Alma, Syria

Alma
علما
Elmah
Town
Alma is located in Syria
Alma
Alma
Location within Syria
Coordinates: 32°44′N 36°14′E / 32.733°N 36.233°E / 32.733; 36.233
Grid position267/240
Country Syria
GovernorateDaraa
DistrictDaraa
SubdistrictKhirbet Ghazaleh
Population
 (2004)
 • Total
6,297
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)

Alma or Elmah (Arabic: علما) is a village in the Daraa District of the Daraa Governorate, Syria. According to the 2004 census, the population was estimated at 6,297 people.

It is located near Khirbet Ghazaleh and belongs to a sub-district of a same name.

History

Alma is identified with the ancient Jewish village of Helam or Alema (Greek: Αλαμα), a place in Gilead mentioned in 1 Maccabees.

Ottoman era

In the Ottoman tax registers of 1596, it was a village named Alama, located the nahiya of Bani Malik al-Asraf, Qada of Hauran. It had a population of 12 households and 7 bachelors, all Muslims. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 40% on agricultural products, including wheat (6000 akçe), barley (1350), summer crops (650), goats and beehives (50), in addition to occasional revenues (10); a total of 8,060 akçe. 1/3 of the revenue went to a waqf.

In 1838, its inhabitants were again noted as being Muslim, located south of Al-Shaykh Maskin.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Population and Housing Census 2004[link removed]
  2. ↑ 1 Maccabees, 5:26
  3. ↑ Avi-Yonah, M. (1976). "Gazetteer of Roman Palestine". Qedem. 5: 64. ISSN 0333-5844.
  4. ↑ Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 214
  5. ↑ Smith; in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Second appendix, B, p. 151

Bibliography