Al-Burj, Ramle
| Al-Burj | |
|---|---|
 Al-Burj
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| Arabic | البرج |
| Name meaning | The tower |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Coordinates | 31°54′07″N 35°01′20″E / 31.90194°N 35.02222°ECoordinates: 31°54′07″N 35°01′20″E / 31.90194°N 35.02222°E |
| Palestine grid | 152/145 |
| Population | 480 (1945) |
| Area | 4,708 dunams |
| Date of depopulation | July 15–16, 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
| Current localities | Kfar Rut |
Al-Burj (Arabic: البرج) was a Palestinian Arab village 14 km east of Ramle close to the highway to Ramallah. Its name, "the tower", is believed to be derived from the crusader castle, Castle Arnold, built on the site. Victorian visitors in the 19th century recorded seeing crusader ruins close to the village.
A Byzantine lintel was found in the village in the 1870s, with "a Greek cross inscribed in a circle, and having its four arms ornamented with curious facet-work."
Just west of Al-Burj is Kŭlảt et Tantûrah, "the castle of the peak." It is the remains of a tower, with 5 meter thick walls, and a door to the east. It is possible the Crusader castle called Tharenta, under Muslim rule since 1187.
While nearby Bayt Jiz often has been identified as the Crusader village of Gith, some scholars (Schmitt, 1980; Fischer, Isaac and Roll, 1996) have suggested that Gith was actually at Kŭlảt et Tantûrah.
In 1838 it was noted as a small village, "situated on an isolated hill surrounded by open vallies and plains." It was further noted that "there are here evident traces of an ancient site, apparently once fortified."
In 1863 Victor Guérin found the village to have no more than 200 inhabitants, and noted that the Crusader fortress was in ruins.
An Ottoman village list from about 1870 showed that Al-Burj had a population of 139 in a total of 31 houses, though that population count included men, only. It was further noted that it was located one hour from Beit Ur al-Tahta. In 1873-74 Clermont-Garneau noted that the village was closely connected with Bir Ma'in.
In 1883, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Al-Burj as "a small village on a hill-top, with open ground beneath on all sides. There are remains of a Crusading fortress (Kulat et Tanturah), and the position is a strong one, near the main road to Lydda. It is possible that this is the site of the Castellum Arnoldi, near Beit Nuba, 'in primes auspices campestrum,' built in 1131 A.D. by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to protect the approach to that city (William of Tyre)."
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Wikipedia