Considering Lifta’s silent stones, what stories do they whisper of a village lost to time? Lifta, a Palestinian village on Jerusalem’s outskirts, echoes with a history stretching back to the Iron Age II.
Lifta was once called Nephtho by the Romans and Byzantines. The Crusaders knew it as Clepsta. A courtyard home remains from that era in Lifta’s heart.
In 1596, Lifta was under Ottoman rule. It had 72 Muslim households totaling about 396 people. Taxes were paid on wheat, barley, olives, and vineyards. All revenue supported a waqf for charitable causes.
A battle occurred in Lifta in 1834. Ibrahim Pasha’s Egyptian army defeated local rebels led by Shaykh Qasim al-Ahmad. In 1838, Edward Robinson described Lifta as a Muslim village. He noted that “every peasant keeps his mule and usually accompanies it.”
Victor Guérin found Lifta surrounded by gardens in 1863. There were lemon trees, oranges, figs, pomegranates, and apricots. An 1870 Ottoman list counted 117 houses. The population was about 395 men only.
The Palestine Exploration Fund described Lifta in 1883. It was a village on a steep hill with a spring and rock-cut tombs. By 1896, Lifta’s population was approximately 966 people.
Gustav Rothstein, a German historian, visited Lifta in 1907. He wrote about marriage celebrations and religious festivals. In 1917, Lifta surrendered to British forces. They offered the keys to the village.
The 1922 census recorded 1,451 residents, all Muslims. By 1931, the population increased to 1,893. This included 1,844 Muslims, 35 Jews, and 14 Christians in 410 houses.
Some villagers from Lifta participated in attacks during the 1929 Palestine riots. In 1945, Lifta had 2,250 residents. There were 2,230 Muslims and 20 Christians. The land area was 8,743 dunams. 3,248 dunams were for cereals.
Before 1948, Lifta was home to about 2,500 people. It had orchards, olive presses, a winepress, a clinic, coffeehouses, and a mosque. Some Jews lived in the village, reporting “excellent” relations with the Arab majority.
Lifta was essentially a Jerusalem suburb. Farmers sold their produce in Jerusalem. Following the UN partition approval in 1947, Lifta became a target. It was strategically located on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road.
Some families left Lifta in December 1947. Irregular Arab militia then defended Lifta. On December 28, 1947, a Jewish militia attacked a café. This “Lifta massacre” led to more evacuations.
The mukhtar’s home was burned, and 20 buildings were blown up. Seven people died. By early February 1948, the militia had abandoned Lifta.
After the war, only 60 of Lifta’s 410 homes remained. The mosque and an olive press also survived. Israel settled 300 Jewish families from Yemen and Kurdistan in Lifta.
Living conditions were difficult and most Jewish inhabitants left by 1971. Holes were drilled in the roofs to prevent squatters.
In 2021, plans emerged to construct a luxury neighborhood in Lifta. Activists campaigned to cancel the project.
Today, Lifta stands as a poignant reminder. Its ruins whisper tales of a vibrant past. They speak of communities displaced and a heritage threatened. Lifta remains a symbol of Palestinian history. It embodies resilience. Its story is etched in every stone.