Zir'in

Zir'in زرعين Zer'en
The Tower House of Zir'in, by Felix Bonfils, before 1885.
1870s map 1940s map modern map 1940s with modern overlay map A series of historical maps of the area around Zir'in (click the buttons)
Zir'in Location within Mandatory Palestine
Coordinates: 32°33′27″N 35°19′40″E / 32.55750°N 35.32778°E / 32.55750; 35.32778
Palestine grid	181/218
Geopolitical entity	Mandatory Palestine
Subdistrict	Jenin
Date of depopulation	May 28, 1948[1]
Area
• Total	23,920 dunams (23.92 km2 or 9.24 sq mi)
Population  (1945)
• Total	1,420
Cause(s) of depopulation	Military assault by Yishuv forces
Current Localities	Yizre'el,[2] Avital[2]

Zir'in (Arabic: زرعين), also spelled Zerin and Zerein, was a Palestinian Arab village of over 1,400 in the Jezreel Valley, located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) north of Jenin. Identified as the ancient town of Yizre'el (Jezreel), it was known as Zir'in during Islamic rule, and was near the site of the Battle of Ain Jalut, in which the Mamluks halted Mongol expansion southward. Under the Ottomans, it was a small village, expanding during the British Mandate in the early 20th century. After its capture by Israel in 1948, Zir'in was destroyed. The Israeli kibbutz of Yizre'el was established shortly after on the village lands of Zir'in.