Iron Age The
Book of Joshua mentions
Maon,
Carmel,
Adora, and
Juttah among others as part of the tribal territory of the
Tribe of Judah. The modern Arabic names of
Ma'in,
al-Karmil,
Dura, and
Yatta respectively preserve the ancient names. As the Nabataeans pushed northwards, the
Edomites were driven out of old Edom to the south of the Dead Sea and into the southern Hebron Hills between the southern part of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, establishing new Edom or Idumaea.
Hellenistic period During the
Hellenistic period, the Edomites became the dominant population of the southern Hebron Hills. Under
Ptolemaic rule, the area became a separate administrative unit known as Idumea, named after its inhabitants.
Marisa became its administrative center, with Ziph and Adoraim being of secondary importance.
Roman period The region took part in the
Bar Kokhva revolt against the
Roman Empire (132-135 CE). The revolt left many settlements in the area destroyed or abandoned, and some of its residents migrated to the
Galilee. In his
Geography, written around 150 CE,
Claudius Ptolemy describes Idumea as a desolate area, in contrast to the relative density in the rest of the country north of Idumea to the Galilee. There is evidence that the region was also inhabited by
pagans and
Jewish Christians during that period. The Eshtemoa synagogue was excavated in the mid-1930s and was initially considered architecturally unique, being classified as 'transitional' between early and late synagogues. Later excavation of the Susiya synagogue revealed significant similarities between the two, leading scholars to categorize the synagogues of the area as a distinct architectural group. Between 1987 and 1990, excavations at the Maon and 'Anim synagogues revealed both similarities and differences compared to those in Eshtemoa and Susiya. It remains unclear whether local Jews had fled the area or had
converted to Islam. Some Palestinians residing in the Hebron Hills, most notably the
Makhamras of Yatta, view themselves as having Jewish ancestry.
Crusader period During the Crusades, at the time of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem, all the Hebron Hills fell under the dominion of the
seigneurie of
St. Abraham.
Ottoman period In the 16th century, Mount Hebron came under
Ottoman rule. Findings indicate that during the 17th and 18th centuries, Mount Hebron witnessed widespread violence, resulting in significant migrations and hegemony changes. Travelers' accounts from the late 17th to the early 19th century documented violence in the Hebron area, especially in its northern fringe, where conflicts between Hebron and
Bethlehem districts led to the destruction of many villages. Limited information on southern Mount Hebron suggests a common practice of spending part of the year in caves and underground caverns.''
1967 and after In recent times, several areas where traditional Palestinian herding communities live have been declared restricted military zones, forcing the displacement of many families. Several
Israeli settlements have been established over the terrain. The
Israeli military administration regards the area as a high priority for enforcing demolition orders regarding Palestinian dwellings. == Population ==