Ein Karem
Neighborhood in Jerusalem / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ein Karem (Hebrew: עֵין כֶּרֶם, ʿEin Kerem lit. "Spring of the Vineyard"; in Arabic ʿAyn Kārim;[2] also Ain Karem, Ein Kerem) is a historic mountain village southwest of Jerusalem, presently a neighborhood in the outskirts of the modern city, within the Jerusalem District. It is the site of the Hadassah Medical Center.
Ein Karem
| |
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Neighborhood of Jerusalem | |
Coordinates: 31°46′5″N 35°9′44″E | |
Country | Israel |
District | Jerusalem District |
City | Jerusalem |
Founded | Middle Bronze Age |
Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 1,620 |
Ein Karem was an important Jewish village during the late Second Temple period,[3][4] during which it became important to Christianity. Christian tradition holds that John the Baptist was born in Ein Karem, following the biblical verse in Luke saying John's family lived in a "town in the hill country of Judea". Probably because of its location between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, this location was a very comfortable one for a pilgrimage, and this led to the establishment of many churches and monasteries in the area.
During the years of Ottoman and later British rule in Palestine, Ein Karem was a Palestinian Arab village. It was depopulated of its residents during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.[5][6] After the war it became once again a Jewish settlement.[7] Today, Ein Karem is a vibrant bohemian neighborhood of Jerusalem, with a population of 2,000 (2010).[8] It has retained a very high-level of authenticity, its natural environment remains intact, and its old houses are still inhabited and preserved.[4] It attracts three million visitors a year, one-third of them pilgrims from around the world.[8] Alongside its religious landmarks, Ein Karem is also known for its fine art, culinary, and musical scenes.[9]