Palestine

Palestine's pair holds two of the most contested pieces of ground in the world, and their claims are archaeological rather than rhetorical. Jericho's excavated tower and walls date to around 8000 BC, which makes it a candidate for the oldest walled settlement anywhere; Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity was built by Justinian on a fourth-century foundation and is among the oldest churches still in daily use. Both are entered on evidence that predates the argument about them.