Ahihud, Israel 3.63

Ahihud is a moshav in the Western Galilee in northern Israel, about 9 km east of Acre. It was founded in 1950. It belongs to the Moshavim Movement and falls within the jurisdiction of the Mateh Asher Regional Council. The name of Ahihud is taken from a Biblical verse: "The leader of the tribe of Asher was Ahihud, son of Shlomi" (Numbers 34:27).The moshav was established on the land of the depopulated Palestinian village of Al-Birwa.After sources of water enabling the establishment of permanent settlements were discovered in the region, kibbutz Yasur was founded. Its area is 1,800 dunams, and most of its residents are descendants of yemenite jewish refugees.ArchaeologyIn 2008, a large Byzantine-era oil refinery was discovered on the outskirts on the moshav. Among the artifacts recovered during excavations were roof tiles, a marble colonnette, fragments of a marble chancel screen, stem lamps, a carved plate with a figure carrying a child and a bronze lamp chain. These items indicate that a church may have been located nearby and the olive press was situated inside a Byzantine monastery.