Near 'Ajjur, at
Khirbet Jannaba, was a probable site of the
Battle of Ajnadayn, waged in the 7th-century
CE between the
Rashidun Caliphate and the
Byzantine Empire, and which resulted in a decisive Rashidun victory, incorporating most of
Palestine into the domains of
Islam. The village of 'Ajjur itself was built during early
Fatimid rule in the region in the early twelfth century CE. A
mosque was built during this period and continued to serve 'Ajjur's community until its demise. The village 'Ajjur is believed to be named after "a sort of cucumber."
Ottoman era Arab chronicler
Mujir ad-Din reported that he passed through 'Ajjur on his way from
Gaza to
Jerusalem in the early sixteenth century, when the village was a part of the
Ottoman Empire. By 1596, 'Ajjur was a part of the
nahiya ("subdistrict") of Gaza, part of
Sanjak Gaza, with 35
Muslim households; an estimated 193 persons. It paid a fine tax rate of 33,3 % on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, fruit, vineyards, beehives, and goats; a total of 5,500
akçe In 1838
Edward Robinson noted the village as being "small", located in the Gaza district. The villagers were Muslim. In 1863
Victor Guérin estimated the population to be around 800. Guérin further noted that several houses, including that of the local
Sheikh, were built partly with ancient stones.
Socin found from an official Ottoman village list from about 1870 that 'Ajjur had 86 houses and a population of 254, though the population count included men, only.
Hartmann found that 'Ajjur had 120 houses.
Khirbet er-Rasm lay on the lands of the village of 'Ajjur to the immediate west (see map at top), and they cultivated
olive trees at the site in the
Ottoman period. They also built stone walls in linear formation over older ones to divide the agricultural land into plots, where they cultivated annual crops, as well as citrus trees, which were likely watered using the ancient
cisterns extant at the site. In 1882, the
PEF's
Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described 'Ajjur as a small village containing olive trees, with most of its houses clustered together, but some dispersed to the west and south. A private school named Abu Hasan was established in this period. In 1896 the population of 'Ajjur was estimated to be about 1,767 persons.
British Mandate era In the
1922 census of Palestine conducted by the
British Mandate authorities, 'Ajjur had a population of 2,073 inhabitants, all Muslim, increasing in the
1931 census to 2,917; 4 Christians and the rest Muslims, in a total of 566 residential houses. During this period, 'Ajjur became economically active in its vicinity. It held a Friday market or
souk that attracted consumers and merchants from nearby towns and villages. A second school was founded in the village in 1934, which served students from nearby villages as well as from 'Ajjur. Like other
Arab villages in Palestine at the time, 'Ajjur depended on agriculture, which was the basis of its economy. The main crops were olives and wheat. The second most important economic activity was animal husbandry, in particular, goat herding. Animal ownership was a symbol of social status and pride in the village, and residents gave affectionate names to certain types of animals. Animal herding caused seasonal movement by herders to distant dwellings from the village site, but still in its vicinity such as Khirbet al-Sura and Khirbet al-'Ammuriyya. Shoemaking, carpentry, and tanning were other common occupations in 'Ajjur. while 171 dunams were built-up (urban) areas.
1948 War and aftermath On 23 October 1948, the Fourth Battalion of
Israel‘s
Giv'ati Brigade occupied ‘Ajjur in the northern front of
Operation Yoav, unifying Israeli military operations in the southern and western fronts. Most of ‘Ajjur’s inhabitants had fled before this assault—their flight was triggered by an earlier attack, on 23 July-24. In 2000,
Meron Benvenisti observed that: “Three large, beautiful structures, which were located outside the village amid orchards of fruit trees, have been renovated, and Jewish families live in them. In one, chamber music concerts are held.” ==See also==