Dura (دوره) is a Palestinian town located eleven kilometers southwest of Hebron in the Hebron Governorate in the southern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of over 21,550 in mid-year 2006. The current mayor is Mustafa Khalil Rjoub.

Name

According to the municipality, The name "Dura" is derived from a Canaanite word meaning house and not the Arabic word for corn.
Its ancient name is Adoraim, and is mentioned in the Bible (2 Chronicles 11:9) as one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam.
The town was referred to as "Adora" during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Between the years 57 and 47 BCE, the region of ancient Palestine was divided into five districts, or synedria, with Adora likely serving as the capital of eastern Idumaea. After this, Idumaea became attached to the district of Judaea to the north, and the once heavily Hellenized city became predominantly Jewish. It seems to have remained so until the spread of Christianity in Palestine in the Byzantine period (beginning in the late fourth century CE).
For more information on the Biblical reference to Adora/Adurim/Adoraim see Adurim

History

During the Ottoman period, Dura's inhabitants staged an uprising against Ibrahim Pasha, who was rebelling against the legitimate Sultan. Similar uprisings occurred against the British Mandate and Dura was besieged by the British for six months and was forced to pay fines. As a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, large number of Arabs fled the parts of the Hebron area captured by the Israelis and caused the population of Dura to swell.

Dura was established as a municipality on January 1, 1967, five months before it was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War. After the Palestinian National Authority was ceded control of the town in 1995, a local committee was set up to prevent land confiscation from the town and the municipal council was expanded. many Palestinian ministries and governmental institutions opened offices in Dura, enhancing its role in Palestinian politics.

Climate

The climate of Dura is dry in the summers and experiences moderate precipitation during winter. Average annual precipitation depend on specific geographic locations within the town. The area of Dahr Alhadaba receives an annual average of 400-600 mm of rain, southern slopes 300-400 mm and the northern region of the Dura hills 250-300.

Notable residents

• Khalid Amayreh – journalist; regular columnist for Al Ahram

References