A history of colonial interference in Palestine and the East Mediterranean that constructs a valuable and original historical and cultural narrative
For thousands of years, Palestine and the Eastern Mediterranean have been subject to constant colonial interference, which has disenfranchised the indigenous population from their own history. Basem L. Ra'ad uncovers this history and begins the process of reconnecting it with its rightful owners.
Orientalist ideologies, colonial projects and Zionist cultural takeovers have contributed profoundly to the revisionism of Palestine's history. Drawing upon research in archaeology, linguistics and history, Ra'ad dispels many of the myths relating to religions, languages, peoples and sites. What emerges from this recovery is the presence of native people, a forgotten, submerged and subaltern, who stubbornly endure, from ancient Canaan to contemporary Palestine. Demanding that we 'unlearn' whitewashed, colonial histories, Hidden History is a process of recovery, de-colonization, revision and inclusivity.
About the Author
Basem L. Ra'ad is a Professor at Al-Quds University, Jerusalem. He is the author of Palestine and the Eastern Mediterranean (Pluto, 2010). He has been an editor and community organiser, and taught in various countries, including Canada, Bahrain and Lebanon.
What People Are Saying

Table of Contents
Figures
Preface
Introduction: Understanding the History of the Eastern Mediterranean
Part One: Ancient Myths, Religions, and Cultures
1. 'Canaan Nails': Idealised Perceptions and Their Uses
2. Origins of Monotheistic Religions
3. Sacred Sites, Pagan Roots
4. Ugaritic Revelations: What an Ancient City Tells Us
5. Wheels of Fortune: The Alphabet
Part Two: Modern Myths and (De)Colonised History
6. 'Last of the Phoenicians': Identity Questions
7. Appropriation: Zionist Cultural Takeover
8. Self-Colonisation: Its Symptoms and Outcomes
9. Cats of Jerusalem
10. Politics of Place Names
11. Epilogue: Retrieving the Ancient Subaltern
Notes
Index