Magen, Israel
Magen
מָגֵן | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 31°17′59″N 34°25′37″E / 31.29972°N 34.42694°E | |
Country | Israel |
District | Southern |
Council | Eshkol |
Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
Founded | 16 August 1949 |
Founded by | Romanian Jews |
Population (2022)[1] | 540 |
Website | www.magen.org.il |
Magen (Template:Lang-he) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev desert and covering 8,500 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2022, it had a population of 540.[1]
History
During World War I, British forces established an air base here after the withdrawal of the Turks.[2] The kibbutz was established by immigrants from Romania on 16 August 1949. The site was on the remains of the Maqam (shrine) of Sheikh Nuran, probably the site of the biblical town of Bethul (Joshua 19:4)[3] and a battlefield during Operation Assaf in the 1948 Arab–Israeli war.
The swimming pool at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, at which the Israeli 4×100 meters medley relay squad made the finals, was heated by solar panels manufactured by the kibbutz.[4]
During the October 2023 incursion by Hamas, Magen was one of the Israeli villages that was attacked, but managed to fight off Hamas on 7 October 2023.[5] Israeli forces counterattacked with tanks the following day.[6]
Archaeology
A church complex consisting of four buildings was discovered at Kibbutz Magen which sheds light on features of church construction during the Byzantine period. Mosaics, inscriptions, glass, pottery and several coins were unearthed in these excavations.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ John D. Grainger (2006). The Battle for Palestine, 1917. The Boydell Press. pp. 102, 154–155.
- ^ Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.307, ISBN 965-220-186-3
- ^ Kibbutz Magen
- ^ "Seven communities under Hamas control: report". The Guardian. 7 October 2023.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel. "Heavy gun battle, tank fire reported in Magen community near Gaza border". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ An Early Christian Church Complex at Magen
External links
- Official website (in Hebrew)