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This common fig tree still gives shade to the weary worker. Beyond
it is the fertile Wadi Quailibah, which nourishes the pomegranate and fig tree orchard
that blankets the valley in green during the hot, dry summer months. Wadi Quailibah
is fed from one of many important springs. As a matter of fact, the name "Abila"
is derived from the Semitic word Abel (in Hebrew, "meadow" and in Arabic,
"green growth"). Due to the various water sources, inhabitants of Abila constructed many
subterranean water channels that run through the site. The springs also contributed
in making Abila an important site in antiquity, as water was a precious commodity. |
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