Ajanjul عجنجول 'Ajanjul, Ajenjul[1] | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Kh. Junjul: The ruin of Junjul[2] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Ajanjul (click the buttons) | |
  Ajanjul Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°52′17″N35°01′26″E / 31.87139°N 35.02389°E /31.87139; 35.02389 | |
| Palestine grid | 152/142 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
Ajanjul (Arabic:عجنجول,Ajanjǔl) was aPalestinianArab village in theRamle Subdistrict ofMandatory Palestine. It was depopulated during the1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine.
The name /ʽglgwl/ is ofAramaic extraction, meaning a "small calf".[3]
TheAbu Ghosh family took up residence in Ajanjul in the 18th century. The village is described as a place "from where they (the Abu Ghosh) controlled theValley of Ayalon, including the important village ofBayt Liqya".[4]
In 1838, it was noted as a place "in ruins or deserted."[1]
In 1883, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine found atKh. Junjul: "traces of ruins".[5]
By the beginning of the 20th century, residents fromBeit 'Anan settled the site, establishing it as a dependency – or satellite village – of their home village.[6]
According to acensus conducted in 1931 by theBritish Mandate authorities, Ajanjul had a population of 19, in 5 houses.[7]
In the1945 statistics the population ofBeit Nuba and Ajanjul was 1,240, all Muslims,[8] while the total land area was 11,401dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[9] Of this, 1,002 dunams were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 6,997 for cereals,[10] while 74 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[11]
There is no record of what happened to the villagers in 1948.[12]
In 1992 the village site was described: ”The stone debris of houses, concentrated in a small spot and overgrown with wild vegetation, are all that remains of the village. Fig, almond, and mulberry trees also grow on and around the site. On the southern side of the village there is a rocky structure containing two graves; southwest of it lies the village cemetery, where two stone graves are visible. The area is closed and is located along the 1967 border betweenJordan and Israel."[12]
