In 1901, 'Abdu'l-Bahá purchased land in what is now Jordan that would become the village of 'Adasíyyih. Through His guidance and unending inspiration, Bahá'í pioneers from Iran would soon settle there and transform a degraded parcel of land—which 'Abdu'l-Bahá reportedly described as the most inhospitable place on Earth—into the site of a thriving farm and prosperous community whose residents embodied the Bahá'í teachings.
The story of 'Adasíyyih is offered within the context of the extensive agricultural activities of the Central Figures of the Bahá'í Faith and the early Bahá'í communities They nurtured. It was this farming village—along with several others in the region of the Galilee—that produced a surplus of crops, which enabled 'Abdu'l-Bahá to keep famine at bay for so many people during World War I, a feat that would earn Him a knighthood from the British Empire and a title that He would never use. In time, 'Adasíyyih would become a model village for Jordanians, and Jordan's royalty would become frequent guests.
Author Paul Hanley's extensive research, along with his deep interest in agricultural systems, provides a fascinating glimpse of this remarkable history and the lessons that can be gleaned from it and applied to current community building and agroecological efforts.
