We travelled to Taybeh today, a relatively short distance geographically (you can see the lights of Jerusalem from the hills of Taybeh), but several decades better in offering a relaxed pace of living. It's like taking a deep breath after hectic Jerusalem.
This is the N. family's ancestral village, and their name goes back far beyond the time when the Church, the supreme recorder of human events for centuries, started to collect records. No one can remember when the family originally arrived in Taybeh or where they came from. (Taybeh is not the phonetic spelling in English. We argue about this a lot, but it is really pronounced "Tiebay"—well, sort of. Even the Israeli's have differing opinions on how to spell the town name.)
Taybeh is a very, very old village. It is recorded in the Old Testament (as Ephraim), and got its current name from the great Arab warrior Saladin who, it is said, found the inhabitants of the town so hospitable and pleasing that he said the town should be called Taybeh (Arabic for gracious). It is suspected that as Taybeh held a Crusader castle (T.'s house, where we're staying, is near the remaining wall), Saladin came to remove the Crusader presence, and, finding no resistance, referred to the town as "the good one", or the gracious. So are legends born. The Old Testament reference is apparently true; the Israelis call one of their nearby settlements "Hills of Ephraim".
It is reputably the last completely Christian town in Palestine, as Bethlehem now has a large, dominate Moslem population. Even with Taybeh there is a suburb, if we can call it that, which is completely Moslem. Thus it is with the shrinking Christian population of Palestine. With the Jewish settlement nearby, all three faiths make some claim on the hills of Ephraim, with the Christians in the best placement (at least in my view). With its Christian heritage comes opportunity, and land values have increased substantially due to demand for land to build a house by those wishing to be part of the Christian town. Many of the newer villas are empty or see only temporary occupancy from Palestinians living abroad. Many are mammoth, elaborate structures but are semi-finished, as they are built by local family members as money is received from abroad.
I am astonished to see the size and sophistication of Taybeh today. Twenty years ago there was one paved road in the town (I seem to remember it was in front of the then-mayor's house); now, all are paved and guttered, and there are sanitary and storm sewers for all. The current mayor is civic-minded and proud of the town and what he has been able to accomplish. There are global associations with bi-annual conventions (this year in Taybeh for the first time). If you want to know more about Taybeh, there is a Website.
There is also some local industry, although many young still leave for job opportunities. This is the home of Taybeh beer, the only brewery in Palestine. I'm going to blog on this operation soon, because it really is a marvel of dedication and persistence in the face of incredible obstacles. I might also add that it is one very good beer. As a measure of the esteem it is held by those in the know, it is actually exported to Germany. I like the double-malt one especially.
I'm going to write more about Taybeh for various reasons, but can't leave this without mentioning T's house, or more accurately, castle. My brother-in-law T. is an exceptional, self-made man with an amazing skill set. He has designed the entire house down to the last detail, filled it with an eclectic collection of antiques, and created a completely original, fascinating and livable space marrying traditional architecture and modern technology. He can also be whimsical, as I found out in the shower this morning. That's all I'm going to say about that.
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