Khirbet Jarra'a
  Shown within the West Bank | |
| Location | West Bank |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°09′31″N 35°11′43″E / 32.158647°N 35.195233°E |
| PAL | 168/173 |
| Type | ruin |
| History | |
| Periods | Crusader/Ayyubid to Ottoman period |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
Khirbet Jarra'a (Arabic: الجراعة) also Khirbet Jerr'a is an archaeological site located in the West Bank, containing remnants of a medieval settlement.
Archaeology[edit]
The site was surveyed by Porat and then by Finkelstein et al. Potsherds found here date from the Crusader/Ayyubid, Mamluk and early Ottoman periods, alongside two potsherds from Iron Age II.[1]
Described as "well-preserved" by Finkelstein et al., the site features scattered buildings, some retaining their original vaults.[1]
Porat's observations include the presence of a mosque. Records from the Mandatory Antiquities department also make note of a mosque with a mihrab.[1]
History[edit]
Khirbet Jarra'a is the site of Gerraa, a medieval town mentioned in a Frankish text dating back to 1166. The town is documented alongside several other nearby sites.[1] Conder and Kitchener identified Khirbet Jarra'a with Garia, as depicted in Marino Sanuto's map.[1]
Es-Sakhawi mentions a prominent Hanbali scholar born in Khirbet Jarra'a in 1422.[1]
Ottoman defters list Khirbet Jarra'a as a small settlement, possibly an izba.[1]
According to E. H. Palmer, the name means: "The ruin of the sandhill on which vegetation thrives."[2]