Az-Zeeb

Infobox Former Arab villages in Palestine
name=al-Zeeb


imgsize=250
caption=The remains of az-Zeeb; Currently used as a restroom/shower for beach visitors
arname=الزيب
meaning="Trickster"
altSp=Achzib, Al-Zib, Az-Zeeb
district=ac
population=1,910
popyear=1945
area=12,440
areakm=12.4
date=May 14, 1948
cause=M
curlocl=Gesher HaZiv, Sa'ar, Leman

al-Zeeb ( _ar. الزيب, "az-Zib") It derived its name from the Persian word "Ziba", which means "beautiful" due to its population's descents from Iran and Tajikistan. It is a former Palestinian town located 13.5 kilometers north of the city of Acre in the Galilee.

Archeological sites

Al-Zeeb contains foundations of buildings, floors, a cistern, and rock-carved tools. In addition, it has six nearby khirbas within its boundaries.

It is identified as the ancient Canaanite settlement of Achzib and was known as "Casal Imbertia" by the Crusaders. [Mazar, Eilat. [http://archaeology.huji.ac.il/depart/BIBLICAL/EILATM/achziv.asp Achziv] . Institute of Archeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem] According to a 1945 census by the British Mandate of Palestine, al-Zeeb had a population of 1,910. [ [http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/al-Zeeb/ Al-Zeeb Town Statistics and Facts] Hadawi, Sami. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/Articles/General-2/Story3150.html Village Statistics of 1945: A Classification of Land and Area ownership in Palestine] (1970), Palestine Liberation Organization Research Center. Government of Palestine for the Anglo-American Commission of Inquiry, 1946] The village consisted of 12,440 dunams, most of it used as cultivable land, while 62 dunams was built-up area. [Murad al-Dabagh, Mustafa. "Biliduna Filisteen"] The village contained an elementary school founded by the Ottoman government in 1882. The famous 18th century Muslim scholar and judge Abu 'Ali al-Zeebi was born in the village.

The village has one mosque, which remained intact to this date. It was renovated and now is being used as a tourist attraction.

1948 War

On May 14, 1948, the village was captured by Israel in its offensive military Operation Ben-Ami, one day before the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Most of the inhabitants of al-Zeeb fled northward to Lebanon. It is estimated that the population of Palestinian refugees from al-Zeeb was 13,600 in 1998.

After its capture, the village was mostly demolished with the exception of a mosque and the house of the local head. The Jewish towns of Gesher HaZiv, Sa'ar and Leman have been built in the former village's land area.Khalidi Walid "All That Remains, The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948". Institute for Palestine Studies 1992, ISBN 0-88728-224-5] It is also used as a beach. cquote|"All that remains of the village is the mosque, which has been restored for tourism, and the house of the mukhtar (the village head) Husayn, Ataya, which is now a museum. The house is relatively large and made of masonry. The stone mosque has a dome and a large decorative arch on the front facade."|40px|40px|Walid Khalidi

Notes