The
Levant is an approximate geographical term referring to an area roughly bounded by the
Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the Zagros
? Mountains in the east. It generally does not include
Asia Minor, the Caucasus
? Mountains, or any part of the Arabian
? Peninsula. The term "Levant" is derived from the
Latin term
levare (to rise), from
levis ("light in weight"), and refers to the rising sun, which is the direction in which the region appears to lie from the perspective of Greek and Roman peoples. The term first began to appear in
English in the
16th century, and is typically only used in conjunction with prehistoric or early historical references (similar to
Mesopotamia, a territory the Levant includes).
See also:
Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon; History of Levant
What about its use to refer to Palestine when discussing the Crusades?
I didn't know about that. Feel free to add what you know. :) --Branden