Israel and Palestine
In reading Ezra in the Kretzmann Commentary, I see in the introduction the sentence ". . . God's promise to bring His people back to Palestine." The Bible reading refers to the exiles returning to Jerusalem in Judea. Going back further to their entrance into the Land of Canaan, is Canaan considered a part/state/section of Palestine? Some maps show Palestine and others do not. Very confusing.
It can get confusing, but those names, by and large, are pointing to the same territory. “Canaan” is an early name for that territory, describing where the Canaanites lived. This was the promised land for Israel.
“Judea” references the southern part of the land of Israel—the area in which Jerusalem is located.
“Palestine” is a later word that approximates the area known as Canaan or Israel. It is a word that is associated with “Philistia.” Philistia originally referred to the coastal area region, but then it was broadened to include what we know as Israel.
So, is Canaan a part/state/section of Palestine? The two names are years removed from one another, but they largely reference the same territory. I hope this helps.