Abu Shukheidim | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | ابو شخيدم |
 Northern part of Abu Shukheidim | |
  Abu Shukheidim Location of Abu Shukheidim withinPalestine | |
| Coordinates:31°57′53″N35°10′25″E / 31.96472°N 35.17361°E /31.96472; 35.17361 | |
| Palestine grid | 166/152 |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Ramallah and al-Bireh |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Head of Municipality | Abdullah Ladadwa |
| Area | |
• Total | 15,500 dunams (15.5 km2 or 6.0 sq mi) |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 2,438 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Name meaning | The father of Shukheidim[2] |
Abu Shukheidim was aPalestinian village in theRamallah and al-Bireh Governorate.
In 2005 it merged with the village ofAl-Mazra'a al-Qibliya to form the town ofAl-Zaitounah.
Abu Shukheidim does not appear in records from the 16th century. By the 19th century, it was a small village. The village, founded when the area was underOttoman rule, likely grew into a permanent settlement as a result of the localQays–Yaman war.[3]
Potterysherds from theHellenistic/Roman,Byzantine,Crusader/Ayyubid and theMamluk eras have been found here.[4]
Sherds from the early Ottoman era has also been found here. The historical core of the village is predominantly uninhabited.[4]
In 1838, it was noted as aMuslim village,Abu Shukheidim, in the Bani Harith district, north of Jerusalem.[5][6]
In 1863Victor Guérin found it consisting of a dozen houses. Abirket (artificial pond) was lined on the inside with good cement, but needed repairs. Near thebirket were several very old buildings. The villagers were compelled to stock up on water at awell located at the bottom of the mountain whose village occupies the summit.[7]
An Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed thatAbu Schechedim had 14 houses and a population of 76, though the population count included men, only.[8][9]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine describedAbu Shukheidim as a village resemblingAbu Qash, and supplied by the same well.[10]
In 1896 the population of 'Abu schechedim was estimated to be about 204 persons.[11]
In the1922 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, the population ofAbu Iskhajdam was 139 Muslims,[12] increasing in the1931 census to 201 Muslims, in 47 houses.[13]
In1945 statisticsAbu Shukheidim had a population of 250 Muslims,[14] and a total land area of 1,430dunams.[15] Of this, 781 dunams were for plantations and irrigable land, 178 were for cereals,[16] while 23 dunams were built-up areas.[17]
In the wake of the1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the1949 Armistice Agreements, Abu Shukheidim came underJordanian rule.
The Jordanian census of 1961 found 1,358 inhabitants.[18]
Since theSix-Day War in 1967, Abu Shukheidim has been underIsraeli occupation.
After the1995 accords, 54.2% ofAl-Zaitounah land was defined asArea B, while the remaining 45.8% was defined asArea C. Israel has confiscated 308 dunams of land from Al-Zaitounah in order to construct twoIsraeli settlements,Talmon andNahl'iel.[19]
Abu Shukheidim's population in 1922 was estimated at 139 people, and in 1945, 150 people.[20] After an influx of refugees in 1967, the number reached about 5,069 people; in 1987 it became 773 people, and in 1996 the number reached 1,025.[citation needed] The population was 2,438 in 2017.[1]
Most of the village's residents have roots inDeir Dibwan, although the original settlers came fromHebron. There's an old ruin nearby sharing the same name, and a family with the same name in Hebron.[3]
