I can see why Fox prefers the name ISIS because ISIL is more precise and informative. Today, Levant is typically used by archaeologists and historians with reference to the prehistory and the ancient and medieval history of the region, as when discussing the Crusades. The term is also occasionally employed to refer to modern events, peoples, states or parts of states in the same region, namely Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria (compare with Near East, Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia). Several researchers include the island of Cyprus in Levantine studies, including the Council for British Research in the Levant,[9] the UCLA Near Eastern Languages and Cultures department,[10] Journal of Levantine Studies[11] and the UCL Institute of Archaeology,[4] the last of which has dated the connection between Cyprus and mainland Levant to the early Iron Age. Archaeologists seeking a neutral orientation that is neither biblical nor national have used terms such as Syro-Palestinian archaeology and archaeology of the southern Levant.[12][13] While the usage of the term Levant in academia has been relegated to the fields of archeology and literature, there is a recent attempt to reclaim the notion of the Levant as a category of analysis in political and social sciences. Two academic journals were recently launched: Journal of Levantine Studies, published by The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute and The Levantine Review, published by Boston College. People, religion and culture The populations of the Levant[14][15][16][17] share not only the geographic position, but cuisine, some customs, and a very long history. The largest religious group in the Levant are the Muslims and the largest cultural-linguistic group are primarily Arab due to Arabization of the region over the centuries, but there are also many other groups. The majority of Levantines are Sunni or Shia Muslim. There are also Yazidi Kurds, Alawites, Twelvers, Nizari, Druze and Ismailis. Until the establishment of Israel in 1948, Jews lived throughout the southern Levant alongside Muslims and Christians; since then, excepting those living in Israel, or the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), only a few hundred remain. There are many Levantine Christian groups such as Greek and Oriental Orthodox, Maronite, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. Armenians mostly belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. There are Levantines or Franco-Levantines who are mostly Roman Catholic. There are also Circassians, Turks, Samaritans, and Nawars. There are Assyrian peoples belonging to the Assyrian Church of the East (autonomous) and the Chaldean Catholic Church (Catholic). Language Most Levantine populations speak Levantine Arabic, also known as Mediterranean Arabic (شامي). In Israel, the primary language is Hebrew. In Cyprus, the primary languages are Greek and Turkish, although a dialect of Levantine Arabic, Cypriot Maronite Arabic, is the most-spoken minority language. Some communities and populations speak Greek, Armenian, Circassian, French, English or other languages in addition to Levantine Arabic. Dance Palestinian Dabke folk dance being performed by men. A dance native to the Levant is known as the Dabke, a folk dance of possible Canaanite[18] or Phoenician[19] origin. It is marked by synchronized jumping, stamping, and movement, similar to tap dancing. One version is performed by men, another by women. See also Overlapping regional designations Fertile Crescent Mashriq Mesopotamia Near East and Middle East Western Asia Sub-regional designations Southern Levant and History of the Southern Levant Other French post offices in the Ottoman Empire (Levant stamps) History of the Levant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Referred to in current events as ISIL or ISIS) Levantines (Latin Christians), Catholic Europeans in the Levant Levantine Sea
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 03:27:35 +0000
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