Beit Eshel
Encyclopedia
Beit Eshel was a Jewish settlement established in the Negev
desert in Mandate Palestine in 1943 as one of the three lookouts
, alongside Revivim
and Gvulot
. It was located two kilometres south-east of Beersheba
. According to the Jewish National Fund
, the name means "House of the Tamarisk" and refers to the tamarisks planted by the patriarch Abraham
at Beersheba
.
As one of the three outposts, the people of Beit Eshel were tasked with checking the viability of agriculture in the area, testing the life level on the area (weather, water etc.) and forming the basis for absorbing Jewish immigration, for those who managed to escape from the Nazis. The original settlers were from Austria
, Czechoslovakia
, and Germany
. In 1947 the village had a population of over 100.
In May 1948 Egypt
invaded Palestine as the 1948 Arab–Israeli War began. Beit Eshel was disconnected and had to defend itself. After 8 men and women were killed, many buildings destroyed or harmed and with the Egyptians continuing to fire at the village, the settlers left. The Egyptian army destroyed the remainder of Beit Eshel. In October 1948, Beit Eshel was liberated. However, the settlers who came back to Beit Eshel found only destruction, and decided to establish a new moshav
named HaYogev
in the Jezreel Valley
.
Today the Beit Eshel fellowship maintains the buildings, clears the yards and guides teams in issues concerning the settlement and its past.
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert in Mandate Palestine in 1943 as one of the three lookouts
Three lookouts
The three lookouts were three Jewish settlements built in the Negev desert in 1943 on land owned by the Jewish National Fund. The goal was securing the land and assessing its feasibility for agriculture...
, alongside Revivim
Revivim
Revivim showers) is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Located around half an hour south of Beersheba, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council...
and Gvulot
Gvulot
Gvulot is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 239....
. It was located two kilometres south-east of Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
. According to the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
, the name means "House of the Tamarisk" and refers to the tamarisks planted by the patriarch Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
at Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
.
As one of the three outposts, the people of Beit Eshel were tasked with checking the viability of agriculture in the area, testing the life level on the area (weather, water etc.) and forming the basis for absorbing Jewish immigration, for those who managed to escape from the Nazis. The original settlers were from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1947 the village had a population of over 100.
In May 1948 Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
invaded Palestine as the 1948 Arab–Israeli War began. Beit Eshel was disconnected and had to defend itself. After 8 men and women were killed, many buildings destroyed or harmed and with the Egyptians continuing to fire at the village, the settlers left. The Egyptian army destroyed the remainder of Beit Eshel. In October 1948, Beit Eshel was liberated. However, the settlers who came back to Beit Eshel found only destruction, and decided to establish a new moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
named HaYogev
HaYogev
HaYogev is a moshav in northern Israel. Located around seven kilometres west of Afula, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 534....
in the Jezreel Valley
Jezreel Valley
-Etymology:The Jezreel Valley takes its name from the ancient city of Jezreel which was located on a low hill overlooking the southern edge of the valley, though some scholars think that the name of the city originates from the name of the clan which founded it, and whose existence is mentioned in...
.
Today the Beit Eshel fellowship maintains the buildings, clears the yards and guides teams in issues concerning the settlement and its past.
External links
- Beit Eshel Fellowship (non-profit organization)