Attil

Attil (

According to Palmer, the name was a p.n.(="proper name"), meaning "severe",^[1] while according to Zertal the name 'Attil almost certainly has its origins in the Hebrew form a-tl or ttl (tell), appearing in the Hebrew Bible and even more commonly in the Samaria Ostraca as a prefix to place names.^[2]

History

Attil is an ancient village site on a hill at the edge of the plains.^[3] Pottery remain have been found here from

Atil is referenced in The Continuation of the Samaritan Chronicle of Abu l-Fath, suggesting it was an important Samaritan settlement during the early Islamic period.^[5] The text describes a battle at Attil, where Abū Ḥarb al-Yamānī, who rebelled against Abbasid rule in the 840s, was ultimately defeated. The intense bloodshed rendered the village impure to an extent that purification appeared unlikely. However, a Samaritan leader named Pinhas, who was a jurist, undertook the task of purifying the village due to its large size, since it was one of the largest villages, and eventually restored its purity.^[6]

In 1179, it was mentioned in

In 1838 it was noted as a village, 'Attil, in the western Esh-Sha'rawiyeh administrative region, north of Nablus.^[10]

In the late Ottoman period, in 1852, the American scholar Edward Robinson described passing by the villages of Zeita and Jatt on the way to 'Attil. Of 'Attil itself, he writes that it was "a considerable village," located on a hill with plains to the north and south. He further noted: ”It appears, that the land in the district of Nabulus including the plains, is generally freehold; and the taxes are mainly paid in the form of a poll tax.”^[11]

In 1863, the French explorer Victor Guérin passed by and noted that the village was also called Deir Attil.^[12]

In 1870/1871 (1288

In 1882 the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described the village as being of considerable size, situated on a hill on the edge of the plain, and surrounded by a small olive-grove, and supplied by cisterns.^[14]

British Mandate era

In the

In the 1945 statistics the population of Attil was 2,650, all Muslims,^[17] who owned 7,337 dunams of land according to an official land and population survey.^[18] 4,011 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 2,527 used for cereals,^[19] while 86 dunams were built-up (urban) land.^[20]

• 
  Attil 1942 1:20,000
• 
  Attil 1945 1:250,000

Jordanian era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Attil came under Jordanian rule. It was annexed by Jordan in 1950.

In 1961, the population was 4,087.^[21]

Post-1967

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Attil has been under Israeli occupation.

Population

Attil had a population of 9,038 in the 2007 census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.^[22] The majority of its people are expatriates living in Jordan, various states in the Persian Gulf, the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world. By 2017, the population had increased to 10,367.^[23]

Tomb

The village of Attil is the site of a tomb known as Mazar ash-Sheikh Zreiq, situated near the town hall. This tomb belongs to Ahmad Ibn Abi Zreiq a-Rifa'i al-Husseini, who, according to local tradition, was the supreme religious judge (qadi) of Safed and died in Attil in 1440. Hailing from the prominent al-Attili family, he was considered one of the village's most distinguished individuals. The fence surrounding the tomb bears an inscription stating that it was constructed in 1779 by Abd al-Rahman, a descendant of the sheikh, indicating that the tomb itself predates this structure.^[24]

It is said that Ahmad Ibn Abi Zreiq a-Rifa'i al-Husseini was the leader of a local Sufi order known as Tariqat al-Attil, which he inherited from his grandfather. He was renowned for performing miracles, including the ability to lie down in the village yard while horses would jump over him without causing any harm.^[24]

Demography

Residents of the village originally came from many places, such as Lebanon, Egypt, Khan Yunis (Gaza), Hajjah (West Bank) and more.^[25]

References