Walker/Life on the Farm, 6. Jerusalem’s Farmland Transformed: The Expansion of Agricultural Terracing

The Jerusalem highlands to the west of the city are characterized by moderate slopes and winding wadis. The land beyond the city limits was always used for agriculture, and the Medieval Islamic period is no exception. Throughout its entire history of occupation, Khirbet Beit Mazmīl was a site intimately engaged with agriculture, its fields likely located nearby. In this chapter, we explore “life on the farm” through the lens of its farmland, and through the transformation of its fields over time.