Beit Ur al-Fauqa

Beit Ur al-Fauqa
Municipality type C
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicبيت عور الفوقا
 • LatinBayt ’Ur al-Fauqa (official)
Beit ’Ur al-Foqa
Bayt ‘Ūr al-Fawqā
Beit Ur al-Fauqa is located in State of Palestine
Beit Ur al-Fauqa
Beit Ur al-Fauqa
Location of Beit Ur al-Fauqa within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°53′09″N 35°06′51″E / 31.88583°N 35.11417°E / 31.88583; 35.11417
Palestine grid160/143
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateRamallah and al-Bireh
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
Elevation
[1]
597 m (1,959 ft)
Population
 (2017)[2]
 • Total1,049
Name meaning"Upper House of Ur"[3]

Beit Ur al-Fauqa (Arabic: بيت عور الفوقا) is a Palestinian village located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the northern West Bank, 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) west of Ramallah and 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) southeast of Beit Ur al-Tahta.

Beit 'Ur al-Fauqa is identified with the ancient town of Upper Bethoron,[4][5] with archaeological evidence dating its origins to the Iron Age.[6] Positioned on two hilltops near Route 443, the historic "ascent of Bethoron" pass, the site witnessed significant battles in biblical times and later during the Maccabean Revolt and the First Jewish–Roman War due to its strategic importance.[7]

During the later Roman and Byzantine periods, the town's significance waned, and by the early 5th century, it had become a small village, as noted by Jerome.[7] Eventually, this settlement was abandoned, with no mention in Arabic sources,[7] though remains from the Crusader and Ayyubid periods have been found here.[7][8] The current village is a modern settlement that were once a small hamlet until the latter half of the 20th century.[7]

Today, Beit 'Ur al-Fauqa is a small village,[9] with most residents tracing their origins to Dura.[10] Since 1967, it has been under Israeli occupation, with its territory split between Area B and Area C following the Oslo Accords.[11] According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of 1,049 in the 2017 census.[2]

  1. ^ Beit ‘Ur al Fauqa Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 4
  2. ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  3. ^ Palmer, 1881, p. 287
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gray was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bethoron was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Sharon2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pringle29 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Etkes, Dror (2019-08-18). "What occupation looks like for Rashida Tlaib's village in the West Bank". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference ARIJ16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).