600-700 CE
Shifting Powers in Israel : From Sasanian to Umayyad Rule
During this period, Israel witnessed rapid transitions of power—from Persian and Byzantine rulers to the rise of Muslim rule—while its synagogues and treasures reflected resilience and continuity.
Located between the Christian Byzantine Empire and the newly rising religion of Islam to the East, Jerusalem and its surroundings changed hands multiple times during the 7th Century. Civil wars and mutinies weakened the Byzantine hold over Israel, allowing the Sasanian or Persian Empire, the last great pre-Islamic Persian empire, to take advantage and annex the area. While temporarily retaken by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 629 CE, the Arab conquest of the Land followed four years after the death of Muhammad in 636 CE, lasting more than four centuries.
