The British Museum recently addressed concerns over changes in its Middle East Galleries, where it incorporated terms such as ‘Canaan,’ a Biblical Hebrew name for the Southern Levant. This change follows accusations that the museum was attempting to erase Palestinian history from its exhibits.
The term Canaan historically refers to a region covering modern-day Palestine, Israel, Syria, and Jordan. It appeared around 1500 BCE, with the earliest settlers in Jericho, located in the present-day Occupied West Bank. The Old Testament also identifies Canaan as the land promised to the Jewish people.
A spokesperson for the museum, in communication with Hyperallergic, stated that some gallery labels were updated to reflect ancient cultural regions pertinent to the southern Levant during the late second millennium BC. Contrary to reports, the museum has not entirely removed ‘Palestine’ from its displays.
The British Museum clarified its continued use of ‘Palestine’ in various galleries, both modern and historical. The spokesperson emphasized the use of UN terminology for modern map boundaries, such as Gaza, West Bank, and Israel, and referenced ‘Palestinian’ as a cultural identifier where suitable.
Meanwhile, UK Lawyers for Israel applauded the changes, asserting they resulted from their input. The group previously requested the museum to detail the history of Canaan and the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. A panel in the museum’s Egypt galleries was reportedly altered to feature ‘Canaanite descent’ instead of ‘Palestinian descent.’
In response, the Palestine Forum in Britain publicly criticized the museum’s actions, urging the restoration of texts including Palestine and advocating for independent scholarship free from political bias. Over 13,000 people have signed a petition demanding the museum to revert the labels and maintain curatorial integrity.
