Rajeb
Town in Ajloun Governorate, known as Ragaba/Regev in antiquity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rajeb or Rajib (Arabic: راجب) is a village in the Ajloun Governorate in northwestern Jordan.[1] In classical sources, Ar Rajib is known as Reğeb (Ragaba).[2]
Rajeb
راجب | |
|---|---|
| |
  Rajeb Location in Jordan | |
| Coordinates: 32°14′20″N 35°41′45″E | |
| PAL | 215/183 |
| Country |  Jordan |
| Governorate | Ajloun Governorate |
| Time zone | UTC + 2 |
History
Rajeb is identified with the ancient fortress of Reğeb (Hebrew: רגב), or Ragaba (Greek: Ράγκαβα). According to the historical accounts by Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian from the first century AD, Alexander Jannaeus, king of Judaea, died during a siege at this location (around 76 BC).[2][3] The Mishnah notes that Reğeb was renowned for its olive oil.[2][3]
A maqam named Maqam Hajja Amirah, accompanied by a mosque, once stood in the graveyard atop a nearby flat hill. Today, only remnants of it exist as a ruin on a slope adjacent to the asphalt street. According to local accounts, it was demolished in recent years to accommodate the expansion of the graveyard.[4]
Ottoman era
In 1596, during the Ottoman Empire, Rajeb (under the name of Rajib Rayan) was noted in the census as being located in the nahiya of Ajloun in the liwa of Ajloun. It had a population of 8 households and 2 bachelors, all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on various agricultural products, including wheat (1400 a.), barley (1600 a.), summer crops (1600 a.) olive trees (800 a.), goats and beehives (400 a.), in addition to "occasional revenues" (320 a.) and for an olive oil press/press for grape syrup (80 a.); a total of 4,500 akçe.[5]
Modern era
The Jordanian census of 1961 found 645 inhabitants in Rajib.[6]
Waterfall
The Rajeb Waterfall attracts thousands of visitors annually.[7]