In 1927 , a group of religious Yemenite Jews founded an agricultural village they named Migdal Eder ( ) , based on a biblical quotation ( ) . The land had been purchased in 1925 by Zikhron David , a private Jewish land holding company at a site between Bethlehem and Hebron that fell between the zones of influence of the local Arab clans . This early community did not flourish , mainly due to economic hardships and escalating tension with neighboring Arab communities . Two years later , during the 1929 Palestine riots and recurring hostilities , Migdal Eder was attacked and destroyed . Residents of the neighboring Palestinian village of Beit Ummar sheltered the farmers , but they could not return to their land
1929 Palestine riots
1929 Palestine riots
Gush Etzion