Al-Ubeidiya
Encyclopedia
Al-Ubeidiya is a Palestinian
town located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Bethlehem
. The town is a part of the Bethlehem Governorate
in the central West Bank
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
(PCBS), al-Ubeidiya had a population of over 10,753 in 2007.
("Ibn Ubeid" in Arabic), who built and was buried in a monastery 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) west of the town, known as the Monastery of St. Theodosius
. It was originally constructed in the 5th-century CE and Theodosius was buried there in 520. The current structure was built by the Crusader
s in the 12th-century. It is located on a hilltop and is under the administration of the Greek Orthodox Church
. The Mar Saba Monastery
—which was built by Saint Sabbas in 484 CE—is located further east of the town center, but within its municipal jurisdiction. An Ancient Roman pool is situated in the center of al-Ubeidiya and was used in the Roman
era of rule in Palestine
to collect water.
The modern town of al-Ubeidiya dates back to at least 1600 CE, when members of the Shammar
tribe from the Arabian Peninsula
settled there. According to local tradition, the town is not named after St. Theodosius, but after tribal leader, al-Ubeidi Faris. The residents are mostly descendants of the Shammar with the main families being al-'Asa, al-Radayda, al-Rabai'a, al-Hasasna, and Abu Sirhan. The population is Muslim
(although the monasteries are populated by Greek Orthodox monks) and there are ten mosque
s in the town. Since 1997, al-Ubeidiya has been governed by an 11-member municipal council appointed by the Palestinian National Authority
(PNA). The municipality has jurisdiction over 97,232 dunam
s of land—much larger than the built-up and residential areas of the town which constitute 979 of those dunams. Other localities located within the municipal borders include Wadi al-Arayis.
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...
town located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. The town is a part of the Bethlehem Governorate
Bethlehem Governorate
The Bethlehem Governorate is one of 16 Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip within the Palestinian Territories. It covers an area of the West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Its principal city and district capital is Bethlehem...
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...
. 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....
(PCBS), al-Ubeidiya had a population of over 10,753 in 2007.
History and archaeology
Al-Ubeidiya is named after Saint TheodosiusTheodosius the Cenobiarch
Theodosius the Cenobiarch was a monk, abbot, and saint.He was born in Mogarissos, a village in Cappadocia, Saint Basil's province. Theodosius' parents Proheresius and Eulogia were both very pious. Later Eulogia would become a nun taking her son Theodosius as her spiritual father...
("Ibn Ubeid" in Arabic), who built and was buried in a monastery 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) west of the town, known as the Monastery of St. Theodosius
Monastery of St. Theodosius
The Monastery of St. Theodosius is the monastery founded east of the village of al-Ubeidiya , 12 kilometres east of Bethlehem...
. It was originally constructed in the 5th-century CE and Theodosius was buried there in 520. The current structure was built by the Crusader
Crusader
- Military :* Crusader, a participant in one of the Crusades* Crusader states, states set up by the Europeans in the Middle East during The Crusades* Crusader tank, a British cruiser tank of World War II* HMS Crusader, three British naval ships...
s in the 12th-century. It is located on a hilltop and is under the administration of the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
. The Mar Saba Monastery
Mar Saba
The Great Lavra of St. Sabbas the Sanctified, known in Arabic as Mar Saba , is a Greek Orthodox monastery overlooking the Kidron Valley in the West Bank east of Bethlehem. The traditional date for the founding of the monastery by Saint Sabas of Cappadocia is the year 483 and today houses around 20...
—which was built by Saint Sabbas in 484 CE—is located further east of the town center, but within its municipal jurisdiction. An Ancient Roman pool is situated in the center of al-Ubeidiya and was used in the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
era 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....
to collect water.
The modern town of al-Ubeidiya dates back to at least 1600 CE, when members of the Shammar
Shammar
The tribe of Shammar is one of the largest tribes of Nejd-Saudi Arabia, with an estimated 1 million in Iraq, over 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia , a Kuwaiti population of around 100,000, a Syrian population is thought to exceed 1 million and with an unknown number in Jordan...
tribe from the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
settled there. According to local tradition, the town is not named after St. Theodosius, but after tribal leader, al-Ubeidi Faris. The residents are mostly descendants of the Shammar with the main families being al-'Asa, al-Radayda, al-Rabai'a, al-Hasasna, and Abu Sirhan. The population is Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
(although the monasteries are populated by Greek Orthodox monks) and there are ten mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s in the town. Since 1997, al-Ubeidiya has been governed by an 11-member municipal council appointed by the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
(PNA). The municipality has jurisdiction over 97,232 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s of land—much larger than the built-up and residential areas of the town which constitute 979 of those dunams. Other localities located within the municipal borders include Wadi al-Arayis.
