Ein Hemed

Ein Hemed is a national park and nature reserve in the hills seven kilometres west of modern Jerusalem, Israel and some 12 kilometres west of the Old City.[1] It is also known by the Latin name it received from the Crusaders, Aqua Bella,[2] and as Khirbat Iqbalā in Arabic.[3] The park is located on the path of an old Roman road, also used in later periods.[1] The road connected the coastal plain with Jerusalem, passing through Bab al-Wad.[1] A fortified Hospitaller building from the Crusader period, relatively well preserved,[1] is arguably the main attraction beside the streams and lush vegetation.

Water well drilling in Ein Hemed (~1964)
Aqua Bella, Crusader ruins

Name

The Crusaders named it "Aqua Bella" in Latin,[4] a name which was corrupted in Arabic to Iqbalā, thus becoming Khirbet Iqbalā, "Iqbalā Ruins".[5] The 19th-century Arabic name was Deir el-Benat, also spelled Dayr al-Banat, "convent of the maidens"[6] and "Khurbet Ikbala", interpreted at the time to mean "The ruin of prosperity"; perhaps "the southern ruin",[7] or "the ruin opposite."[8]

History

Crusader courtyard building
Vaulted hall

The Kingdom of Jerusalem built fortresses along the road to Jerusalem in order to control the traffic to Jerusalem, and protect pilgrims visiting the Holy City. Farms were built using the spring water for irrigation.

Impressive ruins of a 30x40 metre Crusader courtyard building, whose southern wall survives to a height of 12 metres, are located on the north site of the riverbed. The building has several gates and two arched halls. Archaeological investigations indicate that it was built in 1140-1160, during the reign of Fulk of Jerusalem, in the same period as the fortresses on Tzova and Abu Ghosh. South of the building are a nature reserve and a Muslim cemetery.

Ownership since 1925

In 1925, an American Jew named Isaac Segal Feller purchased a plot of 600 dunams on a hill above the springs. This land was called "Nachalat Yitzchak" or "Kiryat YaSaF" after its founder. During the 1936–1939 Arab revolt and Israeli War of Independence, it served as a base for Hagana training and military operations. Since 1994, there have been disputes over development of the site for residential or tourism purposes.

National park and nature reserve

The nature reserve and park were established in 1968.[9] The cemetery includes the grave of Sheikh Abdullah, in whose honour the oak and terebinth trees in the nature reserve were never cut down. A picnic site has been created nearby. Four layer springs issue from the riverbed and nearby caves, and unite into a flow of water which continues for about 400 metre. Several dams have been built, creating pools, the largest of which is 20 x 20 metres and 1 metre deep.[10]

gollark: The rift shield system did that once.
gollark: Although I guess here I can just splice their genes directly.
gollark: I hope heav still has the code for my bee eugenics machine.
gollark: For smelting? Fascinating.
gollark: Make energy upgrades and/or have more power.

See also

References
  1. Cytryn, Katia (1 October 2007). "The Fifth mīl from Jerusalem: Another Umayyad milestone from southern Bilād al-Shām". Bulletin of The School of Oriental and African Studies-University of London (BSO). 70: 603-610 [607: Aqua Bella/Khirbat Iqbalā]. doi:10.1017/S0041977X07000857. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  2. Latest Wrinkle in Israeli Tourism: Bat-spotting
  3. Cytryn-Silverman, Katia (2007). "The Fifth Mīl from Jerusalem: Another Umayyad Milestone from Southern Bilād Al-shām". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 70 (3): 603–610. doi:10.1017/s0041977x07000857. JSTOR 40378940.
  4. Pringle, 1993, p. 239
  5. Thiede, Carsten Peter (2006). The Emmaus Mystery: Discovering Evidence for the Risen Christ. A&C Black. p. 195. ISBN 9780826480675. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  6. Palmer, 1881, p. 293
  7. Palmer, 1881, p. 306
  8. Clermont-Ganneau, 1896, ARP2, p. 57
  9. "List of National Parks and Nature Reserves" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  10. "Ein Hemed National Park". Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-07-21.

Bibliography
  • Survey of Western Palestine, Map 17: IAA, Wikimedia commons

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