I'billin
Encyclopedia
I'billin is an Arab local council
in the Northern District
of Israel
. In December 2006, the population was 11,000.
and the Mishna under the name "Avlayim". During the Crusades, the village was named "Beit Abelin".
Nasir Khusraw
visited the place in 1047 C.E.;
The village is sacred to local Catholics, as Mariam Baouardy
was born there in 1846. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II
on 13 November 1983.Akilla Aga, a Bedouin ruler of the area is buried in the village, as well as the family of Dhaher el-Omar. 'Ibillin was granted municipal status in 1960. The municipality's area is 18,000 dunam
s.
and 48.9% Palestinian Christian
. The economic status of the population is much lower than average. The proportion of high school students who achieve a passing grade at the matriculation exams is 50.0% (2000). The mean income was NIS 3,539 (over the year 2000), as compared to a national average of NIS 6,835.
In 1965 Abuna Elias Chacour
, a Palestinian
from Kafr Bir'im
who later became the Archbishop
of Galilee
, arrived as a young priest. He saw the lack of educational opportunities for Arab youth beyond the 8th grade, and he set about creating a school open to all local children, regardless of religious affiliation. This developed into the Mar Elias Educational Institutions
, an educational complex consisting of a kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, high school, college, and university.
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
in the Northern District
North District (Israel)
The Northern District is one of Israel's six administrative districts. The Northern District has a land area of 4,478 km², which increases to 4,638 km² when both land and water are included...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In December 2006, the population was 11,000.
History
The village existed in ancient times. It is mentioned in the TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and the Mishna under the name "Avlayim". During the Crusades, the village was named "Beit Abelin".
Nasir Khusraw
Nasir Khusraw
Abu Mo’in Hamid ad-Din Nasir ibn Khusraw al-Qubadiani or Nāsir Khusraw Qubādiyānī [also spelled as Nasir Khusrow and Naser Khosrow] Abu Mo’in Hamid ad-Din Nasir ibn Khusraw al-Qubadiani or Nāsir Khusraw Qubādiyānī [also spelled as Nasir Khusrow and Naser Khosrow] Abu Mo’in Hamid ad-Din Nasir ibn...
visited the place in 1047 C.E.;
"From DamumAl-DamunAl-Damun was a Palestinian Arab village located from the city of Acre that was depopulated during 1948 Arab-Israeli war. In 1945, the village had 1,310 inhabitants, most of whom were Muslim, while the remainder were Christians...
we passed south to another village, called A'bilin, where there is the tomb of HudHud (prophet)Hud is the name of a prophet of ancient Arabia, who is mentioned in the Qur'an. The eleventh chapter of the Qur'an, Hud, is named after him, though the narrative of Hud comprises only a small portion of the chapter.-Historical context:...
-peace be upon him! -which I visited. Within the enclosure here is a mulberryMulberryMorus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
tree, and there is likewise the tomb of the prophet Uzair -peace be upon him! -which I also visited."
The village is sacred to local Catholics, as Mariam Baouardy
Mariam Baouardy
Blessed Mariam Baouardy was a Melkite Greek Catholic Carmelite nun. She was born on January 5, 1846 in I'billin. In April 1878 she played an important role in the identification of the Biblical Emmaus thanks to a private revelation. She died on August 26, 1878 in Bethlehem...
was born there in 1846. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 13 November 1983.Akilla Aga, a Bedouin ruler of the area is buried in the village, as well as the family of Dhaher el-Omar. 'Ibillin was granted municipal status in 1960. The municipality's area is 18,000 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.
Demography
The annual population growth rate was 0.8%. Most of the residents are Arab Israelis; 51.1% of whom are MuslimMuslim
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...
and 48.9% 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...
. The economic status of the population is much lower than average. The proportion of high school students who achieve a passing grade at the matriculation exams is 50.0% (2000). The mean income was NIS 3,539 (over the year 2000), as compared to a national average of NIS 6,835.
Education
Elias Chacour
Elias Chacour is the Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Noted for his efforts to promote reconciliation between Arabs and Israelis, he is the author of two books about the experience of Palestinian people living in present-day Israel...
, a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
from Kafr Bir'im
Kafr Bir'im
Kafr Bir'im, also Kefr Berem , was an Arab Christian village in Palestine located south of the Lebanese border and northwest of Safed. The village was situated above sea level, with a church overlooking it at an elevation of . The church was built on the ruins of an older church destroyed in an...
who later became the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, arrived as a young priest. He saw the lack of educational opportunities for Arab youth beyond the 8th grade, and he set about creating a school open to all local children, regardless of religious affiliation. This developed into the Mar Elias Educational Institutions
Mar Elias Educational Institutions
Mar Elias Educational Institutions are constituted by a kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school as well as a college and a recently established university. The institution is under the direction of the archbishop Elias Chacour. The institutions are located in Ibillin, an Arab village...
, an educational complex consisting of a kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, high school, college, and university.