Ottoman Empire In 1856 the village was named ''Bir 'Adas'' on
Kiepert's map of Palestine published that year. In 1870
Victor Guérin noted it as located on a small height, and an
Ottoman village list from about the same year showed that Bijar 'Adas had a population of 198 in a total of 60 houses, though that population count included men, only. It was further noted that the name meant "The
cistern of
lentils". In 1882, the
PEF's
Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Biyar 'Adas as a village built of
adobe bricks, with a
well to the east.
British Mandate era In the
1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the
British Mandate authorities,
Biar Adas had a population of 87, all Muslims, increasing in the
1931 census to 161, still all Muslim, in a total of 28 houses. In the early hours of May 29, 1939, 25 members of the
Irgun led by Moshe Moldovsky attacked Biyar 'Adas on the grounds that its residents were harboring what they have seen as "gangs". The members of the unit were instructed to avoid harming women, children and the elderly. They forced their way into two houses and shot dead one man and four women. while 14 dunams were classified as built-up areas.
1948 and aftermath On January 19, 1948, the elders of Biyar Adas warned the inhabitants of the nearby Jewish settlement of
Magdiel to be on guard against assaults. On February 27 that year, a farmer from Magdiel was killed in an ambush by Arab militants while working in fields near Magdiel. A
Israel Defense Forces force from the 32nd Battalion of the
Alexandroni Brigade arrived to the scene of the shooting, spotted militants retreating towards Bir Adas, and opened fire on the village. Following the shooting, on March 2 1948, Iraqi troops, who were headed by
Fawzi al-Qawuqji, were called to Biyar Adas and attacked Magdiel. Fire and sniping took place daily for about a week. Company B of the 32nd Battalion of the Alexandroni Brigade attempted to hit Arab positions, as additional Arab forces were concentrated in Bir Adas. A prolonged battle ensued, which ended with withdrawal of the Arab troops and a ceasefire, brokered on 9 March 1948 by the Arab notable Tawfiq Abu Kishk. The village became depopulated after an assault by the
Lehi, an offshoot of the
Irgun on April 12, 1948. Later that year,
Yosef Weitz set about levelling Biyar 'Adas. After the war the area was incorporated into the
State of Israel. The
moshav of
Adanim was established on village land, southwest of the village site, in 1950. In 1951 another moshav,
Elishama, was built on land that had belonged to Biyar 'Adas.
Khalidi described the place in 1992:
The site is marked by cactuses, fig trees, palm trees, and the debris of houses. Some houses and sections of houses that were built among citrus groves still stand, deserted, amidst wild vegetation. All are made of concrete and possess a variety of architectural designs, ranging from the elaborate to the simple. Their roofs are flat, slanted, or gabled, and their doors and windows are rectangular. The land in the vicinity is cultivated and is covered in places by Israeli fruit orchards. ==See also==