Ein Karem

Ein Karem
Hebrew: עין כרם
Arabic: عين كارم
Neighborhood of Jerusalem
View of Ein Karem
View of Ein Karem
Map
Coordinates: 31°46′5″N 35°9′44″E / 31.76806°N 35.16222°E / 31.76806; 35.16222
Country Israel
DistrictJerusalem District
CityJerusalem
FoundedMiddle Bronze Age
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total
1,620

Ein Karem (Hebrew: עֵין כֶּרֶם, ʿEin Kerem lit. "Spring of the Vineyard"; in Arabic ʿAyn Kārim;[2] also Ain Karem, Ein Kerem) is a historic mountain village southwest of Jerusalem, presently a neighborhood in the outskirts of the modern city, within the Jerusalem District. It is the site of the Hadassah Medical Center.

Ein Karem was an important Jewish village during the late Second Temple period,[3][4] during which it became important to Christianity. Christian tradition holds that John the Baptist was born in Ein Karem, following the biblical verse in Luke saying John's family lived in a "town in the hill country of Judea". Probably because of its location between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, this location was a very comfortable one for a pilgrimage, and this led to the establishment of many churches and monasteries in the area.

During the years of Ottoman and later British rule in Palestine, Ein Karem was a Palestinian Arab village. It was depopulated of its residents during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.[5][6] After the war it became once again a Jewish settlement.[7] Today, Ein Karem is a vibrant bohemian neighborhood of Jerusalem, with a population of 2,000 (2010).[8] It has retained a very high-level of authenticity, its natural environment remains intact, and its old houses are still inhabited and preserved.[4] It attracts three million visitors a year, one-third of them pilgrims from around the world.[8] Alongside its religious landmarks, Ein Karem is also known for its fine art, culinary, and musical scenes.[9]

  1. ^ "Table III/14 – Population of Jerusalem, by Age, Quarter, Sub-Quarter and Statistical Area, 2017" (PDF). jerusaleminstitute.org.il. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  2. ^ Sharon, 2004, p. 155
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Ein Karem, a village and its cultural landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  5. ^ Morris, 2004, p. xx, village #360. Also gives cause of depopulation.
  6. ^ "'Ayn Karim – عين كارم –Jerusalem – Palestine Remembered". palestineremembered.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  7. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Ein Karem, a village and its cultural landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  8. ^ a b Dvir, Noam (25 August 2010). "Ein Karem Under Threat". Haaretz. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Visiting Ein Karem". iTravelJerusalem. Retrieved 2021-12-25.