Kaukab Abu al-Hija
Kaukab Abu al-Hija
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • ISO 259 | Kawkaḅ ˀabbu ˀel-Hiǧaˀ |
| • Also spelled | Kaokab Abu Al-Hija (official) Kawkab Abu al-Heija (unofficial) |
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 Kaukab Abu al-Hija
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| Coordinates: 32°49′52.83″N 35°14′55.33″E / 32.8313417°N 35.2487028°ECoordinates: 32°49′52.83″N 35°14′55.33″E / 32.8313417°N 35.2487028°E | |
| Grid position | 173/248 PAL |
| District | Northern |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local council (from 1984) |
| • Head of Municipality | Zaher Saleh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,567 dunams (2.567 km2 or 634 acres) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 3,356 |
| Name meaning | Abu al-Hija's Star |
Kaukab Abu al-Hija (Arabic: كوكب أبو الهيجا; Hebrew: כַּוּכַּבּ אַבּוּ אל-הִיגַ'א), often simply Kaukab, (meaning "star" in Arabic), is an Arab Muslim village and local council in the Northern District of Israel, in the Lower Galilee. It is located on Road 784, between Shefa-'Amr and Karmiel, and next to Kafr Manda. Kaukab was historically under the control of the Abu al-Hija family of the Galilee.
In 2015 it had a population of 3,356, and in 2008 was ranked low (3/10) on the Israeli socio-economic scale. Its jurisdiction is 2,567 dunams.
It is possible to discern the ruins of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine settlements on Kaukab's location, and it might be the location of the town Kokhva, mentioned in the Talmud, however, many places in the area shared the name, and one cannot know which one was Kokhva.
Kaukab was founded next to a grave attributed to Hussam ad-Din Abu al-Hija, one of Saladin's lieutenants, and is holy to the local Muslims. It is thus named Kaukab Abu al-Hija to differentiate it from several other Arab villages with the same name.
The village was one of the "Al-Hija" villages founded by relatives of Emir Hussam al-Din Abu al-Hija. Abu al-Hija ("the Daring") was an Iraqi Kurd and commander of the Kurdish forces that took part in Sultan Saladin's conquest of the Crusader Kingdom in the 1180s. He was renowned for his bravery, and commanded the garrison of Acre at the time of the Siege of Acre (1189–1192).
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