Abirim

Abirim (Hebrew: אבירים, lit. 'Knights'), also known as Mitzpe Abirim, is a community settlement in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee, three kilometres from Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 310.^[1] It is located in the middle of a natural oak forest bordering the Nahal Kziv nature reserve.

Abirim אבירים
Etymology: Knights
Abirim Show map of Northwest Israel Abirim Show map of Israel
Coordinates: 33°2′22″N 35°17′15″E
Country	Israel
District	Northern
Council	Ma'ale Yosef
Founded	1980
Population  (2022)[1]	310
Website	abirim.info

Metsad Abirim, a ruin of tower or mausoleum near Abirim

History

Abirim was established in 1980 on land that had belonged to Fassuta prior to 1948.^[2] It was initially named "Eder" and then renamed to "Abirim" after the nearby ruins of Burj Misr (Arabic: "Egyptian Tower"), which was renamed to Horbat Metsad Abirim (Hebrew: "Ruin of the Fortress of the Knights") in 1957.^[3][4] The age and original purpose of the ruins is unknown; proposals range from a Crusader stronghold to a mausoleum from the Hellenistic period (4th–3rd centuries BCE).^[5][6]

See also

• Israeli wine