Umm Burj, Khirbat

Khirbat Umm Burj was a Palestinian Arab village in the Hebron Subdistrict, sometimes designated in modern maps as ''Burgin''. Its ruins are today located within the borders of Israel. It occupied an extensive site, stretching about 30 dunams (7.4 acres) on the crest of a hill, rising some above sea level, and commanding a good prospect of the surrounding region. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War on October 28, 1948, during the third stage of Operation Yo'av under the command of Yigal Allon. The site is located 17 km northwest of Hebron.

History

The site was occupied from the Iron Age. A large ancient necropolis was here, including a church or synagogue, residential buildings and numerous agricultural installations. Israeli archaeologists, Amir Ganor and Boaz Zissu, think that Umm Burj may be a corruption of the 1st-century Jewish village, ''Kefar Bish'', a view earlier rejected by Klein who said that ''Kefar Bish'' still bears its namesake in the nearby ruin of ''Khirbet al-Bis''. A Jewish inscription, possibly dating from the Bar Kokhba revolt, has been found in a hiding complex at the site; it mentions a "''Shelamzion'' daughter of...".

In the late 19th century, extensive Christian remains were noted in the area surrounding Umm Burj. Finnish scholar, Aapeli Saarisalo, visited the site of Umm Burj in the early 20th-century, and described its ruins as being of Byzantine and Arab origin.

Late Ottoman period

In 1838 Um Burj was noted as village, located in the area between the mountains and Gaza, but subject to the government of el-Khulil.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p.
117
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In 1863, Victor Guérin passed north of Khirbat Umm Burj, and described the village as being on a mountain, dominating the surroundings.

An Ottoman village list from about 1870 found that ''um-burdsch'' had a population of 150, in 25 houses, though the population count included men, only.Socin, 1879, p
162
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French orientalist and archaeologist, Charles Clermont-Ganneau, visited the site in 1874 where he noticed a well situated nearby, called ''Bîr Hârûn'', surmounted with a rude structure, near which were troughs hollowed out in large stone blocks.

In 1883, the PEF's ''Survey of Western Palestine'' (SWP) described Umm Burj as: "A ruined village, with a central tower; apparently not ancient; caves and cisterns round it, and a well". Khalidi believed that the SWP assumption that the tower was not ancient might have been wrong.Khalidi, 1992, p. 223

The village was settled in the 19th century by the Al-Husayni family, who purchased the land, that was initially proposed for purchase by Jews.

British Mandate period

In the 1931 census of Palestine, Umm Burj and Sanabra, listed in the sub-district of Hebron, had a joint population of 119 Muslims, in a total of 26 houses.

In the 1945 statistics it had a population of 140 Muslims, with a total of 13,083 dunums of land. Of this, 28 dunums were irrigated or used for plantations, 3,546 were for cereal, while 15 dunams were built-up (urban) areas.

The villagers used to obtain drinking water from three wells on the northern outskirts of the village.

1948 and aftermath

After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the ruin of ''Umm Burj'' came under Israeli control under the terms of the 1949 Armistice Agreements. Today, the site lies in the Adullam-France Park.

The moshav of Nehusha was established in 1955 on land that had belonged to the village, west of the village site, but collapsed in 1968. It was re-established in 1981.

Archaeology

In the years 1995–2012, archaeological fieldwork was conducted by a team of archaeologists at ''Khirbet Umm Burj'' on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), among whom were Boaz Zissu and Amir Golan, ''et al.'', where they uncovered at the site two Byzantine churches, and a Jewish inscription incised on a doorjamb of an underground room in a hiding tunnel system.''Judea and Samaria Research Studies''
Miriam Billig (ed.), vol. 22, Ariel University: Ariel 2013, pp. 19–20, 151–ff.

Gallery

File:House in ruins showing jamb of door.jpg, ''Khirbat Umm Burj''
File:Entrance to tunnel in Umm Burj.jpg, Tunnel at Hurvat Burgin (''Khirbat Umm Burj'')
File:Caves and pit with protective railings.jpg, Cave and pit in Umm Burj
File:Old structure of house.jpg, Old structure of house
File:General view of remaining walls.jpg, General view of remaining walls at ''Khirbat Umm Burj''
File:Mosaic in Byzantine Church.jpg, Mosaic in ruined Byzantine Church at ''Khirbat Umm Burj''
File:Staircase leading to underground cavern.jpg, Staircase leading down to a cavern
File:Umm Burj (Burgin) with general view.jpg, General view
File:Open roof of cavern.jpg, Open roof of cavern (Hurvat Burgin)
File:Plastered pool from Ottoman period.jpg, Plastered pool from Ottoman period at ''Khirbat Umm Burj''
File:'מערת העמוד' ב'שביל חורבת בורגין'.jpg, "Cave of the Column"
File:Beit Jibrin 1945 ii.jpg, Khirbat Umm Burj 1945 1:250,000
File:Kh Umm Burj 1947.jpg, Khirbat Umm Burj 1947 1:20,000

References

Bibliography

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External links

Khirbat Umm Burj
Zochrot
Khirbat Umm Burj (Burgin)
*Survey of Western Palestine, Map 21:
IAAWikimedia commons


from the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center
All About... Khirbat Umm Burj
from Zochrot
Tour to Umm Burj

Remembering Umm Burj
Umm Burj booklet, 08/2008

{{Authority control

Arab villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
District of Hebron
Archaeological sites in Israel