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History of Kafr Kanna


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The settlement of Kana was mentioned in the Amarna Letters, and was known in the times of the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus. As with many Jewish towns in the Galilee, the town took in Jewish refugees fleeing Roman persecution in Jerusalem and Judea.

Nasir-i-Khusraw visited the village in 1047 CE and described the place in his diary:

"To the southward [of Kafar Kannah] is a hill, on the top of which they have built a fine monastery. It has a strong gate, and the tomb of the prophet Yunis (Jonas) [..] is shown within. Near the gate of the monastery is a well, and the water thereof is sweet and good. [..] Acre is 4 leagues distant.."

Kafr Kanna was conquered by the Crusaders in 1099. During this period, Ali of Herat wrote that one could see the Makam of Jonas, and also the grave of his son, at Kafr Kanna. This was repeated by Yaqut al-Hamawi, although he only wrote of the tomb as being that of Jonas' father. In August 1254 Julian the lord of Sidon sold it to the Knights Hospitaller.

Around 1300 Kafr Kanna was described as being a large village, in which lived the chiefs of various tribes. The head tribe is called Kais al-Hamra ("Kais the Red.") According to the chronicler, Al-Dimashqi, the district Buttauf, called "the Drowned Meadow", belonged to the village. Al-Dimashqi further remarked that the waters of the surrounding hills drained into the area, flooding it; as soon as the land is dried up grain was sown.

Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the village flourished in the 16th century, as it lay on the trade route between Egypt and Syria. In 1596, Ottoman officials recorded the population as 475 Muslim households and 96 Jewish households, making it the 6th most populous locality in Palestine at the time.

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Kfar Kanna was captured by units of Israel's 7th Brigade in the second half of Operation Dekel (July 15–18, 1948).

Religious significance

Postcard of Kafr Kanna
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