Birzeit: Difference between revisions

Template:Infobox Palestinian Authority municipality Birzeit (Template:Lang-ar) is a town on the outskirts of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The town had a population of 4,529 in the 2007 census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).^[1] "It is a traditional Christian village whose ruins date back to the Byzantine era and beyond."[1]

The name Birzeit literally translates to "well of oil"; referring to the wells in which its inhabitants historically stored virgin-pressed olive oil. The topology of the town consists of hills and sloping terrains with its highest point known by locals as "al-Khirbeh", or "the ruin". Much of the surrounding land consists of olive trees which historically was a source of sustenance for what was primarily an agrarian society.

Today, Birzeit (also written as Bir Zeit) is a college town known for the flagship of Palestinian institutions, Birzeit University. Much of its economy tied to the student population of the University. Several surrounding villages depend on Birzeit's economy; particularly during the latest round of road closures imposed by Israel. This has led to a business expansion within the town consisting of several restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, and salons.

Everyday life in Birzeit town and the local university are described by Irish journalist David Lynch in his book, A Divided Paradise: An Irishman in the Holy Land (New Island, Jan 2009).^[2] Lynch spent the summer of 2005 living in the town, and studying in the local university and writes about his experiences there.

About the Town of Birzeit

Birzeit was made internationally known because of its famous University and the energy of its people. Birzeit University is the first Palestinian University to be established on the West Bank of Jordan, and one of its largest academic institutions. Many Palestinian leaders, academicians, engineers, doctors, artists, scientists, historians and writers are graduates of Birzeit University or sons and daughters of Birzeit.

Birzeit, the town, has been in existence for thousands of years. The early history of the town or the origin of the name, is not documented. The most common belief is that the name was originated during the Byzantine and Roman rules. It was given to a town that was located in the same vicinity of the current location. The English translation of the name Birzeit (two words) is Oil Well. It is believed that the name was given to the town because, at the time, it was famous for its olive oil, and that the inhabitants used to store the oil in wells dug in the ground. As a matter of fact, six of these old wells still exist in the old town, but are not being used. The name, Beorzetho, has appeared in several verses of the Old Testament. Beorzetho is believed to be the name that the Romans used for Birzeit.

Location

Birzeit is located about 25 Kilometers (15.6 miles) North of Jerusalem in the Rammallah province. It is located in a hilly terrain at an elevation of 780 meters (2,340 feet) above sea level. The highest of its hills is at 818 meters (2,454 feet). It is bordered by Jiffna and Ain Senia from the East, Attara from the North, Burham and Koubar from the West, Abu Shkadem and Abu Qash from the South, and Mazra'a Al Sharkia from the South West.

Climate

Temperate, with four distinct seasons, warm to hot summers, cold to mild winters.

Population

About 60% of Birziet inhabitants are Palestinian Christians, and the rest are Muslims. "The area around Birzeit was once self-sustaining. The simple farming and pastoral lifestyle of the people was destroyed after 1948. A massive refugee camp was set up on church-owned property to accommodate people fleeing death or forced evacuation from their homes. That refugee camp, Jalazon, now is home for almost 10,000 people and is located a few miles from the town. In a short time, the land could no longer support the expanded population."[2]

"In 1967, even more people were displaced across the country. The Muslim newcomers came to purchase land and settle since they realized they could not return home after the wars. The demographics of the town began to change as Christians opted to emigrate to the West seeking economic opportunities and political and social freedom."[3]

The Mayor of Birzeit is a Christian.

Christian Churches

There are three Christian churches in Birzit. The oldest one is St George Orthodox Church[4]; now the Orthodox Christian community are building another large Orthodox Church[5], and an Orthodox Christian school to be the largest in the West Bank. The second church is the Our Lady Queen of Peace - Quadalupe Roman catholic, which also runs a high school.[6]. The Third church is St. Peter’s Episcopal Church[7]

Historic Sites

Birzeit is located in an area that has witnessed a great deal of historic changes over the centuries. Many civilizations had flourished and perished in that part of the world. The ground under the town is full of ruins and artifacts from old civilizations. There are six large known ruins that can be seen around town. These include Birzeit old town, Birzeit ruins Khirbah, Tarfeen, El Rass ruins, Augbaan Monastery, and Rojoum El-Roujman. Other ruins can be located outside the town's limits, but are part of the land owned and farmed by town's people. Birzeit University has had an Archeology Department for a number of years, and they have been excavating these and many other ruins in neighboring towns.

Recent History

Birzeit's transformation to its present cultural identity is well documented. That history was kept alive by carrying it from generation to generation through word of mouth until it was documented early in the twentieth century.

There are a few documentaries, and a book by Mousa Alloush on Birzeit that attempted to capture that history. The following are a few highlights from these documents. Prior to the year 1700 AD, Birzeit was inhabited by two clans, Dar Awwad and Dar Kassab. Dar Awwad belonged to Al Qais political group, while Dar Kassab belonged to Al Yamen group. These two political groups have had ancient enmity since they lived in the Arabian Peninsula and moved out from Ma'rib in Yemen as part of the Ghassanids. That enmity flared from time to time, causing the two groups to fight bitter wars. Al Qais and Al Yamen were engaged in one of these wars at the turn of the century, when another clan, the Aranika, who belonged to Al Qais group was forced by Al Yamen to leave Ain Areek and live in Beit Ello, two Palestinian Villages near Ramallah.

The Aranika, 150 years prior to that event, had emigrated from Trans Jordan, from a town called Middean, near Al Karak, because of another tribal war, and settled in Ain Areek. In the year 1700 AD, the Aranika were sharing a small area in Beit Ello with Al Bazzar clan, which belonged to the Al Qais group. Being stranded for land, some of the Aranika decided to return to Ain Areek and claim their land back. The remaining Aranika decided with Al Bazzar clan to invade Birzeit and rid it of Dar Kassab and claim their land and belongings. In a surprise attack, the two clans succeeded in killing the leaders of Dar Kassab and fourteen others of their men. The rest of Kassabs fled the town. The two clans had also occupied other villages in the area. In a toss-up, the Aranika won Birzeit, while Al Bazzar got the other villages. The Aranika quickly moved into Birzeit and distributed the land of Dar Al Kassab among themselves. Dar Awwad, on the other hand, kept their belongings and lived with the new comers in harmony. The town has expanded a great deal since those events took place. Much of the land that is owned today by the people of Birzeit was bought from neighboring villages. Many other families also joined the town, including the Aranika families who previously opted to return to Ain Areek. Other families moved into town as refugees of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.

Emigration

Birzeitis started to emigrate to other countries at the turn of the twentieth century. Many events encouraged that emigration. These include World War I, World War II, loss of Palestine in 1948, 1967 war when the rest of Palestine fell under Israeli occupation, the Palestinian Intifada, and the current instability of the peace process. These events have had an emotional and economical effect on the population and forced many of them to emigrate. Many of the émigrés have come to the United States looking for a better and safer life. As the Birzeiti communities started to expand in the United States, and as their linkage among its families started to wane, the idea of having a society to perpetuate family ties began to take hold. This resulted in the establishment of Birzeit Society in 1987.

• Birzeit University
• Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate

• Birzeit Society (for Birzeitis)