Abirim
Abirim (Hebrew: אַבִּירִים, lit. Knights) is a community settlement in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee, three kilometres from Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 263.[1] It is located in the middle of a natural oak forest bordering the Nahal Kziv nature reserve.
Abirim אַבִּירִים | |
---|---|
![]() Metsad Abirim, a ruin of tower or mausoleum near Abirim | |
![]() ![]() Abirim ![]() ![]() Abirim | |
Coordinates: 33°2′22.45″N 35°17′14.67″E | |
Country | ![]() |
District | Northern |
Council | Ma'ale Yosef |
Founded | 1980 |
Population (2019)[1] | 263 |
Name meaning | Knights |
History

Abirim was established in 1980 and named for the nearby ruins of Metsad Abirim (Hebrew: "Fortress of the Knights"). It is located on land that had belonged to the Palestinian villages of Dayr al-Qassi and al-Mansura, both of which were depopulated in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[2]
Culture
Abirim hosts an annual wine festival showcasing the wines of local vintners.[3] Many of the residents run bed and breakfast establishments.[4]
See also
References
- "Population in the Localities 2019" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- Khalidi, Walid (1992), All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948, Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies, pp. 13, 24, ISBN 0-88728-224-5
- The wine festival at Mitzpe Abirim Archived April 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Wines of Israel
- 5 stops in Abirim Haaretz