Jerash
Updated: Aug 12
Jerash was a village located on the lower western slope of a mountain, surrounded by valleys to the south, west, and north. A secondary road connected it to the nearby village of Sufla, linking further to the main Jerusalem–Bethlehem road. Another secondary road connected Jerash to Deir Aban, the largest of the neighboring villages.
In the late 19th century, Jerash was described as a village built on a protruding patch of land atop a hill, below which olive trees were planted. The village had a rectangular layout, and most of its houses were constructed of stone. Initially, the built-up area extended along a northwest–southeast axis. However, by the end of the British Mandate period, new constructions had begun to expand southeastward, parallel to the road leading to Sufla.
During that time, the Indexed Gazetteer of Palestine classified Jerash as a farmstead. Its residents were Muslims and had established a local shrine known as Maqam al-Sheikh Ahmad, dedicated to a local religious figure. The village contained several small shops, though residents relied on nearby Deir Aban for other essential needs, including administrative and medical services. Water for domestic use was sourced from several wells and a nearby spring.
The surrounding valleys, olive groves, and grapevines were located along the slopes, while wild plants and trees covered wide areas of the mountain slopes and peaks—especially to the east of the village, near Khirbat Sira, which is considered one of the villages dating back to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
Village Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing
Between 19 and 21 October 1948, Israeli forces attacked this village, in the context of Operation Ha-Har (see 'Allar, Jerusalem sub-disctrict). The main force participating in Ha-Har was the Har'el Brigade; its Sixth Battalion was the unit responsible for occupying Jarash, according to the History of the War of Independence.
Zionist Colonies on Village Lands
There are no settlements on village lands. The closest settlement is Zanoach (149126), which was founded in 1950 about 2 km west of the village site.
Village Today
The site is overgrown with grass, interspersed with the debris of destroyed houses and stones from the terraces. The ruins of a cemetery lie northwest of the site. Groves of trees cover two hills to the west of the site that are separated by a valley. Carob, fig, almond, and olive trees grow on these hills.
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