Golan Heights - Etymology and Toponymy

Etymology and Toponymy

Arabic names are Jawlān and Djolan (Arabic: جولان‎). In the bible Golan is mentioned as a city of refuge located in Bashan: Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8, 1Chronicles 6:71. 19th century authors interpreted the word "Golan" (Hebrew: גולן‎) as meaning "something surrounded, hence a district". The Greek name for the region is Gaulanitis (Greek: Γαυλανῖτις). In the Mishna the name is Gablān similar to Aramaic language names for the region: Gawlāna, Guwlana and Gublānā.

Arab cartographers of the Byzantine period referred to the area as jabal (mountain), though the region is a plateau. The Muslims took over in 7th century CE. The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia refers to the region as Gaulonitis. The name Golan Heights was not used before the 19th century. The UN refers to the region as The Occupied Syrian Golan.