29 SEPTEMBER 1990, Page 33

Deep-rooted

Sir: Ruth Willers writes (Letters, 15 September), 'If Arab roots in the soil [of the West Bank] are old and deep, Jewish roots are some 3,000 years older and therefore that much deeper. According to the history books, there were no Arabs in the Land of Israel until the 7th century

AD. According to which 'history books', one wonders, do 'Jewish roots' in Palestine date back to the 24th century BC?

R. I. Winton

Department of History, University of Sheffield