Palaestina Prima

Quick Facts: Who was Palaestina Prima?

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Palaestina Prima

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A Byzantine province encompassing Judea, Samaria, and the coastal plain until the 7th century.

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Origins & Early Life

Palaestina Prima or Palaestina I was a Byzantine province that existed from the late 4th century until the Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 630s, in the region of Palestine. It included the historical regions of Judea, Samaria and the coastal plain. The province was temporarily lost to the Sassanid Empire (Persian Empire) in 614, but re-conquered in 628. The province of Palaestina Prima came into existence in the late 4th century through a series of reforms of the Roman provincial administration which subdivided many provinces into smaller administrative units. The intent of these reforms were to circumscribe the ability of provincial governors with strong garrisons to stage revolts and to improve efficiency by reducing the area controlled by each governor.

Career & Major Achievements

Provinces were clustered into regional groups called dioceses. Thus, the province of Syria Palaestina and neighboring regions were organized into the provinces Palaestina Prima, Palaestina Secunda, and Palaestina Tertia or Palaestina Salutaris (First, Second, and Third Palestine). Palaestina Prima with its capital in Caesarea Maritima encompassed the central parts of Palestine, including the coastal plain, Judea, and Samaria. Palaestina Secunda had its capital in Scythopolis and included northern Transjordan, the lower Jezreel Valley, the Galilee, and the Golan area. Palaestina Tertia with its capital in Petra included the Negev, southern Transjordan, and parts of the Sinai Peninsula.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

These provinces became part of the Dioceses Orientis, a diocese grouping the near eastern provinces. Despite Christian domination, until the 4th and 5th centuries Samaritans developed some autonomy in the hill country of Samaria, a move that gradually escalated into a series of open revolts. The four major Samaritan Revolts during that period caused a near extinction of the Samaritan community as well as significant Christian losses. In the late 6th century, Byzantines and their Christian Ghassanid allies took a clear upper hand in the struggle. In 602, the final war between the Byzantine Empire and its eastern rival the Sasanid Empire (Persian Empire) broke out.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Palaestina Prima

True or False: “The primary reason for the initial administrative reforms that created Palaestina Prima was to increase the power of local governors.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The reforms were intended to circumscribe the ability of provincial governors with strong garrisons to stage revolts and improve efficiency.

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