Alternative spelling variants include 'ein, ain, 'ain, ayn, and 'ayn, and for the definite article el, al, and as.
The first permanent settlement built near ancient Jericho was at Tell es-Sultan, by the Ein es-Sultan spring, between 8000 and 7000 BC, and consisted of a number of walls, a religious shrine, and a 23-foot (7.0 m) tower with an internal staircase.
The Byzantines built a domed church nearby dedicated to Saint Eliseus (Elisha in Greek).
[4] By 2000 a protective building which helps avoid contamination of the water had been erected over the spring, and by 2010 the rehabilitation included the old facilities, the preservation of archaeological remains, and landscaping works at the site for tourism purposes.
[4] The Government of Italy led and financed the project, with support from the United Nations Development Programme-Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP-PAPP), as part of an upgrading effort of water networks in Jericho and Hebron.