Jubb'adin

Jubb'adin or Ġuppaҁōḏ (Arabic: جبعدين, Imperial Aramaic: ܓܦܥܘܕ - גפעוד)[2] is a village in southern Syria, administratively part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate, located northeast of Damascus in the Qalamoun Mountains. Nearby localities include Saidnaya and Rankous to the southwest, Yabroud and Maaloula to the northeast, and Assal al-Ward to the northwest.

Jubb'adin
ܓܦܥܘܕ - גפעוד
جبعدين
Ġuppaҁōḏ
Village
Jubb'adin is located in Syria
Jubb'adin
Jubb'adin
Coordinates: 33.826382°N 36.509215°E / 33.826382; 36.509215
Country Syria
GovernorateRif Dimashq
Districtal-Qutayfah
SubdistrictMaaloula
Population
 (2004 census)[1]
 • Total3,778
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Area code11

According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Jubb'adin had a population of 3,778 in the 2004 census.[1] However, that number has likely decreased during the Syrian Civil War as a result of combat casualties and emigration. The village's inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.

The village is among the three last remaining villages where Western Neo-Aramaic is still spoken. Most of the younger people in the village are bilingual and speak both Western Neo-Aramaic and Syrian Arabic fluently. Jubb'adin is the main source of modern poetry written in the Western Neo-Aramaic language thanks to its many poets. The environment is colder than most other Syrian cities and villages due to its altitude.[3]

The main mosque in the village is called Jemҁa rāb or 'the large mosque' in Aramaic.

Etymology

The etymology of the village's name remains controversial. It is believed to be composed of two parts. The first part is ġuppa (Imperial Aramaic: ܓܽܦܐ), which is Aramaic for 'well' and second part is ҁōḏ (Imperial Aramaic: ܥܘܕ), which has several possible meanings. It could mean 'feast', making the name to mean 'the well of the feast'.

Another possibility is that it is a reference to Audis who founded Audianism, a sect of Christians in the 4th-century who were founded in Syria and spread into Scythia, in which case the full meaning would be 'the well of Audis'. Another theory, though less likely, is that the word is a reference to the people of ‘Ad, who are mentioned in the Quran.

Notable individuals

Famous individuals from the village include the Syrian actor Jalal Al-Taweel.

References
  1. General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
  2. AntonSamuel (11 September 2017). "English: Maaloula 7". Commons.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. Amar, Joseph (12 October 2012). "The Loss of Syria". Commonwealmagazine.org. Retrieved 22 December 2012.


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