Gaza’s Jewish past – and why it changed

Gaza, often viewed today solely through the lens of its modern Palestinian identity, has a rich and complex Jewish history spanning thousands of years. Though now devoid of Jewish life, the city was once a significant center of Jewish thought, trade, and mysticism. From biblical narratives to the heights of Jewish scholarship in the Ottoman period, Jews lived, worked, and worshipped in Gaza for centuries. However, conquests, political shifts, and violence systematically erased this presence. Understanding how and why Gaza’s Jewish community disappeared requires revisiting its deep historical roots and the forces that reshaped its identity.

Biblical Gaza: Conflict, Strength, and Prophecy

Gaza’s earliest mention in Jewish history appears in the Hebrew Bible, where it is portrayed as a stronghold of the Philistines. One of the most famous biblical accounts of Gaza is the story of Samson, the mighty Israelite judge. According to Judges 16:1-3, Samson visited Gaza, where the Philistines plotted to ambush him. In an extraordinary feat of strength, he tore off the city gates and carried them to the top of a hill near Hebron. Later, after being captured and blinded, Samson was brought to the temple of Dagon in Gaza, where he famously collapsed the structure, killing himself and thousands of Philistines (Judges 16:21-30).

Other biblical references to Gaza frame it as a site of divine judgment. The Prophet Amos warns of retribution against the city: "Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom. So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds" (Amos 1:6-7).

Similarly, the Book of Zephaniah foretells Gaza’s desolation:"For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be uprooted" (Zephaniah 2:4).

Despite its Philistine control at various times, Gaza was still considered part of the Land of Israel in biblical tradition. It was explicitly allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:47), though Philistine dominance over the region meant that it was often contested, and, therefore, the Israelites and Philistines engaged in recurring battles over the centuries. King David first conquered the region, as the bible notes, though it later regained independence when the United Monarchy splintered. Later, King Hezekiah, in the late 8th century BCE, launched a successful military campaign against the Philistines and subdued the city of Gaza, known for its extensive trade ties to various Mediterranean empires, thereby extending Judahite control deep into the Philistine coastal territory (2 Kings 18:8).

These biblical and historical accounts underscore Gaza’s long and complex relationship with the Jewish people which was marked by conflict, conquest, and Jewish settlement that persisted in various forms for centuries.

Hellenistic and Roman Eras: Jewish Presence Amid Foreign Rule

Following Alexander the Great’s conquest (circa 332 BCE) as a result of a brutal multi-month siege on his way to Egypt, the Hellenistic period brought Greek influence to the area and the city of Gaza was organized into an important polis linking the Mediterranean world with Arabia and Egypt. During this period, Alexander repopulated the area with Bedouin and Nabatean communities. However, the relationship between Gaza’s Greek-influenced rulers and neighboring Jewish populations was often tense, as Hellenistic culture clashed with Jewish religious traditions leading to various armed conflicts.

By 96 BCE, with the people of Gaza siding in favor of Ptolemaic Egypt in a series of hostilities, the Jewish Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus destroyed the city, which had long been a Greek coastal stronghold. Jannaeus’ forces besieged Gaza, razed its buildings, and killed many of its inhabitants, including leading senators. Antipater, appointed governor of Idumea by Jannaeus, later resettled the Gaza area under Hasmonean control before the city was rebuilt by Pompey Magnus in 63 BCE, when he reorganized the region under direct Roman rule. By 30 BCE, the city was granted to Herod the Great, who governed it as part of his Judean kingdom under Roman oversight.

The Jewish presence in Roman Gaza is well-documented through archaeological artifacts and historical sources. Moreover, the city was governed by a diverse senate including Nabateans, Jews, Greeks, Romans, and others. Yet, the city was partially destroyed again during the First Jewish-Roman War in 66 CE. Still, it remained a formidable city in the Roman province, even more so once Jerusalem was destroyed, and continued to show evidence of a prosperous, multi-ethnic community life.

Byzantine and Early Islamic Periods: A Thriving Community Facing Decline

During the Byzantine era (3rd–7th centuries CE), Gaza became one of the most important Jewish as well as Christian centers in southern Palestine. With Jewish access to Jerusalem severely restricted by Christian Byzantine rulers, Jewish pilgrims sought alternative centers of worship, and Gaza’s synagogues became a prominent substitute pilgrimage site.

Evidence of this can be seen in the remains of a 6th-century synagogue in southern Gaza, which featured a mosaic portraying King David as Orpheus, a striking example of Jewish and Greco-Roman artistic integration. The imagery, while unique, was not unusual in the late Roman and Byzantine world, where Jewish art often incorporated Hellenistic influences.

Eventually, in 634 CE the Byzantine Empire’s position in the region was replaced with Islamic rule due to the Arab conquests. Amr ibn al-As captured Gaza reportedly in 638 CE and it was believed to be the site where Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf was buried. Therefore, the invading army did not destroy the city nor massacre its inhabitants, though its Byzantine garrison was killed. Christianity in Gaza lost its prominence with Islam being adopted by much of the population, and churches began being converted to mosques.

Despite periods of hardship, Jewish life in Gaza persisted and even thrived during the early Islamic period. The Cairo Geniza, a collection of medieval Jewish manuscripts found in Egypt, contains letters and documents revealing that a Jewish community existed in Gaza between the 7th and 11th centuries CE working heavily in wine production as a matter of fact, surprising for a Muslim majority area. These records show active correspondence between Gaza and Jewish leaders in Fustat (Old Cairo), discussing trade, religious matters, and legal disputes. However, under Islamic rule, Jews were designated as dhimmis, subject to special taxes (jizya) and restrictions on religious practices. Over time, economic pressures and occasional persecution caused a gradual decline in the Jewish population.

Later, the Crusader invasion of Gaza (1100–1101 CE) was part of the larger campaign to capture the Levant. When the Crusaders took the city, they found it mainly abandoned and later built a castle there for the Knights Templar and converted its Grand Mosque back to a church. The Crusaders turned Gaza into a military outpost, and there is no evidence of a significant Jewish presence during their rule. When the Ayyubids, led by Saladin, took over Gaza in 1187, some Jewish families may have returned, but there is little historical documentation of a fully organized community at this time.

Under the Mamluks (13th–16th centuries CE), Gaza was revitalized as a key commercial center, and they welcomed Jewish presence back into the area. European travelers in the 14th and 15th centuries mention Jewish residents engaged in trade and wine production in Gaza. They even mention the presence of a small synagogue and that while the community was small, they were prosperous. Eventually, because of the tolerant Mamluk rule, they became the third biggest community in the land of Palestine.

The Ottoman Era: A Resurgence of Jewish Life

During the Ottoman period (1517–1917), Jewish life in Gaza experienced a revival, fluctuating in size over the centuries, though it remained relatively small compared to other Jewish centers in Palestine. Ottoman tax records from the early 16th century indicate that approximately 95 Jewish families lived in the city, engaging primarily in trade and winemaking. The Jewish community had its own quarter and was part of the diverse population that included Muslims, Christians, and Samaritans.

One of the most influential Jewish figures in Gaza during this period was Rabbi Israel Najara (1555–1625), a renowned poet, Kabbalist, and Chief Rabbi of Gaza. Najara’s mystical poetry, including the famous liturgical hymn Yah Ribon Olam, became widely influential among Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities. He was buried in Gaza, and for centuries, his grave was visited by Jewish pilgrims.

Furthermore, in the 17th century, Gaza became a major center of Jewish mysticism due to the rise of Nathan of Gaza, a prominent disciple of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi. Nathan spread Zevi’s messianic teachings throughout the Ottoman Empire, attracting thousands of followers and making Gaza a focal point of the movement. However, after Zevi’s shocking conversion to Islam in 1666, the movement collapsed, and Jewish influence in Gaza waned. Nathan himself remained in Gaza, continuing his mystical studies until his death.

One of the most notable Jewish figures associated with Gaza was Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira, a prominent scholar and Kabbalist from the famed Abuhatzeira family, known for its deep rabbinic and mystical traditions in North Africa and the Land of Israel. Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira settled in Gaza in the late 19th century and was well-respected among both Jewish and Muslim leaders in the region. As a matter of fact, even some of the family that settled in Gaza eventually converted to Islam, and, therefore, there now exists an ‘Abu Sira’ family in Gaza, which is of direct descent to Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeria. His more famous descendant, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira (Baba Sali, 1889–1984), was not directly connected to Gaza, as he primarily lived in Morocco and later in Israel. However, the Abuhatzeira family’s influence on Jewish spirituality extended across North Africa and the Levant, and their connection to Jewish mysticism reflected the broader Kabbalistic traditions that once thrived in Gaza.

The 20th Century: Expulsions and Erasure

By the early 20th century, Gaza’s Jewish population had dwindled significantly, with only a small community remaining. Economic hardships, rising Arab nationalism, and increasing tensions between Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine made it difficult for the community to thrive. In 1929, the Palestine riots erupted across the region, fueled by incitement against Jews. The Jews of Gaza were evacuated and the Jewish quarter in Gaza was destroyed by Arab mobs. Although a few Jews returned in the 1930s, the community never fully recovered. By 1945, only about 80 Jews remained in the city, according to British Mandate records.

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egyptian forces captured Gaza and expelled the last Jewish residents, ending over 2,000 years of continuous Jewish presence in the city. The new Egyptian administration restricted Jewish access to the area, and Gaza’s ancient Jewish sites were either abandoned or repurposed. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the Gaza Strip, leading to the establishment of new Israeli settlements, including Kfar Darom, Netzarim, and Gush Katif. In 2005, under Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan, all Jewish communities in Gaza were dismantled, marking the first time in over 2,500 years that no Jewish presence remained in the region.

Conclusion: A Forgotten Legacy

Today, Gaza is internationally recognized as a Palestinian city, with little acknowledgment of its Jewish past. Jewish landmarks, including synagogues and cemeteries, have been either destroyed or repurposed. The erasure of a famous menorah with the inscription ‘Hannaniah Ben Yaakov’ engraved on a pillar in the Great Mosque of Gaza serves as a stark reminder of the broader effort to eliminate traces of Gaza’s Jewish heritage.

Yet, history cannot be fully erased. The biblical stories of Samson, the prophetic warnings of Amos and Zephaniah, the Roman and Byzantine Jewish communities, and the Kabbalists of the Ottoman era all testify to the deep Jewish connection to Gaza. This history, once vibrant, has been systematically erased - but it remains an integral part of the Jewish past. The question remains: Will Gaza’s Jewish history ever be acknowledged again?

Article Written by Jordan Kastrinsky (@jnkast)

Managing Partner - Global Upscale

Arabic Specialist - Arab Anthropology