Saffuriyya

Feb 26, 2024

7 min read

Updated: Aug 12

The village of Saffuriyya was situated on the southwestern slopes of a mountain spur composed of Eocene sedimentary rocks, rising approximately 110 meters above the plain extending to the south. A secondary road connected the village to the main road leading to Nazareth and to the coastal highway to the northwest. The surrounding area served as a gateway to Lower Galilee, giving the village strategic importance since ancient times. The village’s name may derive from the Syriac word “Safra” (meaning “bird”), possibly alluding to the hill upon which it perched like a bird.

Following the Roman conquest of Palestine, Saffuriyya became the administrative center of the Galilee. After the suppression of the First Jewish Revolt in 70 CE, it gradually evolved into a center of Jewish religious life. It was known as Sepphoris, and later renamed Diocaesarea under Emperor Hadrian. During the Byzantine period, its inhabitants were Jews and Christians.

Saffuriyya was conquered by Muslim forces in 634 CE, early in the Islamic expansion, and maintained a significant historical presence thereafter. The Crusaders built a fortress there and referred to it as Le Sephorie. It was recaptured by Saladin after the Battle of Hattin in 1187. Several notable Arab and Muslim geographers and historians mentioned Saffuriyya, including Al-Baladhuri (d. 892), Yaqut al-Hamawi (d. 1229), and Ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali (d. 1678). Yaqut, for example, described it in his Mu’jam al-Buldan as a village near Tiberias.

Saffuriyya was the birthplace of several Muslim scholars, such as Abu al-Baqa al-Saffuri (d. 1625), a noted jurist who served in Safad and other cities across present-day Syria and Lebanon, and Ahmad al-Sharif, also known as al-Saffuri al-Dimashqi (d. 1633), a judge and poet.

In 1596, Saffuriyya was listed as a village in the Tiberias subdistrict (Safad district), with a population of 2,200. It paid taxes on agricultural products, including olives or grapes (processed in a local press), goats, and beehives.

In 1745, Dhaher al-Umar al-Zaydani (1695–1775), who became the de facto ruler of northern Palestine in the mid-18th century, built a fortress atop the hill overlooking Saffuriyya. The Church of Saint Anne was constructed on the ruins of a large sixth-century cathedral.

In the early 19th century, British traveler J. Buckingham observed that all residents were Muslims and that the Church of Saint Anne had disappeared. Later in the century, the village still featured remnants of the church and a square tower believed to have been built in the mid-18th century. The population was around 2,500, cultivating approximately 150 faddans (roughly 15,000–37,500 dunams), some of which were planted with olive trees.

Saffuriyya was the largest village in the Nazareth subdistrict in both population and land area. Its homes were built of mud and cement, arranged in a rectangular layout with intersecting streets forming a central market. In later years, construction expanded to the northwest and southeast. By the mid-20th century, the population reached 4,320 Muslims and 10 Christians, with two elementary schools—one for boys (established in 1900 under Ottoman rule) and one for girls. A municipal council was formed in 1923. Council expenditures increased from 74 Palestinian pounds in 1929 to 1,217 in 1944, slightly below its revenue.

The surrounding lands had fertile soil and abundant surface and groundwater resources. Agriculture was the economic backbone, with olives being the primary crop. In 1944–45, 21,841 dunams were used for cereal cultivation and 5,310 dunams were irrigated or used as orchards, with 3,720 dunams devoted to olive groves.

Archaeological evidence indicates that Saffuriyya was almost continuously inhabited since the Hellenistic period, despite periodic destruction. Excavations in 1931 uncovered a Roman amphitheater likely decorated with mosaics, reflecting the wealth and culture of Roman Sepphoris. An inscription from 516–517 CE documents the restoration of a church during the Byzantine era. The fortress built by Dhaher al-Umar followed Byzantine construction styles, with a third story added under Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

Occupation and Depopulation

Israeli narratives highlight Saffuriyya’s reputation for resisting Zionist forces. The first reported attack was mentioned in The New York Times, citing an Israeli Air Force statement claiming direct hits on the village on May 30, 1948. The village was fully occupied two weeks later, as part of Operation Dekel, in preparation for the assault on Nazareth. The operation involved an armored battalion from the Seventh (Sheva) Brigade and two infantry battalions from the Carmeli Brigade.

According to The History of the War of Independence, the combined forces set out on the night of July 15, 1948, covered 15 kilometers into “enemy territory,” and prepared for attack by dawn. Despite Saffuriyya’s reputation for strong fighters, the village allegedly fell with minimal resistance due to the surprise of the attack. However, Israeli historian Benny Morris claims that the village resisted fiercely, was razed, and its inhabitants expelled. He notes that the village supported Qawuqji’s Arab Liberation Army and had a history of opposition to the Yishuv during the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt.

Palestinian accounts differ. Villagers told historian Nafez Nazzal that on the night of July 15, three Israeli planes bombed the village with barrels filled with explosives, shrapnel, nails, and glass, killing and injuring several residents. Many fled to nearby orchards for safety. Armed resistance was minimal and uncoordinated. By morning, most residents fled north or east.

Only a few residents remained or later returned briefly to retrieve belongings. Israeli sources state that the remaining inhabitants were expelled in September 1948, and hundreds infiltrated back over the following months. Authorities feared the population would rebound to pre-war levels (~400 residents). Nearby Jewish settlements expressed interest in taking over Saffuriyya’s lands.

In November 1948, a senior settlement official stated that a nearby village’s land was “needed” for the expansion of colonies and suggested relocating the villagers elsewhere. In January 1949, the remaining residents were loaded onto trucks and expelled to nearby villages—‘Ilut, al-Rina, and Kafr Kanna. In February, some of Saffuriyya’s lands were allocated to Kibbutz HaSolelim, and other portions to Sde Nahum and Hefzibah.

The Village Today

Only a few houses remain, including those of Abd al-Majid Suleiman and Ali Mawjuda. Most of the village is now covered by a pine forest planted by the Jewish National Fund in commemoration of various individuals and events (e.g., Guatemala’s Independence Day). The fortress of Dhaher al-Umar still stands atop the hill, albeit partially collapsed, and is surrounded by remnants of the village’s northern area. It currently serves as a home for Palestinian orphans.

A Greek Orthodox church remains, and along the southern road to the village stands a synagogue built on the site of a former Muslim building, near which lies a modern Israeli cemetery.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

Several settlements were established on Saffuriyya’s lands:

Tzippori (176239): Founded in 1949, 3 km southeast of the village site.

HaSolelim (172239): Also established in 1949, to the west.

Later settlements:

Allon ha-Galil (170240) – 1980

Hoshaya (178240) – 1981

Hanton (173243) – 1984, northwest of the original village site

Summery-:

Saffuriyya was a large village located on the southwestern slopes of a mountain in Lower Galilee, with strategic significance due to its elevation and location. It was connected by secondary roads to Nazareth and the coastal highway. Its name likely comes from the Syriac word for “bird” (Safra), referencing the hill it sat upon.

Historically, after the Roman conquest, it became the administrative center of Galilee and later a center of Jewish religious life. It was called Sepphoris, and later Diocaesarea under Hadrian. During the Byzantine era, Jews and Christians lived there. Muslims took control in 634 CE. The Crusaders renamed it Le Sephorie and built a fortress, which was later reclaimed by Saladin in 1187.

Several Muslim scholars were born in Saffuriyya, including the well-known jurist Abu al-Baqa al-Saffuri (d. 1625) and poet Ahmad al-Sharif al-Saffuri al-Dimashqi (d. 1633). In the Ottoman tax registers of 1596, the population was 2,200, with taxes paid on crops, livestock, and olive or grape presses.

In 1745, the local ruler Dhaher al-Umar built a fortress above the village. A church, St. Anne’s, was built on the ruins of a large sixth-century cathedral. In the 19th century, the population was approximately 2,500, most of whom were Muslims. The village contained the remains of historic churches and towers. Its houses were constructed of mud and cement, and the village had a rectangular layout with a central market.

By the mid-20th century, the population had reached 4,330, including 4,320 Muslims and 10 Christians. The village had two elementary schools, one for boys and one for girls, as well as a municipal council established in 1923. Council expenditures increased from 74 Palestinian pounds in 1929 to 1,217 pounds in 1944. The surrounding land was fertile and well irrigated. In 1944–1945, 21,841 dunams were allocated for grain cultivation and 5,310 dunams for orchards, including 3,720 dunams planted with olive trees.

Archaeological findings have confirmed nearly continuous habitation at the site since the Hellenistic period. These include Roman-era mosaics and an amphitheater, a restored Byzantine church dating to 516–517 CE, and the fortress of Dhaher al-Umar, which was later expanded during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

Saffuriyya was known for its resistance to Zionist forces. According to Israeli sources, the village was bombed by Israeli aircraft on May 30, 1948, and fully occupied on July 15, 1948, during Operation Dekel. A combined force from the Seventh (Sheva) Brigade and the Carmeli Brigade entered the village at night and captured it by dawn. While some accounts state that the village fell with little resistance, Israeli historian Benny Morris reported that the forces encountered heavy resistance, which resulted in the destruction of the village and the expulsion of its population.

Palestinian survivors described an Israeli air raid involving bombs packed with shrapnel and nails. Many villagers fled to the orchards for safety. Resistance was limited and poorly coordinated. By morning, most residents had fled northward or eastward, while a few remained or briefly returned.

By September 1948, the remaining villagers had been expelled. Many attempted to return, prompting Israeli concerns that the population might recover. Zionist settlements sought to consolidate control over the village lands. In January 1949, the remaining residents were forcibly transported by truck to ‘Ilut, al-Rina, and Kafr Kanna. In February, parts of Saffuriyya’s lands were allocated to Kibbutz HaSolelim, and later to Sde Nahum and Hefzibah.

The Village Today

Only a few of the original houses remain, including those belonging to Abd al-Majid Suleiman and Ali Mawjuda. Most of the village site is now covered by a pine forest planted by the Jewish National Fund.

Dhaher al-Umar’s fortress still stands atop the hill, although it has partially collapsed, and is currently used as a Palestinian orphanage. A Greek Orthodox church remains in use, while a former Muslim building has been converted into a synagogue. A modern Israeli cemetery is located nearby.