Ariel

Ari'al, Shomron, Israel

The city of 'Ari'el (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל Arabic: اريئيل‎) is an Israeli settlement on the West Bank, in the Biblical region of Samaria near the ancient village of Timnath-serah. Established in 1978, its population as of 17,600 (2009), including 7,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union. It is the fifth largest Israeli community in the territories that Israel captured from Jordan of as a result of the Six-Day War in 1967. The Israeli Ministry of the Interior gave the municipality of Ariel the status of a city council in 1998.

Ariel is situated approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) (25 miles) east of Tel Aviv, 40 kilometres (25 mi) (25 miles) west of the Jordan River, and 60 kilometres (37 mi) (38 miles) northwest of Jerusalem. It lies southwest of Nablus/Shechem, north of Ramallah and southeast of Qalqilyah. The city is connected to the Tel Aviv area by the Trans-Samaria Highway and to Jerusalem by Route 60.

In Hebrew, Ariel (אֲרִיאֵל), literally means "Lion of God" or "lioness of God" (See also: 2 Sam 23:20, 1 Chr 11:22). "Ari" (Lion) in Hebrew is also a synonym for bravery and courage and it is also the symbol of the tribe of Judah. Ariel in the Hebrew Bible is one of the names for Jerusalem and the Temple of Jerusalem.

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Ariel - City with a Heart by CityAriel