al-Jammama الجمامه al-Jamama | |
|---|---|
Village | |
.jpg) Horses at Jemmameh duringWWI | |
| Etymology: Kh. Jemmâmeh, "the ruin of abundance, or of reservoirs"[1] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Al-Jammama (click the buttons) | |
  al-Jammama Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°29′55″N34°41′10″E / 31.49861°N 34.68611°E /31.49861; 34.68611 | |
| Palestine grid | 120/100 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Beersheba |
| Date of depopulation | May 22, 1948[2] |
| Population (1931) | |
• Total | 6 (not including Bedouin inhabitants) |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Ruhama[3] |
Al-Jammama (Arabic:الجمامه) was aPalestinian Arab village located in theNegev desert 30 km north west of the city of Beersheba. Its settled population was recorded as six in the 1931 census.
The village was an archeological site, containing cisterns, an olive press, mosaic floors, tombs, the crown of a stone column, and stone tools from theMiddle Paleolithic period have been found in the vicinity.[4]
An invocation text,May Allah have mercy on you, Amr b. Sahl al Jahmi, dating from early 2nd centuryA.H./ 9th centuryC.E., was found by the remnants of an ancient bath in Al-Jammama. The inscription is presently in KibbutzRuhama.[5]
A construction text, for the construction of acistern or awell, dating to late 5th AH/11th century CE, has also been found at Al-Jammama.[5]
In 1863,Victor Guérin described it as an ’inconsiderable’ ruin.[6]
In 1883, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) found atKhurbet Jemmameh: "Remains of a ruined village, about 20 houses. Rubblecisterns. A springwell, dry in summer. An olive press and a piece oftesselated pavement."[7]
At the end ofWorld War I, on 8 November 1917, the British defeated theOttoman force in Al-Jammama, which resulted in aBritish occupation of the village.[8] In the1931 census it had 6 inhabitants; all Muslim, in 1 house.[9]
Al-Jammama had an elementary school, which was founded in 1944.[3] Thekibbutz ofRuhama was also established in 1944 on the village's land.[3]
During the1948 Arab–Israeli War it was captured by Israel'sNegev andGivati brigades on May 22, 1948, and its inhabitants were expelled. Following the war the area was incorporated into theState of Israel.
According to the Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi, the remaining structures on the village land were in 1992: "A few walls remain on the slopes of hills, surrounded by shrubs and thorns. Cactuses and gum trees grow on the site. The site is used for animal grazing; it also has a stable for horses. The surrounding lands are used for agriculture. Bedouin still camp near the site occasionally to take advantage of nearby pasture."[3]
