Abil al-Qamh
| Abil al-Qamh | |
|---|---|
 Abil al-Qamh
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| Arabic | آبل القمح |
| Name meaning | "Meadow of Wheat" |
| Also spelled | Abil al-Mayya |
| Subdistrict | Safad |
| Coordinates | 33°15′34.12″N 35°34′51.80″E / 33.2594778°N 35.5810556°ECoordinates: 33°15′34.12″N 35°34′51.80″E / 33.2594778°N 35.5810556°E |
| Palestine grid | 204/296 |
| Population | 330 (1945) |
| Area | 4,615 dunams 4.6 km² |
| Date of depopulation | May 10, 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Fear of being caught up in the fighting |
| Secondary cause | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Current localities | Yuval |
Abil al-Qamh (Arabic: آبل القمح) was a Palestinian village located near the Lebanese border north of Safad. It was depopulated in 1948. It was located at the site of the biblical city of Abel-beth-maachah.
According to Khalidi, its Arabic name derives from Aramaic; the first part of its name, abil, means "meadow" and the latter part, qamh, means "wheat". According to Palmer, who wrote in the 19th century when the name of the village was Abl, it was probably derived from the biblical name Abel Beth Maachah.
Abil al-Qamh was established on a site that had been inhabited since 2900 BCE and remained populated for over 2,000 years. It was captured by Thutmose III in 1468 BCE. During the Israelite period, under the reign of David, it was fortified, and later conquered by the Arameans. In 734 BCE it was incorporated into the Assyrian Empire.
Ceramics from the Byzantine era have been found here.
Under Mamluk rule in 1226 CE, Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi mentions "Abil al Kamh" as a village belonging to Banias, between Damascus and the Mediterranean Sea.
In 1517, Abil al-Qamh was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire, and by 1596 it was under the administration of the nahiya ("subdistrict") of Tibnin, part of Sanjak Safad, and went under the name of Abil al-Qamh, with a population of 143. It paid taxes on wheat, barley, olives, beehives, vineyards, and goats. The whole population was Muslim.
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