AL-Kubba

Sweeping across the Mount of Olives, your gaze falls upon a serene resting place, AL-Kubba. This cemetery, known as AL-Kubba in Arabic, whispers tales of a village once vibrant with life. A village called al-Qabu. Al-Qabu, meaning “the vault” or “the cellar”, held a history far older than its Arabic name. It echoed a Roman past, a time when it was known as Qobi or Qobia. This village, a stop on the ancient road between Bayt Jibrin and Jerusalem, flourished under emperors like Hadrian. Imagine the bustle of travelers, their sandals echoing on the stone road as they passed the tenth milestone, right where al-Qabu stood. Life revolved around a vital spring, a source sustaining homes and gardens carved into the steep hillside. The heart of al-Qabu beat within a rectangular grid, its stone houses huddled along a secondary road. A central square, dotted with small shops, provided a space for community life. South-east of the village, a shrine dedicated to Shaykh Amad al-‘Umari stood as a testament to faith. A ruined church, overlooking the village, served as a silent witness to centuries of change. Was it a Crusader church or did its foundations reach back to the Byzantine era? Scholars still debate. Excavations in 2001 revealed a two-phase construction, with Byzantine stones supporting later Crusader walls, adorned with faded paintings. Al-Qabu thrived through the Ottoman era, its Muslim inhabitants tending to their gardens and homes. Victor Guerin, in 1863, described the village as perched “like an eagle’s nest,” a testament to its strategic location. But the 20th century brought upheaval. Al-Qabu was caught in the crossfire of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The village changed hands multiple times, before finally being depopulated in October 1948. The homes, once vibrant with life, were reduced to rubble. Yet, the spirit of al-Qabu lives on in the quiet dignity of AL-Kubba, a final resting place layered with the echoes of a rich and complex past.