Bani Na'im
Bani Na'im | |
---|---|
City | |
• Head of Municipality | Issa Hassan al-Khdour |
Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 24,628 |
Name meaning | Tribe of Na'im (or Nu'aym) |
Website | Bani Na'im Municipality |
Bani Na'im (
During the late 1930s, the population took part in the Arab Revolt against the British Mandate. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the town came under Jordanian rule. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Bani Na'im has been occupied by Israel; since 1995, it has been governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). In 2017 the town had a population of 24,628.[1]
History
Biblical scholar
A number of Byzantine period stones that had been reused in later structures have been found in the village. One of them is embedded in the mosque's surrounding wall and is bearing a broken cross. The mosque has possibly replaced an earlier church.[4]
Medieval period
Following the
Ottoman period
Kafr Burayk was included in the Ottoman
The first known mention of the name 'Bani Na'im' was by the Muslim traveler Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi in 1690.[5] He wrote that the village had been known as 'Kafr al-Barik' and "now it is called Qaryat Bani Nu'aym in a diminutive form".[5] It received this name from the Bedouin tribe of Banu Nu'aym, also referred to as Bani Na'im, who settled there after migrating from the vicinity of Petra in Transjordan.[5] Until the end of the 19th century, the early Arabic name was still known by the residents, as mentioned by Western travelers.[5]
The biblical scholar Edward Robinson visited Bani Na'im in 1838, noting that it was a village with a mosque, "lying on very high ground, to which the ascent is gradual on every side, forming a conspicuous object to all the region far and near".[9] He noted that its homes were "built of large hewn stones" and that the inhabitants, like other peasants in the area, lived in the homes in autumn and winter and took up abode in tents and caves in the spring to tend their flocks and cultivate their grain fields.[10]
When the French traveler Victor Guérin visited in 1860, he found the village almost deserted since the population had left to live in tents as nomads to avoid military conscription.[11] He found them living in a tent village one kilometer away, ready to flee to the desert if an attempt was made to enlist them.[11] However, in 1874 the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as "a good-sized village" bordered by olive groves to the south and west with many structures built out of ancient materials.[5] The residences there were mostly one-story stone cabins. In their second visit in 1881 the SWP described Bani Na'im as well-cultivated with abundant flocks that grazed in desert areas east of the town.[12] The town was a major supplier of sand for the Hebron glass industry.[13]
Contemporary history
Bani Na'im grew considerably in population during the early 20th century.
Palestinian Arab irregulars led by al-Husayni and his local deputy, Abd al-Halim Jawlani, battled the British Army in Bani Na'im in December 1938. According to British military accounts, a resident of Bani Na'im called for intervention when the rebels entered the town.[17] Israeli scholar Hillel Cohen wrote that Fakhri Nashashibi, a political rival of al-Husayni, informed military authorities on three rebel units forcing Bani Na'im's largely pro-Nashashibi inhabitants to join the revolt.[18] The British promptly confronted a force of 100 irregulars. With British Air Force assistance, al-Husayni's troops dispersed and fled east of Bani Na'im where they were pinned down. British forces killed 60 rebels and captured 15. One British soldier was killed.[17]
In the wake of the
In 1982, an 18-year-old resident of the town was shot and killed by
Tombs of Lot and Nabi Yaqin
Bani Na'im houses the purported tomb of
Islamic-era Kufic inscriptions on the front entrance to the mosque state that the Muslim scholar Abdullah bin Muhammad declared:
… the hills, the plains, the buildings, the paths, the gardens, the trees and the passage that transverses it [Bani Na'im]" are an endowment "for the prophet Lot, the son of Haran brother of Ibrahim (Abraham), the friend of the Compassionate (Allah), may the blessings of Allah be upon them.[28]
According to Muslim tradition, Lot lived in Bani Na'im before moving to Sodom.
The purported tomb of Lot's daughters are on an opposite hill nearby.[24] To the southeast of Bani Na'im is a separate shrine dedicated to Lot, known as Maqam an-Nabi Yaqin ('Shrine of the Truthful Prophet') Local legend claims Lot prayed at the site and that imprints of his feet in a rock there are visible.[30][29] According to Muslim and Christian tradition, Bani Na'im is the place where Abraham, after the departure of the angels, saw the smoke of Sodom and Gomorrah "rising as the smoke of a furnace".[24]
Geography and climate
Bani Naim forms a generally rough rectangular layout, and widens in the northwest and southwest.
Bani Na'im's total land area is about 157,000 dunams, but the town's built-up area is roughly 2,500 dunams. The town itself is mostly located in Area A (Palestinian security and civilian administration) and Area B (Palestinian civil administration and Israeli military control.) The nearby town of ar-Rawa'in to the east is located within Bani Na'im's municipal jurisdiction and is under Area A. However, the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Hever which was established in 1982, has a population of 400 and is also located within the Bani Na'im's municipal borders, comes under full Israeli control.[32] Most of Bani Na'im's lands (59.6%) fall under Area C, or full Israeli security and civilian administration.[33]
Average annual rainfall in Bani Na'im is 369 millimeters (14.5 in). The average temperature is 16 °C (61 °F) and the average annual humidity is 61%.[32]
Demographics
An Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Bani Na'im had 67 houses and a population of 145, though the population count included only men.
In the 2007 census, there were 20,084 people living in the town and 217 in nearby Masaferet Bani Na'im which is located within the municipal jurisdiction. The gender makeup of Bani Na'im's population was 50.2% male and 49.8% female. There were 3,490 housing units and the average household size consisted of 6.5 family members.
Government
Bani Na'im was established as a
The amount of municipal seats was expanded to 13 during the
The municipal borders of Bani Na'im extend beyond the town and include the following villages: Birin, ar-Rawa'in and Masaferet Bani Na'im. The latter is a grouping of the following hamlets: Mantiqat al-Ein, Mantiqat as-Sahel, Mantiqat Qaber K'heil, Mantiqat Hilmi, Mantiqat al-Hamra, Mantiqat al-Qurun, Mantiqat al-Mathbah, Mantiqat as-Sweidat, Mantiqat Umm ar-Raqam and Khor Atara. Despite having a municipality, most official services are provided by the city of Hebron. However, Bani Na'im has a police station, a post office, and a local security office.[32]
Education and health
Bani Na'im has 14 schools: 7 boys' schools, 5 girls' schools and 2 co-educational schools. The first school was established in 1929. Consisting of one classroom, the enrollment at the time did not exceed 20 female and male students and the highest grade level was the fourth grade.[31] According to the 2017 census, 96% of the population was literate; most of the illiterate population was female. A total of 3,908 students were in elementary school, 5,050 in preparatory school, and 3,194 in high school. 2,404 people had college diplomas.[46]
Most of Bani Na'im's health facilities are privately owned. The town has a maternity hospital, five health clinics, three dental clinics and a physiotherapy center. The
Economy and infrastructure
Bani Na'im serves as a commercial center in the Hebron area. Approximately 50% of the labor force is engaged in the industrial and civil service sector. About 20% are employed in the Israeli labor market while 19% work in agriculture. Economic enterprises include four stone-cutting factories, a brick factory, a textile factory, an olive press, eleven metal workshops, four carpentry workshops, seven butcher shops, 13 clothing stores, and 110 other shops.[32]
Decline in market demand combined with movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli military have led to a deterioration of the local economy, particularly in the trade and the stone-cutting industries.[32] In 2017, unemployment reached 13.6%.[47] Consequently, many unemployed persons began looking into agriculture to earn income. The most cultivated crops are grains, especially barley, followed by lentils and chick peas. A sizable segment of the population raise livestock and 10% breed their own domestic animals. In total, there are 144 cows, 7,000 goats, 14,000 sheep, and 500 beehives.[32] Much of the town's agricultural products are sold in Hebron.[31][32]
In 2017, there were 4,071 buildings in Bani Na'im, of which 3,301 were houses and 580 were solely working establishments.
In 1994, Bani Na'im was linked to the electricity grid and the municipality installed street lights. Before then, generators operated for five hours daily at most and for house use only.[31]
References
- ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ a b c Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 2, pp. 187-9
- ISSN 0070-7554. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ Bagatti, Bellarmino (2002). Ancient Christian Villages of Judaea and Negev. Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press. pp. 87–88.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sharon, 1999, p. 12-13
- ^ a b le Strange, 1890, p.468.
- ^ a b Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 124
- Jerusalem Media and Communications Center(JMCC). 2007-02-09. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 2, p. 187
- ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 2, p. 188
- ^ a b Guérin, 1869, pp. 153–157. Beni-Na'ïm est un village en ce moment presque entièrement désert, car la plupart des habitants ont quitté leurs masons pour aller vivre, sous la tente, de la vie nomade, et tâcher d'échapper ainsi à la loi du recrutement militaire.
- ^ Conder, Claude; Kitchener, Herbert (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine (Memoirs of the Tography, Orography, Hydrgraphy, and Archæology). Vol. III. pp. 303–4, 325.
- ^ Nazmi al-Ju'bah (2008-01-25). "Hebron glass: A centuries' old tradition". Institute for Middle East Understanding (Original version from This Week in Palestine). Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ Grehan 2016, p. 254, note 74.
- ^ a b c d "Palestine Census" (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2007. p. 118. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
- Brunel University. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ a b "1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (1938 to 1942)". Worcestershire Regiment Website. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ Cohen, 2009, p.148.
- ^ Nusseibeh, Hazem (1982-03-26). "Letter Dated 25 March 1982 From The Permanent Representative of Jordan To The United Nations Addressed To The President of The Security Council" (PDF). United Nations. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2012. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ Lockman and Beinin, 1989, p. 378
- ^ Watzman, 2007, p.107.
- ^ a b "Four Israelis shot dead near West Bank settlement". BBC News. BBC. 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ "Four Palestinians killed in Israeli settler attack: ministry". France 24. 11 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Finn, 1877, p. 291
- ^ a b Pringle, 1993, p. 107
- ^ Canaan, 1927, pp. 21-22, cited in Sharon, 1999, p. 18
- ^ "the prophet Yukin"; Palmer, 1881, p. 405
- ^ a b Sharon, 1999, p. 17
- ^ a b Sharon, 1999, p. 15
- ^ Canaan, 1927, p. 78
- ^ a b c d e f "Bani Naim Area". Bani Na'im Charitable Society (BNCS). Archived from the original on 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Bani Na'im Town Profile" (PDF). Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem. March 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
- ^ "Halt of Construction Orders in Bani Na'im town east of Hebron city". Applied Research Institute—Jerusalem. 2010-05-10. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Socin, 1879, p. 144
- ^ Hartmann, 1883, p. 142 also found 67 houses
- ^ Barron, 1923, Table V, p.10
- ^ Mills, 1932, p. 27
- ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 23
- ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 50
- ^ Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 14
- ^ "Town Statistics and Facts". Palestine Remembered. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
- ^ "Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). 1997. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ "Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ "PHC 2017: Census Final Results – Summary – Hebron Governorate" (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2019. pp. 57, 62. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "Local Elections (Round Two)–Successful candidates by local authority, gender and No. of votes obtained" (PDF). Central Elections Committee–Palestine. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
- ^ "PHC 2017: Census Final Results – Summary – Hebron Governorate" (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2019. p. 80. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "PHC 2017: Census Final Results – Summary – Hebron Governorate" (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2019. p. 90. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "PHC 2017: Census Final Results – Summary – Hebron Governorate" (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2019. pp. 57, 62. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
Bibliography
- Barron, J.B., ed. (1923). Palestine: Report and General Abstracts of the Census of 1922. Government of Palestine.
- Canaan, T. (1927). Mohammedan Saints and Sanctuaries in Palestine. London: Luzac & Co.
- ISBN 978-0-520-25989-8.
- Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. Vol. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- Finn, J. (1877). Byeways in Palestine. London: James Nisbet.
- Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics (1964). First Census of Population and Housing. Volume I: Final Tables; General Characteristics of the Population (PDF).
- Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics (1945). Village Statistics, April, 1945.
- Grehan, James (2016). Twilight of the Saints: Everyday Religion in Ottoman Syria and Palestine. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-937303-1.
- Guérin, V. (1869). Description Géographique Historique et Archéologique de la Palestine (in French). Vol. 1: Judee, pt. 3. Paris: L'Imprimerie Nationale.
- Hadawi, S. (1970). Village Statistics of 1945: A Classification of Land and Area ownership in Palestine. Palestine Liberation Organization Research Centre.
- Hartmann, M. (1883). "Die Ortschaftenliste des Liwa Jerusalem in dem türkischen Staatskalender für Syrien auf das Jahr 1288 der Flucht (1871)". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins. 6: 102–149.
- Hütteroth, Wolf-Dieter; Abdulfattah, Kamal (1977). Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-920405-41-2.
- Lockman, Zackary; ISBN 0-89608-363-2.
- Le Strange, G. (1890). Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- Mills, E., ed. (1932). Census of Palestine 1931. Population of Villages, Towns and Administrative Areas. Jerusalem: Government of Palestine.
- Palmer, E.H. (1881). The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- ISBN 0-521-39036-2.
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 2. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. (p. 554)
- ISBN 90-04-11083-6.
- Socin, A. (1879). "Alphabetisches Verzeichniss von Ortschaften des Paschalik Jerusalem". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins. 2: 135–163.
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External links
- Welcome To Bani Na'im
- Bani Na’im, Welcome to Palestine
- Survey of Western Palestine, Map 21: IAA, Wikimedia commons
- Bani Naim Profile, Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ)
- Bani Naim aerial photo, ARIJ
- The priorities and needs for development in Bani Na'im town based on the community and local authorities' assessment, ARIJ