Nataf
Nataf
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| Nataf Nataf | |
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| Country | Israel |
| District | Jerusalem |
| Council | Mateh Yehuda |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Population (2023)[1] | 485 |
| Website | nataf.co |
Nataf (Hebrew: נָטָף, lit. Stacte) is a community settlement in central Israel. Located in the Judean Mountains, 12 miles (19 km) west of Jerusalem, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2023 it had a population of 485.[1]
Etymology
[edit | edit source]Its biblical name is adopted from the Hebrew word for stacte, one of the spices used in the Temple (Exodus 30:34).[2][3][4]
History
[edit | edit source]According to Walid Khalidi, Nataf was founded in 1982 on land belonging to the depopulated Palestinian village of Bayt Thul,[5] less than 1 km south of the village site of Nitaf.[6] The village website states that Nataf was built on land bought from Arabs.[4] According to Davar, 40 Israeli families bought the land from Abu Ghosh Arabs.[7]
Religious outlook
[edit | edit source]20% of the residents are Modern Orthodox; 80% of the residents are secular. The village has an unaffiliated synagogue with three sections for prayer: a men's section, a women's section and a mixed section.[4]
Geography
[edit | edit source]Nataf is situated on a ridge bounded by Kefira Valley to the north and Hamisha Valley to the south; the elevation is around 500 m above MSL. It lies at the end of a 5-kilometer road that passes through Abu Ghosh.[citation needed]
Nataf spring, overlooking the Kefira Valley, is a popular hiking destination. The spring flows year-round but with little water during the dry summer. The water flows from a cave via a channel to a pear-shaped cistern (5X5 meters), from which it is impossible to exit. Entering the cistern is dangerous and many hikers have had to be rescued in a state of exhaustion and hypothermia.
Notable residents
[edit | edit source]- Avram Burg (b. 1955), politician, author and businessman
- Bradley Burston, retired journalist
- Ehud Shapiro (b. 1955), multi-disciplinary scientist, artist and entrepreneur
References
[edit | edit source]
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.358, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Bitan, Hanna: 1948-1998: Fifty Years of 'Hityashvut': Atlas of Names of Settlements in Israel, Jerusalem 1999, Carta, p.47, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (in Hebrew)
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Khalidi, 1992, p. 307
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).