What whispers do these ancient stones hold? This is Bait Sureik. It is a Palestinian village northwest of Jerusalem. The village sits in the Jerusalem Governorate. Beit Surik lies 12 kilometers from Jerusalem in the northern West Bank. In 2017, the population was 4,025.
Bait Sureik’s name means “The house of Surik.” The village is located 9.3 kilometers from Jerusalem. It is near Beit Iksa, Biddu, and Qatanna. Qalunya lies to the south.
Bait Sureik has a rich history. It sits on an ancient site. The site rests atop a hill. Corinthian column fragments were found here. A mosaic floor was discovered too. The mosaic had a Greek inscription. LH Vincent partially excavated it in 1901.
In Crusader times, Bait Sureik was known as Beit Surie. King Godfrey gave it to the canons of the Holy Sepulchre. It was one of 21 villages in that fief. Crusader sources mention the village in 1152. By 1169, Christian settlers were in Bait Sureik. Arab names appear in Crusader records too. This suggests Crusaders settled in a Muslim village.
The Ottoman Empire incorporated Bait Sureik in 1517. In 1596, tax records show it in the Jerusalem district. The village had 21 Muslim households. Villagers paid taxes on wheat and other goods.
Richard Pococke noted Bethsurick in 1738. He passed between Biddu and Bait Sureik. In 1838, Bait Surik was a Muslim village west of Jerusalem.
Victor Guérin saw a beautiful antique wall in 1863. The wall was made of large stones. Around 1870, Beit Surik had 32 houses. It had a population of 125 men.
In 1883, Beit Surik was a small stone village on a hilltop. A spring with lemon trees lay to the east. The area seemed ancient with rock-cut tombs. By 1896, the population was about 264 people.
In the early 20th century, Beit Surik residents settled Beit Shanna. It became a satellite village of Bait Sureik.
During WWI, a shrine near Bait Sureik was damaged. It was the shrine for Sheikh ‘Abd el-‘Aziz. In 1922, Bait Suriq had 352 Muslims. By 1931, the population rose to 432 Muslims in 87 houses.
In 1945, Bait Sureik had 480 Muslims. The land area was 6,879 dunams. 581 dunams were for plantations. 1,827 were for cereals. 33 dunams were urban areas.
In 1948, many women and children moved from Qastal to Bait Sureik. On April 15, 1948, there was an order to attack Bait Surik. The goal was annihilation. On April 19, 1948, the Palmach attacked. The village was surrounded. A mortar barrage hit the village. The attackers faced sparse rifle fire. Sappers began demolishing buildings. Some went on to capture Biddu. Bait Sureik was left destroyed. Before leaving, a unit contaminated the wells. They used typhus and diphtheria bacteria. This was to stop villagers from returning.
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Bait Sureik was under Jordanian rule. The 1961 Jordanian census counted 954 inhabitants.
Since 1967, Bait Sureik has been under Israeli occupation. In 1986, Israel built Har Adar. 456 dunums of land were taken from Bait Sureik. After the 1995 accords, some village land was Area B. Most was Area C.
In 2017, a gunman from Bait Sureik attacked a checkpoint. He killed three security guards.
Bait Surik is part of the “Biddu enclave.” The enclave is linked to Ramallah by underpasses. The High Court of Israel ruled on the wall’s route. It balanced Israeli security with Palestinian hardship. The International Court of Justice said the wall was illegal.
Local folklore tells of Telah, a local wali. The tomb-shrine of ash-Sheikh Derwish stands to the east. Tradition says he opposed a dome over his grave. Attempts to build one failed. Structures were found dismantled. The project was abandoned out of respect.
Bait Sureik stands as a testament to history. Its story is etched in its stones. Its people have endured much. The village continues to persevere.