District Jerusalem Affiliation Moshavim Movement Founded by Yemenite Jews Local time Sunday 5:46 PM | Council Mateh Yehuda Founded 1950 Population (2015) 1,263 | |
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Weather 14°C, Wind W at 13 km/h, 71% Humidity | ||
Mesilat Zion (Hebrew: מְסִלַּת צִיּוֹן, מסילת ציון, lit. Track of Zion) is a moshav in central Israel. Located near Beit Shemesh with an area of 1,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 1,263.
Contents
Map of Mesilat Zion, Israel
History
The moshav was established on the land of the depopulated Palestinian village of Bayt Mahsir in 1950.
The moshav was established as a work village in 1950 by immigrants from Yemen. After a few years the founders left and were replaced by Cochin Jews. The name of the village is symbolic, as it is located near the Burma Road. It symbolizes the breaking of the siege over Jerusalem during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, it is based on verses from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 62, "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest....Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people....Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation comes."