Deir Dibwan is a Palestinian

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 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...

 7 kilometers east 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...

. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the town had a population of approximately 5,252 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. There were 5,016 people from Deir Dibwan living abroad. Deir Dibwan was built close to the ruins of Et-Tell

Et-Tell

Et-Tell is an archaeological site in the West Bank that is popularly thought to be the Biblical city of Ai.- Location :The site of et-Tell is about 3 km east of the modern village of Beitin , atop a watershed plateau overlooking the Jordan Valley and the city of Jericho 14 km east.-...

 possibly after it was destroyed by Joshua

Joshua

Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...

 (ca. 1400 BC [early date] or 1250 BC [late date])

Name

The word "Deir" means monastery (church or temple) and the word "dibwan" came from the name of the missionary "devan" or "debwa" or "bwan" that was in charge of this monastery. In the old days, monasteries were named after the missionary name and that’s where "Deir Dibwan" was derived from.

Archeological discoveries

Et-Tell

Et-Tell

Et-Tell is an archaeological site in the West Bank that is popularly thought to be the Biblical city of Ai.- Location :The site of et-Tell is about 3 km east of the modern village of Beitin , atop a watershed plateau overlooking the Jordan Valley and the city of Jericho 14 km east.-...

 is a mound located about 10 mi north-northeast of Jerusalem – just west of the village of Deir Dibwan. The site was excavated at various times by different anthropologists. The most prominent remains – very extensive – are from the Early Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

. There was a small unwalled village here during the Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

. This site, primarily because of its location in relation to Beitin

Beitin

Beitin is a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank, located northeast of Ramallah along the Ramallah-Nablus road...

 (biblical Bethel

Bethel

Bethel was a border city described in the Hebrew Bible as being located between Benjamin and Ephraim...

), is often identified with biblical Ai

Ai (Bible)

Ai refers to one or two places in ancient Israel:*A city mentioned along with Heshbon by Jeremiah 49:3, whose location is currently unknown, and which may or may not be the same as:...

 – a ruin or city that is mentioned in the Patriarchal and Joshua narratives. The problem with this identification is that no one was living here at the time of the conquest of Joshua (ca. 1400 BC [early date] or 1250 BC [late date]). Alternative sites for "Ai" have been suggested, but it is still the most probable site.

Economy

Deir Dibwan was originally founded as an agricultural village that has grown dramatically over the last ten years and developed into a thriving town. Deir Dibwan is filled with supermarkets, delis, sweet shops, restaurants, bakeries, a hospital, clinics, banks, schools and a pharmacy. Most of Deir Dibwan's economy has been sustained by money from migrants in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, but it was after the Second Intifada that the town's economy grew dramatically. With the closure of strategic routes, many people from the surrounding villages and within the town began investing and spending their money in the town. As a result, the town's GDP and trade has increased widely. Ironically, the town has benefited greatly while other villages, towns and cities in the West Bank have been dealt a recession.

In August 2008 the settler leadership of Migron were to vote on an Israeli Defense Ministry proposal to relocate the unauthorized Migron outpost, possibly to an undeveloped area of a nearby settlement. From the Israeli government-commissioned Sasson Report it was concluded that more than 4 million NIS of public funds were illegally invested in the outpost. On 17 December 2006 the Israeli State responded a petition from the legal owners, Palestinians from Deir Dibwan and Burqa

Burqa, Ramallah

Burqa is a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located east of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , the town had a population of approximately 2,090 inhabitants in the 2007 census....

, the Israeli State admitted that there was never any authorisation from any official, granted for its establishment. In addition the Israeli State admitted the outpost stands on private Palestinian land. After Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....

 and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak

Ehud Barak

Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....

 decided to evacuate the unauthorized outpost of Migron the Israeli State Prosecution informed the Israeli High Court of Justice of the decision.

Deir Dibwan Association

In the United States, there is The Deir Debwan Association headquartered in San Francisco. Membership is not limited to any specific clan and it has representatives from each clan as well as refugee groups living in the town. The association serves to provide a link to the town, a source of identity to its members, to increase their members' honor and increase the town's honor as well. This association provides a source of honor for those in the United States and for relatives in the town.

The association web site is www.deirdebwancharity.com