC until the end of the Byzantine period and the occupation of Palestine by the Muslim armies in 637‒638 AD.

用模糊且不精确的名称“迦南”取代在一千多年的古典时期中使用的真实的历史官方地名“巴勒斯坦”（Palaestina），无异于抹去该地区的历史，并将严重妨碍人们理解古典时代与晚期古代。以“迦南”（仅在青铜时代晚期的有限时期内为人所知）取代“巴勒斯坦”，还将使人无法真正了解该地区古代史中最重要的时期之一，即早期基督教与拜占庭时期的巴勒斯坦。讲希腊语的拜占庭基督教在巴勒斯坦始于罗马皇帝君士坦丁大帝（公元306–337年）在位期间，一直延续到公元637–638年穆斯林统治巴勒斯坦之初。

To substitute the vague and imprecise term Cana’an for the real historical and official toponym Palaestina used during a classical period lasting over a millennium would be tantamount to the elimination of the history of this region and would create major obstacles to an understanding of Classical and Late Antiquity. The substitution of the term Cana’an (known only for a limited period during the Late Bronze Age) for Palaestina would also eliminate the possibility of any real historical knowledge of one of the most important periods in the ancient history of the region, namely early Christianity and Byzantine Palestine. Greek-speaking Byzantine Christianity in Palestine began in the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (306–337 AD) and lasted until the beginning of Muslim rule in Palestine in 637‒638 AD.