Migdal Afek (Hebrew:מגדל אפק), alsoMigdal Tsedek (Tzedek, Zedek;Hebrew:מגדל צדק), is a national park on the southeastern edge ofRosh HaAyin,Israel. The ruins of a fortified manor house built by a sheikh during the 19th century, among which remains of the Crusader castle of Mirabel can be seen, are today known in Hebrew as Migdal Afek or Migdal Tsedek.[1][2] It is the site of the depopulated Palestinian village ofMajdal Yaba.
Migdal Aphek (Hebrew:מגדל אפק;Ancient Greek:Αφεχού πύργος, 'AphekPyrgos') means 'Tower of Aphek' in both those languages.[3]
Migdal Tsedek means "Tower of Sadek" in Hebrew, referring to the name of Sheikh Sadek al-Rayyan.[4]
The walled Jewish settlement of Migdal Aphek or Afek stood at the site as early as the second century BCE, and was destroyed by the Romans during theFirst Jewish–Roman War in 67 CE.
From a Byzantine-period church, a lintel set over a stone-built doorway survives, bearing the Greek inscription "ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΗΡΥΚΟΥ",Martyr shrine (martyrion) ofSaint Kyriko.[5][6] The room behind it was used by the al-Rayyan sheikh as a stable and for fodder storage.[6]
In theCrusader period, a castle named Mirabel was built at the site of ancient Migdal Afek. It was described in Muslim sources in 1225 as a village with a fortress calledMajdal Yaba.[1]
For a short time under Ottoman rule, its name was changed from that toMajdal Sadiq and then back again.
In the 17th century, the village was taken over by the Rayyān family, who arrived fromTransjordan and built a two-story manor house.[1]
During World War I, Migdal Afek was the site of battles between theCentral Powers (forces of the Ottoman, German, and Austro-Hungarian empires) and the British imperialEgyptian Expeditionary Force.[7]
In the 1940s, theSolel Boneh quarry at Migdal Tzedek was used byTa'as, the underground Jewish arms industry, for testing the first weapons it produced.[8]
The Arab village was depopulated by theIDF in July 1948, during theNakba.[9][10]
32°4′51″N34°57′25″E / 32.08083°N 34.95694°E /32.08083; 34.95694
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