Ishwa'
| Ishwa | |
|---|---|
 Ishwa
|
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| Arabic | إشوع |
| Name meaning | from Eshua, personal name |
| Subdistrict | Jerusalem |
| Coordinates | 31°46′50″N 35°00′40″E / 31.78056°N 35.01111°ECoordinates: 31°46′50″N 35°00′40″E / 31.78056°N 35.01111°E |
| Palestine grid | 151/132 |
| Population | 719 (1948) |
| Date of depopulation | 18 July 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
| Current localities | Eshta'ol |
Ishwa' (Arabic: إشوع) was a Palestinian village that was captured by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The village was located about 20 km west of Jerusalem, on the present location of Eshta'ol. In the 1931 British census of Palestine, Ishwa had a population of 468 in 126 houses. The village was captured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on July 16, 1948 in Operation Dani by the Harel Brigade. All of its inhabitants fled or were expelled.
Ishwa was an ancient village, situated at the foot of a hill.
It is thought to have been established over the site of the Canaanite city of Eshta'ol. It was known by that name during the Roman Empire era, when it fell within the administrative district of Eleutheropolis (Bayt Jibrin). However, Dayr Abu al-Qabus, located 0.5 kilometers (0.31 mi) to the north has also been identified with Eshta'ol.
During the 16th century CE, settlement seems to have shifted to the northwest to Islin. During the 17th or 18th century the site of Islin went out of use, and Ishwa was probably repopulated.
In 1863 the French explorer Victor Guérin visited and found the village to have barely 300 inhabitants. The only ancient remains was a ruined arch near the well, which he thought was possibly dated to the Roman period. An Ottoman village list of about 1870 counted 32 houses and a population of 90 in Schu’a, though the population count included men, only. It was described as being in the Hebron district, just east of Sar'a.
By 1875, it had a population of 450. In 1883, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as being built near the foot of a hill and with olive trees planted below the village. Ishwa had a star-shaped configuration, its mostly stone houses extending along the roads leading to other villages.
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Wikipedia