Awarta
| Awarta | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | عورتا |
| • Also spelled | Aworta (official) |
Awarta, 2011
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 Awarta
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| Coordinates: 32°09′41.20″N 35°17′11.01″E / 32.1614444°N 35.2863917°ECoordinates: 32°09′41.20″N 35°17′11.01″E / 32.1614444°N 35.2863917°E | |
| Palestine grid | 177/174 |
| Governorate | Nablus |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Jurisdiction | 540 dunams (0.5 km2 or 0.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 5,623 |
Awarta (Arabic: عورتا) is a Palestinian town located 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) southeast of Nablus, in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 5,623 inhabitants in 2007. Awarta's built-up area consists of 540 dunams and is governed by a village council.
According to Palestinian historian Mustafa Dabbagh, the name "'Awarta" derives from the Syriac word 'awra, meaning "windowless" or "hidden". According to E. H. Palmer, "Awarta" is a personal name or unknown word. In Samaritan text, the town was called "Kfar Abearthah". An earlier Arabic name for the village was "'Awert".
Awarta has been inhabited since Biblical times and throughout Palestine's rule by the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic Caliphate and during Ottoman rule. Between the 4th and 12th centuries, the town was an important Samaritan center, being the location of one of their main synagogues.
The Hill of Phinehas related in the Bible is associated with the location of the town of Awarta. Three large monuments in the town are attributed to the priestly family of Aaron. According to tradition, they are the burial sites of his sons Ithamar and Eleazar. His grandson Phinehas is believed to be buried at the site alongside his son Abishua — the latter is especially revered by the Samaritans, who believe that he wrote the Torah. The seventy Elders are believed to be buried in a cave near Phinehas' tomb. On the western side of Awarta lies the tomb Muslims attribute to Nabi Uzeir, Ezra the scribe.
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