As-Samu
As Samu' | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | السموع |
| • Latin | es Samu' (official) Samua (unofficial) |
As-Samu, 2007 | |
Location of As Samu' within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°24′3″N 35°4′1″E / 31.40083°N 35.06694°E | |
| Palestine grid | 156/89 |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Hebron |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Head of Municipality | abed ennabe elhawamde |
| Area | |
• Total | 13,800 dunams (13.8 km2 or 5.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 26,011 |
| • Density | 1,900/km2 (4,900/sq mi) |
| Name meaning | originally Eshtemoa, "Place where prayer is heard" |
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As Samu' or es-Samu' (Arabic: السموع) (ⓘ) is a town in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank, Palestine, 12 kilometers south of the city of Hebron and 60 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem. The town had a population of 26,011 in 2017.
As-Samu' is located on a tell identified with the ancient Jewish town of Eshtemoa, from which it derives its name. The town is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the Onomasticon, and the Jerusalem Talmud. Archaeological discoveries include a silver hoard with Hebrew inscriptions, a Jewish burial cave, and the 4th-century Eshtemoa synagogue, later converted into a mosque.
Initially a small village in the early Ottoman era, as-Samu' gradually grew into a larger settlement over the years. In 1966, it was the site of the Samu incident. Since the 1990s, as-Samu' has been governed by the Palestinian Authority as part of Area A of the West Bank. It is known for its handwoven kilims.