Asira ash-Shamaliya () is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate, located 3.5 kilometers north of Nablus in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of approximately 8,813 inhabitants in 2017.

Location ‘Asira ash Shamaliya is located 3.5 km north of Nablus. It is bordered by Talluza, Al Badhan, and 'Azmut to the east, Nablus to the south, Zawata, Ijnisinya, and Nisf Jubeil to the west, and Beit Imrin and Yasid to the north.‘Asira ash Shamaliya town profile, ARIJ, p. 4

Etymology According to Palmer, the old name Asiret el Hatab means The difficult place of timber. According to the local municipality, in Arabic, the word Asira means "firewood" and refers to the town's (and nearby Asira al-Qibliya's) abundance of forests which was used by residents to sell firewood.Asira al-Shamalia Municipality

History Pottery sherds from the Iron Age I,Zertal, 2004, p. 528 Iron Age II, late Roman, Byzantine,Dauphin, 1998, p. 770 early Muslim and Medieval eras have been found here.

South east of the village centre (at grid no. 175/183) is a site where a quantity of pottery from Iron Age I has been found.Zertal, 2004, pp. 529-530

In 1166, a Crusader estate called Asine was located here.

Ottoman era In 1517, the village was included in the Ottoman Empire with the rest of Palestine, and in the 1596 tax-records it appeared as Asirah, located in the Nahiya of Jabal Sami, part of Nablus Sanjak. The population was 19 households and 5 bachelors, all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax rate of 33.3% on agricultural products, such as wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues and a fixed tax for people of Nablus area; a total of 3,335 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 128. NB: typo: wrong gridno. in Hütteroth and Abdulfattah tables, on Hutteroth.png z1 is in correct position at (175/184)

In 1838 Robinson placed '''Asiret el Hatab in the Wady esh-Sha'ir district, west of Nablus.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 128

In 1870, Victor Guérin noted about the village, which he called A'sireh, that it was: "a considerable village, whose inhabitants are considered industrious. Their houses are better built than in many other places in Palestine. Around the village, there are some gardens planted with figs, olive trees and vegetables."Guérin, 1874, pp. 368 -369

In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Asira ash-Shamaliya, which they called Asiret el Hatab as: "a large village on a round knoll, with olive groves on every side."Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 155

British Mandate era In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, '''Asira Shamaliyeh had a population of 1,179; 1,178 MuslimsBarron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 24 and 1 Orthodox Christian,Barron, 1923, Table IX, Sub-district of Nablus, p. 47 increasing in the 1931 census to 1,544, all Muslim, in 329 houses.Mills, 1932, p. 59

In the 1945 statistics the population was 2,060, all Muslims,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 18 with 30,496 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 59 Of this, 4,850 dunams were used for plantations and irrigable land, 11,765 were for cereals,Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 105 while 101 dunams were built-up (urban) land.Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 155

Jordanian era In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Asira ash-Shamaliya came under Jordanian rule.

In 1961, the population of Asira Shamaliya was 3,232.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 14

Post-1967 Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Asira ash-Shamaliya has been under Israeli occupation. The population of 'Asira Shamaliya in the 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 3,217, of whom 53 originated from Israeli territory.Perlmann, Vol 1, Tab 2: Asira Shamaliya.

After the 1995 accords, 62% of village land was classified as Area A, 24% as Area B, and the remaining 14% as Area C.‘Asira ash Shamaliya town profile, ARIJ, p. 16

Possible ancient identifications According to PEF Survey of Palestine (1882), Asira ash-Shamaliya could be the Aesora of Judith 4:4.

According to Zertal (2004), Asira is one of the candidates for the place Haserot, which was mentioned in the Samaria Ostraca.Zertal, 2004, pp. 78-79 Another candidate for Haserot is the ruin el-Kebarrah (grid 1793/1967), located SW of Sir.Zertal, 2004, pp. 237-238

Notable residents Ansam Sawalha Woroud Sawalha

References

Bibliography

Perlmann, Joel: The 1967 Census of the West Bank and Gaza Strip: A Digitized Version. Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. November 2011 – February 2012. [Digitized from: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 1967 Conducted in the Areas Administered by the IDF, Vols. 1–5 (1967–70), and Census of Population and Housing: East Jerusalem, Parts 1 and 2 (1968–70).]

External links Asira al-Shamaliya Municipality Welcome to 'Asira al-Shamaliya Survey of Western Palestine, Map 11: IAA, Wikimedia commons ‘Asira ash Shamaliya town profile, Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ) Asira al-Shamaliya, aerial photo, ARIJ Development Priorities and Needs in ‘Asira ash Shamaliya, ARIJ