Maps salons: Land of Israel in 1945
By Yoav Abniaon
Rapidly changing face of the earth, every newspaper Old, faded picture or a good map can be regarded as a fascinating historical document ... This fact is especially true when it comes to the next map in front of you, which takes us to the years immediately following the War of Independence, dramatic conflict that changed the map of a piece of land settlement frenetic increase we are sitting. The map Land Development Company initiated in Israel and is printed in large format (105 to 73 cm). Although from afar it may look like a perfectly normal map when you explore it in depth you will find information hidden in her fascinating and surprising.
The first edition of the map was updated in April 1936 and February 1945 carried out the map value measurements Zalman Lifschitz one of Zionist institutions in the years immediately before the establishment of measurement. This issue does not include most of the desert and ends twenty kilometers south of Beersheba, and the reason is probably the fact that when the production of the map was no permanent settlement south of Revivim! Two years later the tribe Tashaz (February 1947) produced a Southern complement the area of Eretz Israel. Another detail that distinguishes this map is the attempt to give a perspective of historical settlement, and the list of participants honorable of people who worked on the preparation: David Yellin Educator and language, Professor Samuel Klein historian and geographer, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi studied the history of Israel and later became the second President Benjamin Meisler (Mazar days) distinguished archaeologist. the first two died before the issuance of the second edition, but the place was no shortage of credit is the title.
Note that the current emphasis on etymology, pronunciation and writing names of towns.
We will demonstrate this focus on other names on the map, as in the case of Caesarea. When prepared map archaeological site was not dug and the heart of the Crusader was a settlement of Bosnian Muslims arrived in the eighties of the 19th century. Due to this fact, together with the common name Kisrih, map editors make sure to describe the former town names: tower rootlet Hellenistic, Roman and Qasri Talmudic Kisrin name. The map is similar to Tiberias Tiberias, Aca-acre, Lipa-Jaffa, Shefa'amr-Shefar'am and more.
For me here is like a book. I can take it over and look at it for hours, reveal hidden layers of information and mainly reflect the dramatic change in the country since the last days of preparation. For example, some of the names of Jewish settlements appear in the map may not be familiar to the average reader, since over the years the name of the community (for example in the Negev will find the Tel spectators renamed Revivim). When removing the map in the second edition (1945) were in Israel between the Jordan River and the 1.7 million residents, of whom about 500 thousand Jews and about 1.2 million Arabs. The Zionist movement has increased the number of Jewish settlements which are home to less than ten in 1882 (her first) to almost 300 communities. Several Arab towns in Israel were a thousand.
I chose several excerpts illustrate: the Hula Valley and Mount Canaan south. Of course there is a lake and marshy terrain north. Rosh Pina Jewish settlements and Arab G`aonh adjacent. This is almost the last map documenting the Guard Jordan fell to the Syrian army Independence. Aerodromes aircraft marked Nabi Yusha and at the waist. Does anyone know what the community "organization of veterans" appears on the left side of sea sick?
Answer: This is actually a settlement outpost in the Palmach was established in 1945, later to become Moshav Ramot Naftali.
And north of the country near rivers - the three sources of the Jordan and their sons' castles Ussishkin "new Jewish settlements and instead planted near Metulla, Kfar Giladi and Tel Hai" veteran ".
Western Galilee: Notice to mark the border between the British Mandate territory of France since Ras al-Naqoura and east. Later this line will become the armistice line between Israel and Lebanon.Strikingly few Jewish settlements in the region: Nahariya, Hanita Codex and Elon, as Yehiam was established a year after producing the map. No wonder that this region will be offered two years later to the Arab state as part of the partition plan.
Sharon south on the other dotted with Jewish settlements and isolated settlements Arab castle, al-Haram (Sidna Ali), G`lil and Kfar Saba (Arabic).
Jericho steppe zone. How strange to see the Jordan River without marking a political border since both sides of the river and the British Mandate. The northern coast of the Dead Sea potash plant marked next to a willow.
Kalia south along the shores of the Dead Sea is no paved road for only around the year 1970. The names of the great valleys Arab Bhigoiim: Sil - Ze'elim, Hfhf - Soar. Government Names Committee of Israel will work hard on the Hebrew names very soon ...
Way to Jerusalem in Castel between Latrun and the mountains on either side of the road you can see dozens of Arab villages. Do you recognize the three Jewish settlements? (Marked with a circle and a dot in the center)
South Coast toward Gaza. Here you can see a very beautiful city of Gaza did not develop at sea, but a few miles to the east in the Givat me Muntar area. Grouping wells of Isaac established in 1943 appears in the east of Gaza but the 11 points, which is currently celebrating seventy, will be set up just over a year after the production of the map. Who beacons - grouping tomorrow marked on the map in the north? And who is expecting the nearby sea to the west?
Answers: Beacons is a grouping Gvaram established in 1942 and expects to sea Yad Mordechai was established in 1945.
So I have already said the map is like a fascinating book?
The author admits to Renee attention which it has received the map.
Yoav Abniaon is a licensed tour guide in Hebrew and English professor, Lt. Col. in the reserves, the eighth generation in the country and webmaster Yoaview.com .
