Marus ماروس | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Kh. Marus=the ruin of Marus, where "Marus" comes from a personal name.[1] | |
  Marus Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:33°01′43″N35°31′42″E / 33.02861°N 35.52833°E /33.02861; 35.52833 | |
| Palestine grid | 199/270 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Safad |
| Date of depopulation | 26 May 1948/ 30 October 1948[4] |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 80[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Secondary cause | Military assault byYishuv forces |
Marus (Arabic:ماروس) was aPalestinian village inUpper Galilee, 7 km northeast ofSafad. In theRoman and medieval period it hadJewish population, and by the 16th century it became entirelyMuslim. After a period of desertion, theOttoman authorities resettled it withAlgerian Arabs in the 19th century. It was depopulated in 1948 during theOperation Hiram by the Israeli attacking brigadeSheva' Brigade.
In 1875,Victor Guérin found major ruins here. He described the place as a destroyed Arab village.[5]
In 1881 thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine found here: "Modern and ancient ruins; a spring in a rock-cut cave, ancient foundations of good-sized stones; the foundations of a small rectangular building to the west of the eastern portion of the ruin. Some rock-cut tombs and many caves in hills around."[6]
Starting in 1981 Zvi Ilan excavated in sites next to the 20th century village in different directions. Excavations revealed signs of a long-standing community, and Jewish presence at some periods. Anancient synagogue built in the late 4th or early 5th century,[7] and a relatedBeth midrash of the 7th century,[8] a cache of coins ranging from the 5th to 9th centuries, anecropolis partly of the 1st century CE, and sherds fromRoman to earlyOttoman period. There are remains of a defensive wall of large stones, and a hewn moat.[9]
Based on the archaeological findings and the name Marus, archaeologist Zvi Ilan suggested Marus is to be identified with the townMeroth. Meroth (Ancient Greek:Μηρωθ) is mentioned byJosephus as a border town between Jewish Galilee andTyre in theFirst Jewish–Roman War, and a place he fortified early in the war. Previous suggestions as to its location includedMaroun al-Ras, andMeiron, which show less archaeological parallels. The name possibly derives fromמערות (Me'arot,caves).[9]
Marus is probably mentioned in aSamaritan medieval manuscript, again as the border of Tyre, and in a pilgrimage guide of the 14th century.[9]
In 1596, Marus was part of theOttoman Empire, a village in thenahiya (subdistrict) ofJira under theliwa' ("district") ofSafad, with a population of 176. It paid taxes on a number of crops, includingwheat,barley, and fruits as well as on goats.[10][11] All the villagers were Muslim.[12]
In the second half of the 19th century Algerian followers ofAbdelkader El Djezairi have been defeated by the French in Algeria, and sought refuge in another part of the Ottoman Empire. They were given lands in various locations inOttoman Syria, including Marus, and the close byDayshum,Ammuqa,Al-Husayniyya, andTulayl.[13]
In theBritish Mandate period the village was classified as ahamlet by thePalestine Index Gazetteer.[14] In the1922 census of Palestine, Marus had a population of 45; all Muslims,[15] increasing in the1931 census to 59, still all Muslims, in a total of 12 houses.[16]
Grain cultivation and animal husbandry represented the chief sources of livelihood for the villagers. Figs as well as other fruits were also cultivated mainly to the east, northeast, and north of the site. Columns, tombs carved in rock, presses, and a cave with a carved stone entrance have been found at the site.[17]
In the1945 statistics the population was 80 Muslims,[2] and the total land area was 3,183dunums.[3] Of this, 108 dunums were plantations and irrigable land, 903 used forcereals,[18] while 8 dunams were built-up (urban) land.[19]
The village was occupied by theIsraeli Defense Force'sSheva' Brigade, during theOperation Hiram at the close of1948 Arab-Israeli war.
According to the Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi, describing the village land in 1992: "The site contains some olive and fig trees as well as stones from ruined homes. The surrounding land is used for grazing."[20]
