FASSŪTA

FASSŪTA, Christian-Arab village in western Upper Galilee, Israel, 3 mi. (5 km.) northeast of Maʿalot, identified with Mifshata where the priestly family of Harim settled after the destruction of the Second Temple. In the Middle Ages, the village is mentioned by the poet Eliezer ha-Kallir. Cave tombs, parts of ancient buildings, and cisterns have been found at the site. Its inhabitants, most of whom belong to the Greek-Catholic (Uniate) faith, are engaged principally in growing olives, deciduous fruit, and tobacco. The village's jurisdiction extends over 0.3 sq. mi. (0.785 sq. km.). In 2002 its population was 2,860. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: I. Ben Zvi, She'ar Yashuv (1927), 140ff. (Efraim Orni)