Aboud
Encyclopedia
Aboud or 'Abud is a Palestinian
village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate
in the central West Bank
, Occupied Palestinian territories, about 22 kilometers northwest of Ramallah
and 30 kilometers north of Jerusalem. Other nearby towns include al-Lubban
to the northeast and Bani Zeid
to the northwest. Aboud's population is mostly Christian
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
, the village had a population of approximately 2,084 inhabitants in 2007. Near the village are a large number of natural springs which are sources
for the Yarkon River.
noted Aboud was a "small town in Filastin Province
, near Jerusalem. The name is Hebrew
, and [has] become Arabicized." Arab
historian al-Maqrizi
mentioned it in the 14th century. Later it appeared in Ottoman dafters as belonging to the nahiya ("sub-district") of Ramla
, part of the Sanjak of Gaza. In 1596 it had a population of 19 Christian households and 16 Muslim households, and paid taxes on wheat, barley, and other produce. It was later a part of the Bani Zeid
administrative region, still under the Ottomans.
During the 1870s, the village was described as "a large and nourishing Christian village, of stone, the houses nearly all marked with the Cross in red paint," with a population of 400 Orthodox Christians and 100 Muslims. At the time of the 1931 census
, Aboud had 215 occupied houses and a population of 470 Christians and 440 Muslims.
. Located on a hill due west of the village, the Church of Saint Barbara was erected in the Byzantine Period. Archaeologists trace its history back to 6th century CE. By the church, ancient catacombs
have been uncovered whose dating
is uncertain. One of the burial caves is especially grandiose, with a door post decorated with carvings of wreaths, grape vines and grape clusters standing at its entrance. Locals consider it to be the oldest and most sacred of Aboud's churches. Palestinian Christian
s visit the church annually on 17 December to celebrate the festival of St. Barbara's
Day. On 31 May 2002, the church was blown up by the Israeli army. The Israeli military claimed they were unaware of the church's significance and demolished it by mistake.
Al-Abudiyah Church, also known as Saint Mary's Church, lies in the center of Aboud and was presumably founded during the Crusader
period of rule in Palestine
with the name Casal Santa Maria. However, an Aramaic
inscription on a vault in the church indicates that it was founded centuries before the arrival of Crusader, but fell into disrepair. According to the inscription it was rebuilt in 1058 CE during the Fatimid
era. In the 18th century an additional wall as well as several windows and doors were constructed. Restorations occurred in 1997, with the replacement of cement plaster in the vaulting of the church with traditional mortar, the cleaning of stones inside the church, the repaving of the atrium
and the construction of a reinforcing northern wall.
There are also churches dedicated to St. Anastasia
(to the south of the village) and St. Theodore
(in the center of the village), both from the 7th–8th centuries.
, olive-based soap
, dried figs and almonds. Agriculture in 2005, accounted for 19% of the village's labor force. The remaining 81% work in the governmental and private sectors, construction and animal husbandry. Following the Second Intifada which began in 2000, the inhabitants who worked in Israel (10% of Aboud's labor force) lost their jobs there.
is being built adjacent to Aboud, on lands belonging to its inhabitants. Israeli authorities had previously uprooted over 35 olive trees in the village in 2003. For this reason, since 18 November 2005, weekly demonstrations against the fence have been held in the village. Participants in the demonstrations, which take place on Fridays, include residents of the village, peace activists (mostly members of Anarchists Against the Wall
), and activists from foreign countries. The demonstrations in the village are organized by the village council and is part of a larger struggle against the barrier.
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate
Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate
The Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate is one of 16 Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It covers a large part of the central West Bank, on the northern border of the Jerusalem Governorate. Its district capital or muhfaza is the city of al-Bireh.According to the Palestinian Central...
in the central West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, Occupied Palestinian territories, about 22 kilometers northwest of Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
and 30 kilometers north of Jerusalem. Other nearby towns include al-Lubban
Al-Lubban
Al-Lubban may refer to:*Al-Lubban al-Gharbi, Palestinian village in Ramallah Governorate*Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, Palestinian village in Nablus Governorate...
to the northeast and Bani Zeid
Bani Zeid
Bani Zeid is a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located northwest of Ramallah in the north-central West Bank and about south-west of Salfit. A town of 5,515 inhabitants, Bani Zeid was created as a merger between the villages of Deir Ghassaneh and Beit Rima...
to the northwest. Aboud's population is mostly Christian
Palestinian Christian
Palestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
, the village had a population of approximately 2,084 inhabitants in 2007. Near the village are a large number of natural springs which are sources
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
for the Yarkon River.
History
There is evidence of Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman occupation. In the Crusader period it was known as Casale Santa Maria. In 1225, Yaqut al-HamawiYaqut al-Hamawi
Yāqūt ibn-'Abdullah al-Rūmī al-Hamawī) was an Islamic biographer and geographer renowned for his encyclopedic writings on the Muslim world. "al-Rumi" refers to his Greek descent; "al-Hamawi" means that he is from Hama, Syria, and ibn-Abdullah is a reference to his father's name, Abdullah...
noted Aboud was a "small town in Filastin Province
Jund Filastin
Jund Filastin was one of several sub-provinces of the Ummayad and Abbasid Caliphate province of Syria, organized soon after the Muslim conquest of Syria in the seventh century. According to al-Biladhuri, the main towns in the district at its capture by the Rashidun Caliphate, were Gaza, Sebastiya,...
, near Jerusalem. The name is Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, and [has] become Arabicized." Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
historian al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi
Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhammad al-Maqrizi ; Arabic: , was an Egyptian historian more commonly known as al-Maqrizi or Makrizi...
mentioned it in the 14th century. Later it appeared in Ottoman dafters as belonging to the nahiya ("sub-district") of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
, part of the Sanjak of Gaza. In 1596 it had a population of 19 Christian households and 16 Muslim households, and paid taxes on wheat, barley, and other produce. It was later a part of the Bani Zeid
Bani Zeid
Bani Zeid is a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located northwest of Ramallah in the north-central West Bank and about south-west of Salfit. A town of 5,515 inhabitants, Bani Zeid was created as a merger between the villages of Deir Ghassaneh and Beit Rima...
administrative region, still under the Ottomans.
During the 1870s, the village was described as "a large and nourishing Christian village, of stone, the houses nearly all marked with the Cross in red paint," with a population of 400 Orthodox Christians and 100 Muslims. At the time of the 1931 census
1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
, Aboud had 215 occupied houses and a population of 470 Christians and 440 Muslims.
Ancient churches
Adjacent to Aboud lies an ancient monastery named after Saint BarbaraSaint Barbara
Saint Barbara, , Feast Day December 4, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian saint and martyr....
. Located on a hill due west of the village, the Church of Saint Barbara was erected in the Byzantine Period. Archaeologists trace its history back to 6th century CE. By the church, ancient catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
have been uncovered whose dating
Absolute dating
Absolute dating is the process of determining an approximate computed age in archaeology and geology. Some scientists prefer the terms chronometric or calendar dating, as use of the word "absolute" implies an unwarranted certainty and precision...
is uncertain. One of the burial caves is especially grandiose, with a door post decorated with carvings of wreaths, grape vines and grape clusters standing at its entrance. Locals consider it to be the oldest and most sacred of Aboud's churches. Palestinian Christian
Palestinian Christian
Palestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
s visit the church annually on 17 December to celebrate the festival of St. Barbara's
Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara, , Feast Day December 4, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian saint and martyr....
Day. On 31 May 2002, the church was blown up by the Israeli army. The Israeli military claimed they were unaware of the church's significance and demolished it by mistake.
Al-Abudiyah Church, also known as Saint Mary's Church, lies in the center of Aboud and was presumably founded during the Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
period of rule in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
with the name Casal Santa Maria. However, an Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
inscription on a vault in the church indicates that it was founded centuries before the arrival of Crusader, but fell into disrepair. According to the inscription it was rebuilt in 1058 CE during the Fatimid
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
era. In the 18th century an additional wall as well as several windows and doors were constructed. Restorations occurred in 1997, with the replacement of cement plaster in the vaulting of the church with traditional mortar, the cleaning of stones inside the church, the repaving of the atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
and the construction of a reinforcing northern wall.
There are also churches dedicated to St. Anastasia
Saint Anastasia
Saint Anastasia or Santa Anastasia may refer to:* Anastasia the Patrician* Anastasia of Sirmium* Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia* Saint Anastasia of Serbia , Princess consort of Serbia* St. Anastasia Island, Bulgarian islet...
(to the south of the village) and St. Theodore
Saint Theodore
-People:*See Theodore, Philippa, and Companions for Theodore of Perge, 3rd century martyr and saint*Theodore of Amasea, or of Tyre, "the Tyro", "the Recruit", 4th century military saint and martyr...
(in the center of the village), both from the 7th–8th centuries.
Economy
Historically, Aboud's economy was centered on agriculture, specifically olives—which today take up 43% of village lands. In total, 57% of Aboud's lands are cultivable with olives, figs, apples, grapes, and almonds being grown. Its primary agricultural products are olive oilOlive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
, olive-based soap
Nabulsi soap
Nabulsi soap is a type of castile soap produced only in Nablus in the West Bank, Palestine. An olive oil-based soap, it is made up of three primary ingredients: virgin olive oil, water, and a sodium compound...
, dried figs and almonds. Agriculture in 2005, accounted for 19% of the village's labor force. The remaining 81% work in the governmental and private sectors, construction and animal husbandry. Following the Second Intifada which began in 2000, the inhabitants who worked in Israel (10% of Aboud's labor force) lost their jobs there.
West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrierIsraeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
is being built adjacent to Aboud, on lands belonging to its inhabitants. Israeli authorities had previously uprooted over 35 olive trees in the village in 2003. For this reason, since 18 November 2005, weekly demonstrations against the fence have been held in the village. Participants in the demonstrations, which take place on Fridays, include residents of the village, peace activists (mostly members of Anarchists Against the Wall
Anarchists Against the Wall
Anarchists Against the Wall , sometimes called "Anarchists Against Fences" or "Jews Against Ghettos", is a direct action group composed of Israeli anarchists and anti-authoritarians who oppose the construction of the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier and Israeli West Bank barrier. The AAtW calls the West...
), and activists from foreign countries. The demonstrations in the village are organized by the village council and is part of a larger struggle against the barrier.