Al-Khader, Bethlehem
| al-Khader | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | الخضر |
| • Also spelled | al-Khadr (official) |
Eastern al-Khader and Solomon's Pools
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 al-Khader
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| Coordinates: 31°41′34″N 35°09′59″E / 31.69278°N 35.16639°ECoordinates: 31°41′34″N 35°09′59″E / 31.69278°N 35.16639°E | |
| Palestine grid | 162/124 |
| Governorate | Bethlehem |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Head of Municipality | Ramzi Salah |
| Area | |
| • Jurisdiction | 19,882 dunams (19.9 km2 or 7.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 9,774 |
| Name meaning | "the [town] of Saint George" |
Al-Khader (Arabic: الخضر) is a Palestinian town in the Bethlehem Governorate in the south-central West Bank. It is located 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) west of Bethlehem. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 9,774 in 2007. The area around al-Khader is marked by vineyards, and olive and fig trees.
The site of al-Khader was first inhabited by the Canaanites. In 1953, five arrowheads of javelins dating from the 11th century BCE, were discovered in al-Khader with Canaanite inscriptions. The translations were "dart of 'Abd Labi't".
Al-Khader is named after Saint George who in Arab culture is known as "al-Khadr." According to local tradition, Saint George was imprisoned in the town of al-Khader where the current Monastery of St. George stands. The chains holding him were relics that were said to hold healing power. This tradition of St. George's imprisonment was dated to at most the 15th century. In 1442 the Monastery of St. George was mentioned by Western traveler John Poloner as situated on a hill near Bethlehem.
During late Ottoman rule (1516-1917), al-Khader was part of the political-administrative sheikdom and nahiyah ("subdistrict") of Bani Hasan, which was ruled by the Absiyeh family of al-Walaja. In 1838 its inhabitants were classified as Muslims by the English scholars Edward Robinson and Eli Smith. In 1863 Victor Guérin found the village "reduced to two hundred inhabitants, almost all Muslims." He further noted remains of constructions, with rather large stones, which he thought were dated from an era prior to the Arab conquest.
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