, ▁while ▁also ▁ow ning ▁some ▁lands ▁south ▁of ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁Beit ▁Net of a ▁Valley ▁( S ahl ▁al - B att uf ) ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Naz are th ▁area . ▁Ar ra ba ▁att ained ▁local ▁council ▁status ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁and ▁city ▁status ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁In ▁ ▁its ▁population ▁was ▁. ▁ ▁Econom y ▁The ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁council ▁is ▁an ▁on ion , ▁a ▁wat erm el on ▁and ▁a ▁cant al oupe ▁which ▁symbol ize ▁the ▁cro ps ▁for ▁which ▁Ar ra ba ▁is ▁famous . ▁Through out ▁history ▁Ar ra ba ▁was ▁mostly ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁village ▁depending ▁mainly ▁on ▁the ▁al - B at uf ▁P lain ▁( H eb rew ▁name : ▁Beit ▁Net of a ▁Valley ) ▁to ▁grow ▁cro ps . ▁However , ▁currently ▁the ▁dependence ▁on ▁agricult ure ▁is ▁decl ining ▁rapidly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁in ▁population , ▁urban ization ▁and ▁a ▁subsequently ▁more ▁modern ▁l ifest yle . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Anti qu ity ▁Ar ra ba ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Jewish ▁village ▁called ▁Arab , ▁mentioned ▁in ▁Joseph us ' ▁writ ings ▁by ▁its ▁pron unci ation ▁in ▁the ▁Greek , ▁Gab ara , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁M ish nah ▁and ▁the ▁Jerusalem ▁Tal m ud ▁as ▁Arab . ▁The ▁Rab bi ▁and ▁scholar , ▁Y oh an an ▁ben ▁Zak ka i , ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁lived ▁there ▁eigh teen ▁years . ▁During ▁the