Kaukab Abu al-Hija

**Kaukab Abu al-Hija** (; ), aften simply **Kaukab**, (meanin "starn"), is an Arab Muslim veelage an local cooncil in the North Destrict o Israel, in the Lawer Galilee. It is locatit on Road 784, atween Shefa-'Amr an Karmiel, an next tae Kafr Manda. Kaukab wis historically unner the control o the Abu al-Hija faimily o the Galilee.

Accordin tae the Israel Central Bureau o Statistics, Kaukab haed a population o 2,800 in 2005, an is rankit law (3/10) on the Israeli socio-economic scale. Its jurisdiction is 2,567 dunams.

## History
It is possible tae discern the ruins o Byzantine, Roman an Greek dounsets on Kaukab's location, an it micht be the location o the toun Kokhva, mentioned in the Talmud, housomeivver, mony places in the aurie shared the name, an ane canna ken which ane wis Kokhva.

Kaukab wis foondit next tae the grave o Husam ad-Din Abu al-Hija, ane o Saladin's lieutenants, an is holy tae the local Muslims. It is sicweys namit Kaukab Abu al-Hija tae differentiate it frae several ither Arab veelages wi the same name.

In 1517, the veelage wis incorporatit intae the Ottoman Empire wi the rest o Palestine, an in 1596 it appeared in the Ottoman tax registers unner the name o "Kawkab Bani Krad" as bein in the *[[nahiya]]* (subdestrict) o Akka unner the *[[Liwa (Arabic)|Liwa]]* o Safad, wi a population o 41 hoosehaulds an 8 bachelors, aw Muslim. It paid taxes on a nummer o crops, includin wheat an baurley, simmer crops, fruit trees, as well as on goats an/or beehives.

In 1875, the French splorer Victor Guérin visitit Kaukab, an describit it as a smaw veelage wi aboot 250 indwallers, situatit on a muntain at a altitude o 425 meters abuin the sea level.  He notit a *waly*  dedicatit tae Sheikh Aly an aw.

In the 1922 census o Palestine, conductit bi the Breetish Mandate authorities, Kaukab haed a tot population o 222, aw Muslim, which haed increased in the 1931 census tae 285, still aw Muslim, in a tot o 57 hooses.

In 1938, durin the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, the veelage wis destroyed an its threshin floors burnt bi Breetish troops durin a revenge mission.

In 1945 the population wis 490, aw Arabs, wi 18,674  dunams o laund, accordin tae a offeecial laund an population survey. O this, 332 dunams wur for plantations an irrigable laund, 1,657 for cereals, while 10 dunams wur biggit-up laund.

Durin Operation Hiram, 29-31 October 1948, the veelage surrendered tae the advancin Israeli airmy. Mony o the veelagers fled north but some stayed an wur no expelled bi the Israeli sodgers. The veelage remained unner Mairtial Law till 1966.

In 1973, the population haed grown tae 1,340. Kaukab wis declared a local cooncil in 1984.

## Shrine o Abu al-Hayja

Tae the north o the veelage is the shrine an tomb o Abu al-Hayja, a twa domed structur wi a courtyard tae the north. In the rectangular courtyard, thare are twa cenotaphs, ane on each side o the door enterin the shine.  The cenotaph tae the wast o the door belangs tae Ali Badawi Abu al-Hayja, who dee'd in 1183 H (1769 CE), the east o the door cairies an inscription datit tae 1181 H (1767-1768 CE). Enterin the shrine is done intae the eastren domed chamber. This is a prayer chamber, an haes a mihrab set intae the sooth waw. The next chamber haes twa cenotaphs, ane which belang tae the foonder o the Gallillee al-Hayja-veelages.

## See an aw
*Ein Hod, anither Abu al-Hija veelage
*Leet o Arab localities in Israel

## References

### Bibliography

*    ( p.268 )
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* p.62 
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* (winner o the 1999 Albert Hourani Book Award)

## Freemit airtins
*Kawkab Abu El-Haija photos , bi Dr. Moslih Kanaaneh
*Welcome To Kawkab Abu al-Heija