The name /ʽglgwl/ is of
Aramaic extraction, meaning a “small calf”.[3]
History
The
Abu Ghosh family took up residence in Ajanjul in the 18th century. The village is described as a place "from where they (the Abu Ghosh) controlled the
Valley of Ayalon, including the important village of
Bayt Liqya".[4]
In 1838, it was noted as a place "in ruins or deserted."[1]
In the
1945 statistics the population of
Beit Nuba and Ajanjul was 1,240, all Muslims,[7] while the total land area was 11,401
dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[8] Of this, 1,002 dunams were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 6,997 for cereals,[9] while 74 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[10]
There is no record of what happened to the villagers in 1948.[11]
Khirbat 'Ajanjul from 1919 survey 1:20,000. Beit Nuba at bottom.
'Ajanjul 1945 1:250,000 (bottom left quadrant)
1948, aftermath
In 1992 the village site was described: ”The stone debris of houses, concentrated in a small spot and overgrown with wild vegetation, are all that remains of the village. Fig, almond, and mulberry trees also grow on and around the site. On the southern side of the village there is a rocky structure containing two graves; southwest of it lies the village
cemetery, where two stone graves are visible. The area is closed and is located along the 1967 border between
Jordan and Israel."[11]
References
^
abRobinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p.
120
^Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p.
66Archived 2016-03-03 at the
Wayback Machine
^Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p.
114
^Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p.
164