al-Qabu القبو Qabu, Kabu | |
|---|---|
 Themosque for Shaykh Ahmad al-Umari | |
| Etymology: "the vault, or cellar"[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-Qabu (click the buttons) | |
  al-Qabu Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°43′40″N35°07′10″E / 31.72778°N 35.11944°E /31.72778; 35.11944 | |
| Palestine grid | 161/126 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Jerusalem |
| Date of depopulation | 22–23 October 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,806dunams (3.806 km2; 1.470 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 260[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Mevo Beitar |
Al-Qabu (Arabic:القبو, "the vault, or cellar")[1] was aPalestinianArab village in theJerusalem Subdistrict. The name is an Arabic variation of the site's originalRoman name, and the ruins of a church there are thought to date to the era ofByzantine orCrusader rule overPalestine.
Al-Qabu was depopulated on 22–23 October 1948, following the1948 Arab-Israeli War.[5][6] Following Israel's establishment, homes in the village were blown up byIsraeli troops in May 1949 and in 1950, themoshav ofMevo Beitar was founded on the village lands.
Situated on a hilltop that sloped downward steeply on three sides, to the south lay a secondary road that linked al-Qabu to the highway betweenBayt Jibrin andJerusalem which lay at a distance of about 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi).[7]
During the period ofRoman rule over Palestine, the place was known asQobi orQobia.[8] It is mentioned in theCopper Scroll and theBabylonian Talmud.[9][10] The village had a spring, and was located at the tenthmilestone on the road constructed between Bayt Jibrin and Jerusalem under emperorHadrian.[8][11] TheArabic name of the Palestinian village, al-Qabu, was a modification of the ancient name.[7]
A ruined church by the village was visited by a team from theSurvey of Western Palestine in 1873, and they determined that it appeared to date to the period of theCrusades,[12] while other researchers, such as Reverend Dom M. Gisler,OSB in 1939,[11] have determined that it dates to theByzantine era.[13] A 2001 excavation conducted on behalf of theIsraeli Antiquities Authority concluded that the church was constructed in two phases, the first during the Byzantine period and the second during the Crusader period, from which somewall paintings have survived.[14]
In 1838, in theOttoman era, it was noted as aMuslim village in the district of al-Arqub; southwest of Jerusalem.[15]Edward Robinson further noted that the village was located "among steep rocky mountains".[16]
In 1856 the village was namedel Kabu onKiepert's map of Palestine published that year.[17]
In 1863Victor Guérin described the village, "perched like an eagle's nest", and surrounded by gardens.[18] AnOttoman village list from about 1870 found that al-Qabu had a population of 28, in 18 houses, though the population count included men, only.[19][20]
In 1883, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described the village as being of moderate size, situated on a high hill, with houses built of stone. Other features mentioned were the presence of a ruinedchurch on the hillside, southwest of the village, and two springs in the valley to the west.[21]
The village was laid out in a rectangular plan, extending in a north–south direction along the secondary road. The houses in the village were built primarily of stone. A few small shops in the village were located around its main square. Al-Qabu also had a shrine dedicated to one Shaykh Amad al-'Umari that stood southeast of the village site.[5]
In the1922 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, al-Qabu had a population 139, all Muslims,[22] increasing in the1931 census to 192, still all Muslim; in a total of 31 houses.[23]
Several springs around the village, including Ayn Tuz and Ayn al-Bayada, provided water for its residents.[24] The Ain al-Sharqiya, meaning "the eastern spring", also lay close by.[25]
In the1945 statistics, al-Qabu had a population of 260, all Muslims,[2] with a total of 3,806 dunams of land.[3] In 1944-45 the villagers had allocated a total of 1,233dunums of village land to the cultivation ofcereals; 436 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.Olive trees covered 30 dunams of land,[24][26] while 12 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[27]
The village apparently changed hands several times in the 1948-1949 period,[24]Morris writes that the village was first depopulated on 22–23 October 1948.[4] However, in March 1949 theIDF mounted a series of major attacks eastwards, in the area of al-Qabu. The aim was to gain more territory, drive concentrations of Arabs eastwards, and createfacts on the ground before a scheduledUN survey of Israeli and Jordanian positions.[28] Notwithstanding these orders, the Israeli UN liaison officers were at pains to describe to the UN observers that the military clashes were the result of Arab incursions and attacks.[29] In reality, Israeli troops were given direct orders to take al-Qabu, Khirbet Sanasin, alJab'a, and Khirbet al-Hamam, even if it meant battlingJordanian troops.[30]
Over the course of their operations, Israeli troops from theFourth Brigade took several hilltops, and went on to clear the area of Arabs. The force, which was armed withmachine-guns andmortars, were ordered to "hit every [adult male] Arab spotted in the area [but] not to harm women and children".[31]
After signing the1949 Armistice Agreements with Jordan on 3 April, a question arose about the villagers of al-Qabu andal-Walaja, whose inhabitants had gradually returned. These two villages were in Israeli territory under the Armistice Agreement, and Israel wanted them empty. On 1 May 1949, Israeli troops raided the villagers and blew up the houses. IDF reports that the villagers fled.[6]
In 1950, themoshav ofMevo Beitar was established on land that had belonged to al-Qabu.[24] According to Petersen, remains of the Palestinian village at the site include the church, amosque, and ashrine for Shaykh Ahmad al-Umari. The mosque is a square structure, with acourtyard, and it appears to be built of stones removed from the old church.[32]
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