Zar'in

The village of Zar'in was situated on a small hill extending from the mountains of Faqqu’a to the south. This hill was not significantly elevated above the surrounding Marj Ibn Amir (Jezreel Valley), which bordered it to the west and south. To the north and east, the terrain sloped down toward Wadi Jalud. Zar'in, one of the northernmost villages in the district, lay along a route connecting two main roads: one leading to Jenin, and the other to Baysan in the southeast. The village is believed to have been located on the site of the ancient town of Yizreel, mentioned in the Old Testament. The name "Zar'in" retains the Semitic root related to agriculture ("z-r-‘", meaning "to sow"), and the Hebrew name “Yizreel” (later used by the Zionists as “Yizra’el”) was interpreted to mean “God sows.” During the Crusader period, Zar'in was referred to as Le Petit Gerin (Nor Cram), in contrast to Gerin (Jenin), which was known as Le Grand Gerin (Can Gerin). In 1260 CE, Muslim forces under Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars, who later became a prominent Mamluk ruler, defeated the Mongols in the pivotal Battle of Ayn Jalut, near the spring located between Zar'in and the neighboring village of Nuris. In 1596, Zar'in was recorded in the Ottoman tax registers as a village in the nahiya (subdistrict) of Jinin, part of the liwa (district) of Lajjun, with a population of 22. The villagers paid taxes on agricultural products such as wheat, barley, goats, beehives, and olive trees. By the late 19th century, the village consisted of 20–30 houses. The most prominent families lived in larger, tower-like structures located in the center. Water was drawn from a village spring. In more recent history, Zar'in was the hometown of Mahmoud Salih, a prominent leader of the 1936 Arab Revolt. The houses were mainly constructed of mud, closely grouped with narrow alleys between them. During the British Mandate, new houses were built and existing ones improved. The village had a mosque, a small market, and an elementary school founded during the Ottoman period. The population was entirely Muslim. Zar'in’s economy was based on the cultivation of grains, vegetables, and fruit. In 1944–1945, a total of 20,964 dunums were used for growing grains. Archaeological remnants in the village included a vaulted building, a medieval church, foundations of old structures, cisterns, and wine presses. In 1990, the University of Haifa and the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem began a five-year excavation program at the site.

Occupation and Depopulation

In March 1948, sources from the Arab Liberation Army (ALA) reported that Zionist forces had been attempting to capture Zar'in, Nuris, and Tall al-Shawk since March 17. After a brief pause in hostilities, the Palmach General Command issued orders on 19 April to occupy Zar'in, stating:

"Most of the village's houses should be destroyed, and only a few left standing for safety and defense."

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, Zar'in was occupied in the course of a military assault in May 1948. The Fourth Battalion of the Golani Brigade, which had previously captured the nearby village of Beisan, took control of Zar'in on 25 May 1948, as part of preparations for the attack on Jenin.

The New York Times

confirmed the occupation in a report quoting an official Israeli army statement dated 10 May. The village reportedly faced little resistance during its occupation. On 30 May, Arab forces launched a counterattack on the Israeli occupiers but appeared to have failed. Other failed attempts to retake the village took place in July, including an assault by Iraqi forces on 10 July, which was repelled. Another Iraqi attack was reported on 19 July, one day after the start of the second truce. After the war, the armistice line passed south of Zar'in.

The Village Today

Only one standing structure remains on the village site, which is now overgrown with wild vegetation, thorns, cactus, and piles of rubble. An Israeli memorial monument, surrounded by trees, has been erected at the site. Some archaeological remnants and pomegranate trees still exist on the outskirts. The site and the surrounding hills are now used as pasture for livestock, while the Israeli settlers cultivate the terraced slopes.

Zionist colonies on Village Lands

In 1948, the colony of

Yizre’el

was established on the northeastern side of the village. An earlier settlement,

Avtah

, had been established in 1927 on lands that had traditionally belonged to Zar'in.

Yosef Kaplan Colony – Kibbutz Megiddo

Megiddo colony (Kibbutz)

is located in the Jezreel Valley (Marj Ibn Amir) in northern occupied Palestine. It was established in 1949. As of 2015, the colony had a population of approximately 847 settlers. The Israeli government established the kibbutz in 1949 on the lands of the depopulated Palestinian village of

Al-Lajjun.

Sources: Due to the scarcity of Arabic sources, Hebrew sources were used:

• Official website of the settlement (Hebrew)

• Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics

• Palestine Remembered website (entry for the village of Al-Lajjun)