Magen, Israel

Magen (Hebrew: מָגֵן, lit. 'Shield') is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev desert and covering 8,500 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2021, it had a population of 537.[1]

Magen
מָגֵן‎
Magen is located in Northwest Negev region of Israel
Magen
Magen
Magen is located in Israel
Magen
Magen
Coordinates: 31°17′59″N 34°25′37″E
CountryIsrael
DistrictSouthern
CouncilEshkol
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded16 August 1949
Founded byRomanian Jews
Population
 (2021)[1]
537
Websitewww.magen.org.il

History
Kibbutz Magen, 1949
Tomb of Sheikh Nuran

During World War I, British forces established an air base here after the withdrawal of the Turks.[2] The kibbutz was established by immigrants from Romania on 16 August 1949. The site was on the remains of the Maqam (shrine) of Sheikh Nuran, probably the site of the biblical town of Bethul (Joshua 19:4)[3] and a battlefield during Operation Assaf in the 1948 Arab–Israeli war.

The swimming pool at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, at which the Israeli 4×100 meters medley relay squad made the finals, was heated by solar panels manufactured by the kibbutz.[4]

During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Magen was one of the Israeli villages that was attacked, but managed to fight off the attackers.[5] Israeli forces counterattacked with tanks the following day, successfully eliminating the remaining Hamas assailants in the kibbutz.[6]

Archaeology

A church complex consisting of four buildings was discovered at kibbutz Magen which sheds light on features of church construction during the Byzantine period. Mosaics, inscriptions, glass, pottery and several coins were unearthed in these excavations.[7]

References
  1. "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. John D. Grainger (2006). The Battle for Palestine, 1917. The Boydell Press. pp. 102, 154–155.
  3. Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.307, ISBN 965-220-186-3
  4. Kibbutz Magen
  5. "How one Kibbutz in Israel fought off Hamas: report". The Sunday Times. 15 October 2023.
  6. Fabian, Emanuel. "Heavy gun battle, tank fire reported in Magen community near Gaza border". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  7. An Early Christian Church Complex at Magen
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