Dayr Tarif دير طريف Deir Tarif | |
|---|---|
 Dayr Tarif remains | |
| Etymology: The monastery of Tureif ("the end")[1] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Dayr Tarif (click the buttons) | |
  Dayr Tarif Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°59′33″N34°56′23″E / 31.99250°N 34.93972°E /31.99250; 34.93972 | |
| Palestine grid | 144/155 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | July 10, 1948[4] |
| Population (1948) | |
• Total | 1,750[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Beit Arif[5] |
Dayr Tarif was aPalestinian Arab village in theRamle Subdistrict ofMandatory Palestine. It was depopulated during the1948 Arab-Israeli War on July 10, 1948.
The site is identified withBethariph, a place mentioned inEusebius'Onomasticon, which was composed in the early 4th century CE.[6] According to SWP; "South-west of the village are traces of ruins,cisterns, and 'rock-sunk' tombs, evidently Christian again, as connected with a monastery."[7]Ceramics from theByzantine era have been found here.[8]
Dayr Tarif, like the rest of Palestine, was incorporated into theOttoman Empire in 1517, and in thecensus of 1596, the village was located in thenahiya (subdistrict) ofal-Ramla under theLiwa of Gaza, with a population of 49 households, an estimated 270 persons, allMuslim. They paid a fixed tax rate of 25% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, vineyards, fruit trees, sesame, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues; a total of 9,000akçe.[9]
According to Marom, in the 18th or early 19th centuries, residents of Qibya affiliated with the Yamani camp during theQays and Yaman conflicts, alongside residents ofQibya and part of the residents ofBayt Nabala. They fought several skirmishes against rivals fromDeir Abu Mash'al andJayyous.[10]
In 1838Deir Tureif was among the villagesEdward Robinson noted from the top of theWhite Mosque, Ramla.[11]
In 1870,Victor Guérin estimated that the village had 400 inhabitants. He further noted ancient columns by themosque.[12] An Ottoman village list from about the same year found that the village had a population of 374, in a total of 93 houses, though the population count included men, only.[13][14]
In 1882 thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described the village as "A very smallhamlet at the edge of the plain. This would seem to be the place called Betariph in the 'Onomasticon,' near Diospolis (Lod)."[15]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, Dayr Tarif had a population of 836; all Muslims,[16] increasing in the1931 census to 1,246, still all Muslims, in a total of 291 houses.[17]
An elementary school was founded in 1920 and by 1947, it had 171 students.[5]
In the1945 statistics the population was 1,750, all Muslims,[2] while the total land area was 8,756dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[3] Of this, a total of 1,410 dunams were used for citrus and bananas, 486 dunums were plantations or irrigated, 5,989 forcereals,[18] while 51 dunams were classified as built-up public areas.[19]
Dayr Tarif was depopulated during the1948 Arab-Israeli War on July 10, 1948, by the Ninth Commando Battalion of the Armored Brigade ofOperation Dani. The village, with a population of 2,030, was defended by theJordanian Army, but Dayr Tarif was mostly destroyed with the exception of its school, which serves as a stable. After it was conquered, the Palestinian population was expelled. TheIDF asked for permission to destroy this village and a cluster of over a dozen others, after the commander Zvi Ayalon noted that they lacked sufficient manpower to occupy the area.[5][20]
In 1992 the village site was described: "The site, covered with the debris of destroyed houses, is overgrown with thorns and other wild plants. A number of old olive and cypress trees are scattered across the site. The school building serves as a stable. Cotton and citrus are cultivated by Israelis on the surrounding lands."[5]
