Burayr
| Burayr | |
|---|---|
 Burayr
|
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| Arabic | برير |
| Name meaning | "The little wilderness" |
| Also spelled | Bureir Ibreir |
| Subdistrict | Gaza |
| Coordinates | 31°34′14″N 34°38′21″E / 31.57056°N 34.63917°ECoordinates: 31°34′14″N 34°38′21″E / 31.57056°N 34.63917°E |
| Palestine grid | 116/108 |
| Population | 2,740 (1945) |
| Area | 46,184 dunams 46.1 km² |
| Date of depopulation | May 12, 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
| Current localities | Bror Hayil,Telamim,Zohar,Sde David,Heletz |
Burayr (Arabic: برير) was a Palestinian Arab village in the Gaza Subdistrict, 18 kilometers (11 mi) northeast of Gaza City. Its population in 1945 was 2,740 and it was depopulated in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It had an average elevation of 100 meters (330 ft).
On the basis of Philistine pottery from the 10th or 9th centuries BCE found in excavations of the tell, archaeologist Jeffrey Blakely of University of Wisconsin-Madison believes that Burayr may be the site of a Philistine village contemporary with the nearby Judaean hill forts.
In the 1st century, the location of Burayr was a Jewish town by the name of Bror Hayil and the site of a yeshiva headed by rabbi Johanan ben Zakai. Ceramics from the Byzantine period have been found.
In Byzantine sources it was named Buriron.
The village's current name dates from the Arab conquest of Palestine in the 7th century.
During Mamluk rule, it was positioned on a main highway leading from Gaza to Beit Jibrin, branching off the Via Maris at Beit Hanoun. Burayr had its own independent source for water, making it a desired rest place for travelers. In the ruins of the village was discovered Fatimid inscriptions dating from the 10th centuries.
Burayr was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 and in 1596, it was under the administration of the Nahiya of Gaza, part of the Sanjak of Gaza. It had a population of 210 household; an estimated population of 1,155. All the villagers were Muslims. The villagers paid a 40% tax rate on agricultural products, such as wheat, barley, fruits, beehives, and goats; a total of 32,000 Akçe. 5/24 parts of the revenues went to a waqf.
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