Shitim

Shitim is a community settlement in southern Israel. Located in the Arabah valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot [Regional Council]. In 2019 it had a population of 4.

History

The village was established in 1984 as a Nahal settlement, with soldiers often living at the site following the end of a combat role and working in nearby kibbutzim. In the early 1990s, the nearby army base was taken over by a different battalion, which largely operated in the West Bank. This caused disruption in the day-to-day agricultural activities of the village and it was abandoned by the Israel [Defense Forces|IDF] in 1997, with the site given to kibbutz Ketura. Attempts to establish a civilian village at the site failed and the settlement was dismantled.
In 2002 a group of followers of Rajneesh founded a guesthouse on the site under the name 'Ashram BaMidbar', with people working at the guesthouse re-establishing the village.