Jaba' is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, in the Jenin Governorate of the State of Palestine, located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) southwest of the city of Jenin. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 8,942 in the 2007 census and 10,413 by 2017. The village is situated on the slopes of the Jabal Dabrun mountain. The village and its immediate vicinity contain a number of archaeological sites, including a tomb for a certain Neby Yarub. During the Ottoman era, Jaba' served as a throne village of the powerful Jarrar family. The village is administered by a municipal council, currently headed by Bassam Jarrar.
Jaba', Jenin, 2019
The Samaria Ostraca are 102 ostraca found in 1910 in excavations in ancient Samaria led by George Andrew Reisner of the Harvard Semitic Museum. These ostraca were found in the treasury of the palace of Ahab, king of Israel, and probably date about his period, 850–750 BC. Authored by royal scribes, the ostraca primarily record food deliveries, serving an archival function.
Sketch of a selection of ostraca
Diagram of the excavation