BETHLEHEM · EST. 1975
Three brothers in Antar Valley
Faraj, Freij and Farraj lived near Tekoa during the Ottoman period. Their descendants became the Khleif, Freij and Canawati family lines.
The origins
One family. Three brothers.
A name born from ingenuity.
01
Faraj and the Khleif family
According to Canawati oral history, Faraj and his twelve children were sentenced to death by the Ottoman authorities around 1511, then offered their lives in exchange for converting to Islam. They accepted, and their descendants became known as the Khleif family. The Muslim Khleifs and Christian Canawatis still recognize their shared ancestry and lovingly call one another cousins.
02
Freij and a legacy of service
The Freij family remains part of Bethlehem today. Among its most distinguished descendants was Elias Mitri Freij, a Palestinian Christian leader who served as Mayor of Bethlehem from 1972 to 1997 and later as Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
03
Farraj, the channel man
Farraj, father of five, took part in work on the historic water-channel system connecting Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem with Jerusalem—an aqueduct nearly 2,000 years old that underwent major repairs and reconstruction during the Ottoman period. According to Canawati family oral history, Farraj helped resolve a problem preventing the water from flowing properly by creating openings at measured intervals. People called him Al-Qanawati—the channel man—and the name passed to his descendants.
The early account is respectfully presented as Canawati family oral history. Remains of the ancient water system survive as archaeological sites, while Canawati heritage is also preserved at Dar Canawati Museum in Bethlehem.
