Einabus

Einabus (Arabic: عينابوس) is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, located 12 kilometers (7 miles) south of Nablus and a part of the Nablus Governorate. Nearby towns include Huwara and Beita to the east and Jammain to the south.[2]

Einabus
Arabic transcription(s)
  Arabicعينابوس
  LatinAinabus (official)
'Aynabus (unofficial)
In the front, beneath the telephone cable, is mount 725, an illegal Israeli outpost of Yitzhar. Beneath it, crossed by the telephone cable, is Einabus. Covering most of the farther area is the municipality of Qabalan. Behind the right side of Qabalan is Talfit, and behind it is Qaryut. Behind the middle of Qabalan is Ahijah.
Einabus
Location of Einabus within Palestine
Coordinates: 32°08′48″N 35°14′42″E
Palestine grid173/172
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateNablus
Government
  TypeVillage council (from 1996)
  Head of MunicipalityNafez Rashdan
Area
  Total4,011 dunams (4.0 km2 or 1.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2007)
  Total2,340
  Density590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Name meaning"The spring of Abus"[1]

Location

‘Einabus is located 8.23 kilometers (5.11 mi) south of Nablus. It is bordered by Huwwara to the east, ‘Urif to the north, ‘Urif and Jamma'in to the west, and Jamma’in and Huwwara to the south.[3]

Archaeology

Tombs dug out of the rocks and ancient cisterns have been found here.[4]

History

Potsherds from Middle Bronze Age, LB/IA I, Iron Age II, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Crusader/Ayyubid era have been found.[5]

Settlement at Einabus' site dates back to the Jebusite era, however the village's inhabitants are descended Arab tribes that migrated to the area during the Rashidun rule of Palestine.[6] The village's old mosque was built during that time and is dedicated to Umar ibn al-Khattab. Until today, olives and figs remain primary sources of income for the residents of Einabus.[2]

The old mosque, Jama al-Arbain, was inspected in 1928 and 1942, and on a column was found inscribed the name Abdallah and the date 625 AH (=1227-1228 CE).[7]

Ottoman era

The village was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 with all of Palestine, and in 1596 it appeared in the tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Jabal Qubal, part of the Sanjak of Nablus. It had a population of 49 Muslim households. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 33.3% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olives, and goats or beehives; a total of 5,317 akçe.[8]

In 1838, Edward Robinson noted it on his travels as a village, named Ain Abus.[9] It was noted was a village in the Jurat Merda district, south of Nablus.[10]

In June, 1870, French explorer Victor Guérin found the village to have a spring (after which it was named), and having about 400 inhabitants. Below the village was a valley of olive trees.[11]

In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described the village (called Ain Abus) as "a small village conspicuous on a low spur of the mountain, with a spring to the west and olives to the south."[12]

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, 'Ainabus had a population of 227 inhabitants, all Muslims,[13] increasing slightly in the 1931 census to 244, still all Muslim, in a total of 62 houses.[14]

In the 1945 census, the population was 340, all Muslims,[15] with 4,011 dunams (991 acres; 4.011 km2) of land, according to an official land and population survey.[16] Of this, 539 dunams (133 acres; 0.539 km2) were for plantations or irrigated land, 2,107 for cereals,[17] while 29 dunams were built-up (urban) land.[18]

Jordanian era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Einabus came under Jordanian rule. It was annexed by Jordan in 1950.

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 524 inhabitants in Einabus.[19]

Post-1967

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Einabus has been under Israeli occupation.

After the 1995 accords, 85% of the village land was classified as Area B, the remaining 15% as Area C. Israel has confiscated 114 dunums of Ein Abus land for the construction of the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. Since Yitzhar was established, the villagers of Einabus have been the victims of several violent attacks from the Yitzhar settlers. The Israeli settlers have also stolen crops and damaged Palestinian homes.[20]

As of 2012, Israeli settlers have also taken over land in Area B, in "a combination of unbridled thievery by settlers and impotence on the part of the Israeli authorities."[21]

The village had a population of 1200 in 1987,[2] according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and of 2,340 in 2007.[22]

Infrastructure

There are two girls' secondary schools and one for boys. A charity center founded in 1984 contains a kindergarten and a training center for weaving and helps college-bound students that are financially unable to enter college to attend. In addition to the old mosque, Einabus has two modern mosques.[2]

Government

Einabus is governed by a village council of seven elected members including the chairman or mayor. In 2005, Nafez Rashdan was elected mayor of Einabus.[23]

References

  1. Palmer, 1881, p. 221
  2. About Einabus Einabus Village Council.
  3. Einabus Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 4
  4. Dauphin, 1998, p. 804
  5. Finkelstein et al., 1998, pp. 679-680
  6. Einabus Village Profile, ARIJ
  7. Sharon, 2004, p. 154
  8. Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 130
  9. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol. 2, p. 93
  10. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 127
  11. Guérin, 1875, p. 177
  12. Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 283
  13. Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 25
  14. Mills, 1931, p. 61
  15. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 18
  16. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 59
  17. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 106.
  18. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 156.
  19. Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 26
  20. Einabus Village Profile, ARIJ, pp. 15-16
  21. West Bank outposts spreading into Area B, in violation of Oslo Accords, By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz, Feb.18, 2012
  22. 2007 PCBS Census Archived December 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. p.110.
  23. Einabus Council Members Einabus Village Council.

Bibliography

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