Otzem () is a

moshav A moshav (, plural ', "settlement, village") is a type of Israeli village or town or Jewish settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists between 1904 and 1 ...

in southern

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Located in

Hevel Lakhish Hevel Lakhish (, lit. ''Lakhish Region'') is an area of south-central Israel. Part of the southern Shephelah, it is located between the Judean Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea and is named after the Biblical city of Lachish. History In ancien ...

, it falls under the jurisdiction of

Lakhish Regional Council Lakhish Regional Council (, ''Mo'atza Azorit Lakhish'') is a regional council in the Southern District of Israel. It surrounds the ancient city of Lakhish and the modern city of Kiryat Gat. It was founded in 1955. Today it includes 15 moshavim ...

. In it had a population of .

History

Moshav Otzem was established in 1955 by immigrants from Morocco. The name of the village is derived from the verses: “And you shall say in your heart, ‘My strength and the power of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17–18). The moshav was named as a symbol of the intense battles that took place in the area against the Egyptian invader during Israel’s War of Independence. The moshav includes 89 original farms. In addition to agriculture, most residents work outside the village, and many are employed in various professions. The moshav has a synagogue, a kindergarten, and a grocery store, and it hosts many cultural and enrichment activities. The moshav also employs a full-time caretaker responsible for gardening and attending to the needs of the elderly population.

Archaeology

In 1956, a small church with

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

floors and

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

inscriptions, dating from the fifth to sixth centuries AD, was excavated here.

References

Moshavim Lakhish Regional Council Populated places established in 1955 Populated places in Southern District (Israel) 1955 establishments in Israel Moroccan-Jewish culture in Israel {{Israel-geo-stub