Nes Harim
Encyclopedia
Nes Harim is a moshav
in Israel
, eight kilometers from Jerusalem. Located in the Judea
n foothills near Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
. In 2006 it had a population of 588.
The moshav was established in 1950 by immigrants
from Kurdistan and Morocco
, on the land of the Palestinian
village Bayt 'Itab
, which was depopulated in the 1948 War.
It is situated 2,275 feet (700 meters) above sea level. The early farmers planted orchards and vineyards, taking advantage of the fertile soil and unique climate.
The ruins of a Byzantine monastery were discovered on a hill on the southwest side of the moshav.
The Katlav winery is located in Nes Harim.
of a church decorated with multicolored mosaics,and parts of a wine press. After the discovery, the mosaic was badly damaged by unidentified vandals.
The mosaic includes an inscription in ancient Greek deciphered by Leah Di Signi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
: "O Lord God of Saint Theodorus, protect Antonius and Theodosia the illustres [a title used to distinguish high nobility in the Byzantine period] - Theophylactus and John the priest [or priests]. [Remember o Lord] Mary and John who have offe[red - ] in the 6th indiction. Lord, have pity of Stephen."
Horbat 'Itab, a 130-dunam national park on the outskirts of Nes Harim, contains the ruins of a Crusader fortress that overlooked the road from Emek HaEla to Jerusalem and the village of Bayt 'Itab. The site was surveyed in 1989 by Denys Pringle, a researcher of the Crusader period, who documented the remains of the fortress, vaults, a wall and towers, tunnels, a columbarium and an olive press.
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, eight kilometers from Jerusalem. Located in the Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
n foothills near Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
Mateh Yehuda Regional Council is a regional council in the Jerusalem District of Israel. In 2008 it was home to 36,200 people.The name of the regional council stems from the fact that its territory was part of the land allotted to the Tribe of Judah, according to the Bible.-Places and...
. In 2006 it had a population of 588.
The moshav was established in 1950 by immigrants
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
from Kurdistan and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, on the land of the 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...
village Bayt 'Itab
Bayt 'Itab
Bayt ʿIṭāb was a Palestinian village located in the District of Jerusalem. The village was captured, depopulated of its residents, and demolished by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.-Overview:...
, which was depopulated in the 1948 War.
It is situated 2,275 feet (700 meters) above sea level. The early farmers planted orchards and vineyards, taking advantage of the fertile soil and unique climate.
The ruins of a Byzantine monastery were discovered on a hill on the southwest side of the moshav.
The Katlav winery is located in Nes Harim.
Archaeology
During excavations in November 2008, archaeologists found the narthexNarthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
of a church decorated with multicolored mosaics,and parts of a wine press. After the discovery, the mosaic was badly damaged by unidentified vandals.
The mosaic includes an inscription in ancient Greek deciphered by Leah Di Signi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
: "O Lord God of Saint Theodorus, protect Antonius and Theodosia the illustres [a title used to distinguish high nobility in the Byzantine period] - Theophylactus and John the priest [or priests]. [Remember o Lord] Mary and John who have offe[red - ] in the 6th indiction. Lord, have pity of Stephen."
Horbat 'Itab, a 130-dunam national park on the outskirts of Nes Harim, contains the ruins of a Crusader fortress that overlooked the road from Emek HaEla to Jerusalem and the village of Bayt 'Itab. The site was surveyed in 1989 by Denys Pringle, a researcher of the Crusader period, who documented the remains of the fortress, vaults, a wall and towers, tunnels, a columbarium and an olive press.