Nataf

Nataf
Nataf
Coordinates: 31°49′56.28″N 35°4′4.44″E / 31.8323000°N 35.0679000°E / 31.8323000; 35.0679000Coordinates: 31°49′56.28″N 35°4′4.44″E / 31.8323000°N 35.0679000°E / 31.8323000; 35.0679000
Council	Mateh Yehuda
Region	Jerusalem corridor
Founded	1982
Website	natafnik.com

Nataf (Hebrew: נָטָף, eng. Stacte (a spice)) is a communal settlement in the Judean Mountains, 12 miles west of Jerusalem, Israel. Its biblical name is derived from "one of the spices used in the Temple".^[1](Exodus 30:34) It is under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2006, Nataf had a population of 387.^[2]

Geography

Nataf is situated on a ridge bounded by Kefira Valley to the north and Hamisha Valley to the south; the elevation is around 500m above MSL. It lies at the end of a 3-mile road that passes through Abu Ghosh.

History

Nataf synagogue

Nataf was founded in 1982 on land belonging to the depopulated Palestinian village of Bayt Thul,^[3] less than 1 km south of the village site of Nitaf.^[4] It overlooks Nataf Valley, a popular hiking destination. Nataf spring is watered all year round and has a number of small freshwater pools. The name Nataf is of biblical origins and referred to the incense Stacte. Only 20% of the residents are Modern Orthodox; 80% of the residents are secular. The village has a unique unaffiliated synagogue with three sections for prayer: a men's section, a women's section and a mixed section.

Notable residents

• Avram Burg
• Bradley Burston
• Ehud Shapiro

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nataf.

Bibliography

• Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.