Bayt Fajjar - بيت فجّار: [ New info dated back to 1939 is added] A brief synopsis of Bayt Fajjar by Dr. Mohammad Thawabteh

1. Historical Background:
Bayt Fajjar (alternative spellings or name variants: Bayt Fajj?r, Bait Fajjar, Beit Fajjar and Bayt Fajjar) is conveniently situated to the south-west of Bethlehem. The town is perched on the edge of five steep and relatively precipitous cliffs. The history of the town is recent, no more than 200 years. Before this date, it was a desolate place. The area had an abundance of wildlife until quite recently. Our ancestors are said to have settled in Bethlehem. They were enormously influential and well-heeled, but were known for their tyranny which made the local residents in Bethlehem revolt against them, killing and expelling them to different places in Palestine, e.g., Gaza, 'Illar in Tulkarm, Dura, 'Aqraba in Nablus and Ramallah. Most of them were propelled by the need to avenge the killing of their relatives, and preferred to settle in adjacent place that is now known as Bayt Fajjar. No sooner had they been expelled from Bethlehem than their burning desire to wreak revenge diminished.
2. Population:
Bayt Fajjar has a population of about12 000 and population figures for different periods are as follows:
1. In 1997 (7 998 census official)
2. In 2004 (10 248 estimate official(
3. In 2005 (10 579 estimate official(
4. In 2007 (11 223 calculation(
Almost half the population are refugees and émigrés in neighbouring Arab countries?Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In contrast, a number of Palestinian refugees from Bayt Jibrin Zakariyya and 'Ajjur sheltered in the town.
3. Houses:
Most of the houses (approximately 600 in total) were built on the brownfield site which is still exist in the old part of the town and includes an old arched roof mosque called Al-Omari Mosque (named after Caliph Omar Ibn-el-Khata). The town has some Roman sites, the most important of which are remnants of a church and underground grottos. Also, there is an old Roman aqueduct passes the town. In 1934, Britsh archaeologists found two graves dated back to 400 BC.
4. Families:
Byat fajjar is a 'cosmopolitan' town where there are several refugees and three major families, the largest of which are Taqatqa (alternative spelling, Takatka, Taqatqah), then comes Thawabteh (alternative spelling,Thawabtah, Thawabta) and Deireh (alternative spelling,Deareyah). In the past, our ancestors led a peripatetic life. Nevertheless, they kept good relationship with each other. The united families has always remained a powerful metaphor for a rainbow society.
The following is also a very short synopsis. Some information might slightly conflict with the one I've already mentioned, so some changes are made esp. with regard to statistics.
5. Old Cores
Beit Fajjar Old Core (1)
The village of Beit Fajjar dates back to the time of the Canaanites. It is believed that Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab camped in that area on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 638 AD. It is 14 kilometres southwest of Bethlehem. It is 940 metres above Sea level. The built-up area is 7,933 dunums. It is bordered from the west by Beit Ummar and the Hebron District, to the south by Ash-Shuyoukh and Sa'ir, to the north by Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, and to the east by Tekoa village.

Beit Fajjar had been farmland until 300 years ago. It later developed as a small urban settlement on the top of the highest hill in the area. The new Beit Fajjar extends around the old core and the surrounding hills. Nowadays Beit Fajjar is a modern town with about 12,000 inhabitants, whose main livelihood depends on stone-cutting. There are about 180 stone-cutting factories in Beit Fajjar.
6. OCCUPATION
6.1 BRITISH MANDATE
Like most Palestinians, Bayt Fajjarians resisted the British mandate for many years. The British were brutish and coarse in several occasions. In 1939, ''Platoons of ?D? Company occupied Beit Fajjar and Beit Immar for several days with good results. Beit Fajjar produced eight rifles, five shotguns, one automatic and four revolvers. Beit Immar produced ten rifles.''(1)
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(1)http://www.bethlehem.ps
(2)http://www.worcestershireregiment.com