Antiquity Numerous Jewish burial caves, dating from the
Second Temple period, have been found in the neighborhood. Most of them follow patterns typical of the period, including
kokhim. In 2007, a particular burial cave with kokhim was discovered, displaying charcoal
graffiti on its walls. The graffiti appeared to depict the names of the deceased, including the name Yismael (ישמעאל), a name commonly found among Jews of that era.
Ottoman Empire According to local legend, Jabel Mukaber is named after
Umar ibn al-Khattab, a disciple of
Muhammad and the second
caliph of the
Islamic
Caliphate, who cried
Allahu Akbar at this site. It was substantially settled by members of the
Bedouin Sawarha tribe at the turn of the 20th century.
British Mandate During the
Mandatory Palestine, the offices of the British High Commissioner, the representative of
British imperial rule in
Mandatory Palestine were located on the ridge of Jabel Mukaber (known as the
Hill of Evil Counsel in medieval Christian tradition, which identified it as the residence of
Caiaphas where Judas plotted to kill Jesus). During the
1948 Arab–Israeli War, the
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood battled
Jewish forces in the area.
Jordan Jabel Mukaber and other Arab villages in East Jerusalem came under Jordanian control, with the division of the city formalized in the
Armistice Agreement of 3 April 1949. Jordan subsequently
unilaterally annexed the West Bank, a move that was largely unrecognized internationally.
Israel After the 1967
Six-Day War, Jabel Mukaber has been under
Israeli occupation. Israel unilaterally placed six of the Jabel Mukaber's seven neighbouring villages under the jurisdiction of the
Jerusalem Municipality, The exception was
ash-Sheikh Sa'd, which was detached from Jabel Mukaber, though the two villages were locally considered to be one place, and excluded from Israel's incorporation of the area with its provision that the villagers would be treated as permanent residents of Israel. According to
ARIJ, Israel has confiscated the following areas of land from Jabel Mukaber in order to construct
Israeli settlements: • 544
dunams for
East Talpiot,
East Talpiot was established in 1970 in close proximity to Jabel Mukaber during the upswing of building that followed the Six-Day War. The Jerusalem Municipality began to draw up a zoning plan for Jabel Mukhaber in 1980. It was finally approved 16 years later, in 1996. The plan designated 70% of Jabel Mukhaber land as a green zone. The land set aside for housing construction was 20.5%, though most of it had already been used to that end. The housing density for the Arab area was set at 25%, in contrast to the 140% housing density level allowed for construction in the adjacent Jewish suburbs of East Jerusalem. Oded Shalom, writing in 2017, states that Jabel Mukaber is 'A depressing slum with garbage spilling over from dumpsters all over the streets, with no playgrounds and no green areas, with a shortage of classrooms and kindergartens, with one high school for boys which was opened only two years ago after 20-year pleadings from the residents. They pay taxes to the state and property tax to the municipality, but don’t seem to be getting anything visible in return. .' == Demography ==