Asira ash-Shamaliya

Asira ash-Shamaliya (Arabic: عصيرة الشماليّة) is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate, located 3.5 kilometers north of Nablus in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of approximately 8,813 inhabitants in 2017.[2]

Asira ash-Shamaliya
Municipality type C
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicعصيرة الشماليّة
 • LatinAsira al-Shamaliyeh (official)
'Asira ash-Shamaliyah (unofficial)
Asira ash-Shamaliya
Asira ash-Shamaliya
Asira ash-Shamaliya is located in State of Palestine
Asira ash-Shamaliya
Asira ash-Shamaliya
Location of Asira ash-Shamaliya within Palestine
Coordinates: 32°15′02″N 35°16′01″E
Palestine grid175/184
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateNablus
Government
 • TypeMunicipality (from 1997)
 • Head of MunicipalityMohammad Mahmoud Jawabra
Area
 • Total29,442 dunams (29.4 km2 or 11.4 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total8,813
 • Density300/km2 (780/sq mi)
Name meaning"firewood of the north". Old: Asiret el Hatab, The difficult place of timber[1]
Websitewww.asira.org.ps

Location

‘Asira ash Shamaliya is located 3.5 km north of Nablus. It is bordered by Talluza, Al Badhan, and 'Azmut to the east, Nablus to the south, Zawata, Ijnisinya, and Nisf Jubeil to the west, and Beit Imrin and Yasid to the north.[3]

Etymology

According to Palmer, the old name Asiret el Hatab means The difficult place of timber.[1] According to the local municipality, in Arabic, the word Asira means "firewood" and refers to the town's (and nearby Asira al-Qibliya's) abundance of forests which was used by residents to sell firewood.[4]

History

Pottery sherds from the Iron Age I,[5] Iron Age II,[5] late Roman,[5] Byzantine,[5][6] early Muslim[5] and Medieval eras[5] have been found here.

South east of the village centre (at grid no. 175/183) is a site where a quantity of pottery from Iron Age I has been found.[7]

In 1166, a Crusader estate called Asine was located here.[5]

Ottoman era

In 1517, the village was included in the Ottoman empire with the rest of Palestine, and in the 1596 tax-records it appeared as 'Asirah, located in the Nahiya of Jabal Sami, part of Nablus Sanjak. The population was 19 households and 5 bachelors, all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax rate of 33.3% on agricultural products, such as wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues and a fixed tax for people of Nablus area; a total of 3,335 akçe.[8]

In 1838 Robinson placed 'Asiret el Hatab in the Wady esh-Sha'ir district, west of Nablus.[9]

In 1870, Victor Guérin noted about the village, which he called A'sireh, that it was: "a considerable village, whose inhabitants are considered industrious. Their houses are better built than in many other places in Palestine. Around the village, there are some gardens planted with figs, olive trees and vegetables."[10]

In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Asira ash-Shamaliya, which they called 'Asiret el Hatab as: "a large village on a round knoll, with olive groves on every side."[11]

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, 'Asira Shamaliyeh had a population of 1,179; 1,178 Muslims[12] and 1 Orthodox Christian,[13] increasing in the 1931 census to 1,544, all Muslim, in 329 houses.[14]

In the 1945 statistics the population was 2,060, all Muslims,[15] with 30,496 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[16] Of this, 4,850 dunams were used for plantations and irrigable land, 11,765 were for cereals,[17] while 101 dunams were built-up (urban) land.[18]

Jordanian era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Asira ash-Shamaliya came under Jordanian rule.

In 1961, the population of Asira Shamaliya was 3,232.[19]

Post-1967

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Asira ash-Shamaliya has been under Israeli occupation. The population of 'Asira Shamaliya in the 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 3,217, of whom 53 originated from Israeli territory.[20]

After the 1995 accords, 62% of village land was classified as Area A, 24% as Area B, and the remaining 14% as Area C.[21]

Possible ancient identifications

According to PEF Survey of Palestine (1882), Asira ash-Shamaliya could be the Aesora of Judith 4:4.[11]

According to Zertal (2004), Asira is one of the candidates for the place Haserot, which was mentioned in the Samaria Ostraca.[22] Another candidate for Haserot is the ruin el-Kebarrah (grid 1793/1967), located SW of Sir.[23]

Notable residents

References
  1. Palmer, 1881, p. 179
  2. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (February 2018). "Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017" (PDF). p. 69. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  3. ‘Asira ash Shamaliya town profile, ARIJ, p. 4
  4. Asira al-Shamalia Municipality Archived August 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Zertal, 2004, p. 528
  6. Dauphin, 1998, p. 770
  7. Zertal, 2004, pp. 529-530
  8. Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 128. NB: typo: wrong gridno. in Hütteroth and Abdulfattah tables, on Hutteroth.png z1 is in correct position at (175/184)
  9. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 128
  10. Guérin, 1874, pp. 368 -369
  11. Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 155
  12. Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 24
  13. Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 47
  14. Mills, 1932, p. 59
  15. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 18
  16. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 59
  17. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 105
  18. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 155
  19. Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 14
  20. Perlmann, Vol 1, Tab 2: Asira Shamaliya.
  21. ‘Asira ash Shamaliya town profile, ARIJ, p. 16
  22. Zertal, 2004, pp. 78-79
  23. Zertal, 2004, pp. 237-238

Bibliography
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