Al-Zuq al-Tahtani الزوق التحتاني | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Residents of al-Zuk al-Tahtani seen from aPalmach convoy. 1947. | |
| Etymology: the lower Zuk (Zuk is a Syriac word meaning "town", or "village")[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-Zuq al-Tahtani (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Zuq al-Tahtani Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:33°12′54″N35°36′04″E / 33.21500°N 35.60111°E /33.21500; 35.60111 | |
| Palestine grid | 205/291 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Safad |
| Date of depopulation | May 11, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 11,634dunams (11.634 km2; 4.492 sq mi) |
| Population (1948) | |
• Total | 1,050[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Current Localities | Beyt Hillel[5] |
Al-Zuq al-Tahtani was aPalestinianArab village in theSafad Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on May 11, 1948, by the Palmach's First Battalion ofOperation Yiftach. It was located 30 km northeast ofSafad.
In historical sources, the name "al-Zuq" initially referred specifically to the area now known asAl-Zuq al-Tahtani, located several kilometers south ofAl-Zuq al-Fawqani. Over time, the name was gradually extended northward and began to apply to the adjacent village as well. This shift in toponymic usage is evident in 19th-century geographic records, including works byEdward Robinson, the French military map compiled byCharles Gélis, and theSurvey of Western Palestine. Researchers have noted that this kind of name transfer between neighboring locations is a recognized feature ofPalestinian toponymy.[6]
In 1875,Victor Guérin noted it south ofAl-Zuq al-Fawqani, but with lesser important ruins.[7]In 1881, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine describedZuk et Tahta: "Stone and mud village, with ruined Arab houses on north side, and a mill; contains about 100 Moslems; situated on the Huleh Plain; arable land around, and a large stream near".[8]
In the1931 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, Al-Zuq al-Tahtani had a population of 626 Muslims, in a total of 137 houses.[9]
In the1945 statistics, the village had a total population of 1,050 Muslims,[2] with a total of 11,634 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[3] Of this, Arabs used 5,547 for plantations and irrigable land, 2,145 dunums were for cereals;[10] while a 39 dunams were classified as built-up, urban areas.[11]
It became depopulated on May 11, 1948,[4] in the aftermath ofOperation Broom.[12]
In 1950 the re-establishedBeyt Hillel was expanded to include Al-Zuq al-Tahtani land.[5]
