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31°48′43″N 35°12′0″E / 31.81194°N 35.20000°E / 31.81194; 35.20000

For the moshav in the Golan Heights, see Ramot, Golan Heights.

Ramot (Template:Lang-he-n, lit. Heights), also known as Ramot Alon (Template:Lang-he, lit. Alon Heights), is a large housing development in northwestern Jerusalem. Ramot lies north of the Green Line. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

History

Ramot was established in 1974. The name is based on the biblical city of Rama, where the Prophet Samuel lived and was brought for burial: And Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned him, and they buried him near his home in Rama (Samuel I, 25:1). According to tradition, Rama was situated on one of the highest peaks of the Judean Hills, 885 meters above sea level. Modern Ramot was built on a hill overlooking the land of the tribe of Benjamin. After the death of Yigal Allon, the neighborhood was renamed Ramot Alon.

Between the 1949 Armistice Agreements and the Six-Day War in 1967, the area was in the demilitarized zone between Israeli and Jordanian lines.

Geography

Ramot is north and west of the center of Jerusalem. The neighborhood is built upon two elongated ridges about 100–200 meters above the surrounding landscape (heights of 693–876 meters above sea level). Between the ridges is the Golda Meir highway, leading to Tel Aviv. Travel time to the center of Jerusalem is about 15 minutes and Har Hotzvim industrial park is about 7 minutes .

Demography

Ramot has a population of 50,000. It is divided into six sections, from Ramot 1, the oldest section, to Ramot 6, the newest section. Ramot 5 is the commercial center. There are Crusader era remains in Ramot 2 and Ramot 6.

The population is ethnically and religiously diverse, and housing ranges from expensive, single-family homes to inexpensive, multi-level apartments. Ramot has a large Orthodox and Haredi population.

Archaeology

In May 2005, a salvage excavation conducted in the Ramot neighborhood on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority found a rock hewn burial cave surmounted by a massive rectangular building and a columbarium cave. Potsherds dating to the Ottoman period were discovered on the floor of the building. Fragments of jars and cooking pots dating to the Early Roman period were discovered in the columbarium, which is characteristic of the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods.

Khirbet Tililiya is the site of an ancient ruined fortress on a high hill in the center of Ramot Alon. The ruins are dated to the Second Temple period (Hasmonean and Herodian).

See also

• Ramot Polin

References

1. Journal of architectural and planning research. Elsevier. 1991. p. 59. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
2. ^ "They began planting neighborhoods such as Ramot Allon on annexed West Bank land..." Clashing values alter a city’s face by Richard Boudreaux, Los Angeles Times June 05, 2007
3. Ramot Alon neighborhood
4. , as seen in official map:
5. "Nefesh B'Nefesh - Aliyah Live the Dream". Nbn.org.il. 2006-03-27. Retrieved 2011-03-28.
6. Jerusalem's second biggest mall to open in 2011
7. Excavations and surveys in Israel: Jerusalem, Ramot

External links

• Shchunot Portal-Ramot Alon
• Ramot Alon's Community Management
• Nefesh B'Nefesh Community Guide for Ramot, Jerusalem, Israel
• Tehilla Community Guide for Ramot, Jerusalem, Israel

• Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from May 2011
• Neighbourhoods of Jerusalem