The history of Migdal Tsedek

 

There was habitation here in the Second Temple period that was called Migdal Afek.

 

During the Crusader period a fortress was built on top of the hill called Mirabel that was one of the key strongholds of the defensive network of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. What you see today are only the foundations of the Crusader castle. The structure now seen is 19th century Ottoman, built as a fortified manor directly on top of Crusader foundations and following its basic outline, including its central courtyard.

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The castle Mirabel overlooked the Afek Pass, where the Via Maris, which was the main international highway of the ancient Near East, squeezed between the Samarian Hills to the east and the Sharon Plain to the west. The springs of the Yarmouk River created a marsh on the plain and passage could only occur through this passage way. Whoever controlled this pass controlled all north–south movement across the entire region. This castle was also near the coastal-Jerusalem road.

 

However, this Crusader castle was not only important strategically, but the baron who held it, Manasses of Hierges, was heavily involved in the political struggles of the kingdom. This is briefly touched on in the movie shown in the castle. Because of the location of his castle near the coastal-Jerusalem road and his position of constable of her kingdom he had outsized political weight in the struggles of Queen Melisende.

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Melisende was the daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. He had no sons, and he designated Melisende as his heir, She married Fulk of Jerusalem, a powerful noble from Anjou. When King Fulk died, his wife Queen Melisende ruled and she was supported by Manasses. Her reign is often seen as a golden age of the kingdom. She sponsored churches and monasteries and strengthened Jerusalem as a religious center. However, her son, King Baldwin III, who had come of age wanted full control. A power struggle emerged and Manasses used Mirabel as a stronghold of resistance against Baldwin III. Eventually, Baldwin III defeated this faction in a civil war. Manasses was exiled, and Mirabel passed out of his hands.

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After the decisive Crusader defeat at the Battle of Hattin, much of the Crusader defensive system collapsed. Muslim forces under Saladin advanced into the region and Mirabel was captured.

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Another story here is that of the quarries, which you can see below and to the side of the fortress.

The hills here are rich in high-quality limestone, which was easy to cut but durable. Stone was quarried on a small, local scale for nearby settlements and roads and fortifications (including earlier phases of the hilltop fortress). The area became especially important for lime production, and dozens of lime kilns were built across the slopes. Limestone was quarried, burned in kilns at high temperatures and turned into lime for mortar and plaster. This material was essential for construction in villages and towns, plastering buildings and infrastructure across central Israel. During the British Mandate & early Israeli period quarrying became more mechanized and large-scale and the area supplied stone for expanding cities in the coastal plain and roads and infrastructure.

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Between 1937 to 1947 there was a Jewish labor camp and factory at Migdal Tsedek with the character of a military-like outpost. When the War of Independence broke out it was decided to end Jewish labor at the factories, and Iraqi forces took over the quarries as well as nearby Rosh Ha’Ayin and the Yarkon Springs, which provided water to Jerusalem.

 

In July 1948, part of the Alexandroni Brigade captured Migdal Tsedek, Rosh Ha’Ayin, and the Arab village of Majdal Yaba. However, in the 1970s, the quarries were abandoned for financial reasons and they became garbage dumps.