Al-Tina التينة | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: The fig tree[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-Tina (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Tina Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°44′48″N34°49′11″E / 31.74667°N 34.81972°E /31.74667; 34.81972 | |
| Palestine grid | 133/128 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | July 8–9, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,001 dunams (7.001 km2 or 2.703 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 750[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
Al-Tina, orKhirbet et-Tineh was aPalestinian Arab village in theRamle Subdistrict ofMandatory Palestine. The village was located between theShfela and southernIsraeli coastal plain. It was depopulated during the1948 Arab–Israeli War on July 8, 1948, by theGivati Brigade underOperation An-Far. It was located 20. km south ofRamla. The hill on which the village was built stands today next to theKiryat Mal'akhi – Yoav railway station and next toHighway 6. Archeological excavations at the site revealed the remains of aByzantine settlement.[5]
Based on the archaeological excavation in the eastern foot of the hill on which the village used to stand, a settlement was established in the site as early as theByzantine era. Pottery, glassware and coins allowed the researchers to date this settlement to a short period between roughly 375 to 425 CE. The excavation has revealed remains of what may be a storehouse, with many broken wine jars. The structure included a drainage system that collected water from its roof to somewhere beyond the excavation limits. The region is abundant with water and thus the hill serves as a good place for settlement. Elie Haddad who headed the excavation suggested that this abundance of water is hinted in the name of the village, "the fig tree", as it requires a large supply of water to grow. The identity of the Byzantine inhabitants remains unknown and based on the study, the site remained unsettled until the Ottoman period.[5]
Al-Tina was incorporated into theOttoman Empire in 1517 with all ofPalestine, and in 1596 it appeared in thetax registers under the name ofSafiriyya, as being in thenahiya ("subdistrict") of Gaza, which was part ofGaza Sanjak. It had a population of 10 households; an estimated 55 persons, who were allMuslims. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, sesame, fruit trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues; a total of 4,350akçe.[6][7]
In 1838, it was noted as a Muslim village,el Letineh, in the Gaza District.[8] In 1851–52,van de Velde noted many old stone laying about the village.[9]
In 1863Victor Guérin found a population is four hundred souls. He further noted some antique stones which were scattered in thecemetery or have been placed around the opening of thewell.[10]
An Ottoman village list from about 1870 showed thattine had 96 houses and a population of 277, though the population count included men, only.[11][12]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as an ordinaryadobe village, with awell to the south.[13]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Tineh had a population of 396, all Muslims,[14] increasing in the1931 census to 530, still all Muslims, in a total of 131 houses.[15]
'Abd al-Fattah Humud (1933-1968), one of the founding members ofFatah, was born in the village.[7]
In the1945 statistics the village had a population of 750 Muslims,[2] with 7,001 dunams of land.[3] Of this, 141 dunams were used for citrus and bananas, 5,639 for cereals,[16] while 24 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[17]
An elementary school was founded in 1946 and it had an initial enrollment of 67 students.[7]
Al-Tina was depopulated during the1948 Arab–Israeli War on July 8, 1948, by theGivati Brigade underOperation An-Far.[4][18][19][20][21][22][23]
In 1992 the village site was described: "The village has been completely effaced. Next to the site is a wide area, overgrown with bushes and thorns, that is fenced in on the southern side. An orange grove is planted on the northern and western edges of the site. A highway that runs east-west passes to the south, and a railway line passes by about 100 meters to the east."[7]
In July–August 2016 a trial excavation took place in the eastern side of the hill. It was the first archaeological excavation in the site and was headed by Elie Haddad on behalf of theIsrael Antiquities Authority. The excavation took place ahead of the construction of an access road to theKiryat Mal'akhi – Yoav railway station which was under construction at the time. 9 excavation squares were opened.[5]
