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By
Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D.
The Taybeh October Fest is a first time
event to promote not just Taybeh Beer but all local products made in
Taybeh. Scheduled for October 1 and 2, 2005, in the small village of
Taybeh, it aims to boost the economy by inviting people to come and
purchase beer, olive oil, maftoul (couscous), honey, vigil lamps,
soap, embroidery, olive wood products, and various art crafts and to
enjoy a special day of food, fun, music and the beautiful hills of
Taybeh.
The
Festival is the cooperative work of the Taybeh municipality and its
mayor David Canaan Khoury, two women’s organizations, the Taybeh Boy
Scouts, the three local parishes, the Taybeh Brewing Company and the
Society of Christian Heritage in the Holy Land. The committee hopes
for a successful festival which could be scheduled every year on the
first Saturday and Sunday of October, thereby starting a new
tradition of promoting local Palestinian products that other towns
and villages can emulate as an effort to support and celebrate
specific products throughout Palestine.
Making Taybeh famous in biblical times was Christ’s special retreat
to the village of Ephraim, as the original biblical name of Taybeh
was mentioned in John 11:54. The name was changed to Taybeh by the
Islamic leader Salah Eddin around 1187. Folktale relates that Salah
Eddin visited Ephraim and found its people very hospitable and
generous. He stated that they are "taybehn" people, meaning "good
and kind" in Arabic. Since that day Ephraim took the modern name
"Taybeh." There are three other places called Taybeh in the region.
One is Taybeh Zaman (original Taybeh) in Jordan, one in historic
Palestine, close to Jenin and one in Lebanon.
Situated some 40 km to the northeast of Jerusalem Taybeh is the only
all Christian village that remains in Palestine with less than two
thousand residents. Since the l967 Israeli invasion of the West
Bank, approximately seven thousand people from Taybeh emigrated to
Australia, America, Europe and the Gulf states due to the unstable
political situation, the bad economic situation and the daily
suffering faced under the military occupation.
Located in the West Bank between Jerusalem and Jericho, the village
unfortunately does not appear on any modern map although master
brewer Nadim C. Khoury worked hard to place Taybeh on the map with
his famous Palestinian beer that was written about in the New York
Times. The village sits on the highest mountain region of biblical
Judea and Samaria called Mount Asur. On a clear day, from the
highest hill in Taybeh, one can see the magnificent Dead Sea, the
Jordan Valley, the mountains of Samaria, the mountainous desert of
Judea and also Jerusalem. It is really amazing and spiritually
rewarding to stare down at the same valley where St. Mary of Egypt
is said to have spent over forty years of her life in solitude.
The
village has five places of worship including the original St.
George’s Greek Orthodox Church (in ruins) built in the 5th
century; the new Church rebuilt in l929-1932, with a small chapel
containing the original fourth century mosaics; the Melkite Church
built in l964 although Melkite worship in the village dates to 1869;
the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to "The Last Retreat of Jesus"
(inaugurated in l971); and a small monastery built by French monk
Jack Frant in l990.
Visitors to Taybeh can tour the magnificent ruins of the stone
chapel honouring St. George, in which the inhabitants of Taybeh
still celebrate some of their feasts, the Taybeh Brewery, the Olive
Branch Workshop, the new olive press, and Parables House which is a
traditional old Palestinian home with cultural artefacts explaining
Biblical parables; can have lunch at Taybeh Zaman Restaurant and
overnight at the Latin Convent Guesthouse, which can accommodate up
to 36 guests, for less than $20 per person.
For
the Taybeh October Fest, locals and foreigners are invited to come
and have a flavour of Taybeh and help support local products in deep
need of a boost. Escape to Taybeh on October 1 and 2 for a day
filled with fun, food, beer, music and more….
Dr.
Maria Khoury is the author of
Witness in the Holy Land
and the new children’s book,
Christina Goes to the Holy Land,
available at the Educational Bookshop on Salah Eddin Street,
Jerusalem
and Al Sharook Bookshop, Ramallah. |
