Palestine Association

The Palestine Association, formerly the Syrian Society, was formed in 1805 by William Richard Hamilton to promote the study of the geography, natural history, antiquities and anthropology of Palestine and the surrounding areas, "with a view to the illustration of the Holy Writings.

The society appears to have been active for only the first five years of its existence. Scholars have suggested that the founding was ahead of its time, given that the country was at the early stages of opening to world influence,^[1] and that the timing was inopportune in the midst of the ongoing Napoleonic Wars.^[2] Scholarly work in the region began in earnest around the time of the Oriental Crisis of 1840, with the travels of Edward Robinson, the appointment of the first British consul to Jerusalem and the establishment of the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem.^[3] In 1834, the Palestine Association was formally disbanded and incorporated into the Royal Geographical Society.^[4]^[5]

The Palestine Association was the forerunner of the Palestine Exploration Fund, established 60 years later, in 1865.^[5]

^ Kark, p.272: "The timing appears to have been premature for a systematic field study of scriptural geography, with no organisational or institutional support in position on the ground."
^ Kark, p.272: "The failure of the PA is even more conspicuous when compared to the AA... There was also a difference in the period in which the two organisations were established and initially operated. Between 1802 and 1810, the years of the Napoleonic wars in Europe, there had also been a significant setback in the recruiting of the AA... The vagaries of war may have made such intellectual pursuits as meetings of a new and small scientific society seem trivial."
^ Kark, p.272: "This would wait forabout another 30 years to find its real beginning with the studies of the American biblical scholar Edward Robinson, and more active British political and religious involvement in Palestine marked by the opening the first British consulate in Jerusalem in 1838, and the establishment of the British–Prussian Protestant Bishopric there in 1840."
^ W. R. Hamilton (1834). "[disbandment meetings]". Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. 4: i–ii.
^ ^a ^b Ruth Kark & Haim Goren (2011). "Pioneering British exploration and scriptural geography: The Syrian Society/The Palestine Association". The Geographical Journal. 177 (3): 264–274. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4959.2011.00404.x.

[1] Kark, p.272: "The timing appears to have been premature for a systematic field study of scriptural geography, with no organisational or institutional support in position on the ground."

[2] Kark, p.272: "The failure of the PA is even more conspicuous when compared to the AA... There was also a difference in the period in which the two organisations were established and initially operated. Between 1802 and 1810, the years of the Napoleonic wars in Europe, there had also been a significant setback in the recruiting of the AA... The vagaries of war may have made such intellectual pursuits as meetings of a new and small scientific society seem trivial."

[3] Kark, p.272: "This would wait forabout another 30 years to find its real beginning with the studies of the American biblical scholar Edward Robinson, and more active British political and religious involvement in Palestine marked by the opening the first British consulate in Jerusalem in 1838, and the establishment of the British–Prussian Protestant Bishopric there in 1840."

[4] W. R. Hamilton (1834). "[disbandment meetings]". Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. 4: i–ii.

[Kark+Goren-5] Ruth Kark & Haim Goren (2011). "Pioneering British exploration and scriptural geography: The Syrian Society/The Palestine Association". The Geographical Journal. 177 (3): 264–274. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4959.2011.00404.x.

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