Matzuva (Hebrew: מַצּוּבָה), also known as Metzuba, is a kibbutz in the Western Galilee in northern Israel. Located to the south of the development town of Shlomi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 1,163.[1]

Matzuva
מַצּוּבָה
Hebrew transcription(s)
 • officialMazzuva
 • unofficialMatzuba
Matzuva is located in Northwest Israel
Matzuva
Matzuva
Matzuva is located in Israel
Matzuva
Matzuva
Coordinates: 33°3′48″N 35°9′30″E / 33.06333°N 35.15833°E / 33.06333; 35.15833
Country Israel
DistrictNorthern
CouncilMateh Asher
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded1940
Founded byGerman Jews
Population
 (2022)[1]
1,163

Etymology

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The settlement was named after the nearby Byzantine-period town of Pi-ha-Masuba, a place mentioned in the Tosefta (Shevi'it 4:8-ff.) and in the 3rd-century Mosaic of Rehob.[2] The ancient Christian town was thoroughly destroyed in 613 or 614, never to regain its former size and wealth, but the name survived throughout the Early Muslim, Crusader, and into the Mamluk period. The remains of Byzantine-era Pi Metzuba, whose location was known from previous surveys, were actually discovered in 2020 along the road connecting Shlomi and Hanita,[3] a short distance north of Matzuva.

The name is believed to have been derived from mṣwbh, a Semitic root, meaning 'pyramid' or 'pyramidal pile'.[4]

History

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The village was established in 1940 by immigrants from Germany, members of the Maccabi HaTzair youth movement.[2] After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, it expanded onto land that had belonged to the Arab village of al-Bassa, which was depopulated in the war.[5]

Economy

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Due to economic problems, the kibbutz textile factory closed down in 2003.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b Haltrecht, Ephraim (1948). "Pi-ha-Masuba". Bulletin of the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society: Israel Exploration Society: 43. JSTOR 23727325..
  3. ^ Christian Town Destroyed by Persians 1,400 Years Ago Found in Northern Israel, Ariel David for Haaretz, 17 June 2020. Re-accessed 6 April 2023.
  4. ^ p. 103 in: Zadok, Ran (1995–1997). "A Preliminary Analysis of Ancient Survivals in Modern Palestinian Toponymy". Mediterranean Language Review. 9: 93–171. JSTOR 10.13173/medilangrevi.9.1997.0093.
  5. ^ Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
  6. ^ Employees petition to liquidate Kibbutz Matzuva