Year: 1919
Type: article
Abstract: THg Teutonic Knights, the latest established of the three nlilitaryreligious orders of the Crusades, had their headquarters in a fertile and beautiful district some ten or twelve miles north-east of Akka.In 1229 their Grand Master acquired by purchase the stronghold of ~lontfort which the members of the Order rebuilt, made their headquarters, and renamed Starkenberg.This they held for forty-t,wo years until the fortress was besieged, captured and destroyed by the great Moslem warrior Bibars in 1271.The ruins are now known as Kul 'at el-Kurein.Three 'and a half miles south of this ruin is Kul'at Jeddin the 'remains of the castle, Castellum Judin.Between and around these fortresses the Teutonic Knights appear to have owned a great deal of land: an estate of unusual fertility and value, even 'for Northern Galilee.In company with some friends I made an expedition there in July, 1907, the notes of which, fully written out at the time, may even now be of interest to readers of the Qua'rte1'ly State1nent.The district is quite off the ordinary tourist routes, and very few English people have visited it.We left Safed July 12 at noon and, after passing J\1eron, entered the mountainous region of Jebel J ermak-the highest nlountain in Palestine.About 3 p.m. we reached the isolated and lofty village of Beit Jinn, a stronghold of the Druzes and, like many such places, hard of access by horseback on every side.A mile beyond Beit Jinn we had a good view of the Bay of Akka with Carmel behind, and shortly afterwards we commenced an exceedingly rough descent into the isolated and fertile valley of el-Bukeiah.During the last half-hour of the descent we could see below us the little village of el-Bukeiah lying in an oasis of green trees and irrigated gardens.This place is peculiar, not only in its extremely mixed inhabitants-Christians, l\10slems, Druzes and Jews, all in about equal numbersbut more especially in the fact that here the Jews have, apparently for centuries, been owners and tillers of the soil.As soon as we entered the village to water the horses at the copious village fountain,
Source: Palestine Exploration Quarterly
Author: E. W. G. Masterman
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1965099953