RAM ALLAH

also spelled Ramallah, town, central Palestine, adjacent to the town of Al-Birah (east) and north of Jerusalem. Ram Allah (Arabic: Height of God) has since the Six-Day War of 1967 been under Israeli administration as part of the West Bank territory. An ancient settlement, it has buildings incorporating masonry from the time of Herod the Great (reigned 374 BC), but no complete structure antedates the Crusades of the 11th century AD. Situated on the crest of the Judaean Hills, at an elevation of 2,861 feet (872 m) above sea level, Ram Allah has fine summer breezes and has long been a popular Arab resort. The surrounding area is fertile; olives and viticulture are important. Birzeit University was founded at Ram Allah in 1924. Just south of the built-up area is the important tell (stratified mound with successive layers of ancient settlements) of Tel Mizpe (Hebrew: Outlook Hill; Arabic: Tall al-Nasbeh). It is the probable site of biblical Mizpah. The demographic makeup of the town changed drastically between 1948 and 1967; formerly Ram Allah was predominantly Christian and twice as large as Al-Birah, a Muslim town. According to the special census of the West Bank taken by Israel in 1967, Ram Allah's population was 12,134, only slightly more than half Christian, while Al-Birah, including a large refugee camp, was 13,037. Pop. (1984 est.) Ram Allah and Al-Birah, 50,000.