Today’s travels will take us to the northern section of the Jezreel Valley, with a drive over the Gilboa mountain range, into the Jordan River valley. The area, though relatively compact, is replete with historical and biblical significance,  and is often referenced in the Old and New Testament. Our journey will first take us to the ornate basilica  on the top of  Mt. Tabor, venerated by Christians as the site of Jesus’ Transfiguration. After a stop at one of Israel’s premier art museums at Kibbutz Ein Harod, we will make our way to nearby Ma’ayan Harod National Park, at whose spring, it is said, Gideon chose his most capable warriors in the  battle of the Israelites against the Midianites. A scenic excursion over the adjacent Gilboa mountains will  lead us to the impressive 6th century  Zodiac mosaic at the Beit Alpha Synagogue. At  nearby Gan Hashlosha, a swim break, or a visit to an Australian themed nature preserve to visit kangaroos and koalas, will delight the kids. Later in the afternoon, (after an optional visit to Beit Shean and an overnight stay at a kibbutz), it’s on to visit a majestic Crusader era castle and the museum site of a former kibbutz and hydroelectric power plant at the Israel-Jordan border.

From Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem it’s about a 90 minute drive to Mt. Tabor. Take route 6 to the “Iron” exit and proceed north through the “ Wadi Ara” toward Afula. You’ll be traveling on Route 65 through the Arab villages of Umm el Fahm and Musmus, following the path taken by Egyptian forces led by Pharaoh Thutmose III  more than 3400 years ago. As you wind your way down from the heights, you’ll note Tel Megiddo on the left, which merits a long visit if you are an archaeology buff. This is also the site, as referenced  in some Christian liturgy, as the future Armageddon.

You have  now entered the Jezreel valley, called in Hebrew Emek Yisrael, which today is home to countless moshavim and kibbutzim, harvesting much of Israel’s grain, cotton, produce and sunflowers. In antiquity, the valley saw epic battles between the Egyptians and the King of Kadesh, Gideon and the Midianites, Saul and the Philistines, and Romans against Jewish forces. In modern times, Napoleon led his French troops through the valley, as did General Allenby in his advance against Ottoman forces in World War I.

Follow Route 65, a very straight road laid by the Romans, and known in Hebrew as Hasargel, i.e. measuring stick or ruler. The road then meanders through the businees/industial section of Afula, toward a large, but gently slopping hill in the distance, known as Mt. Tabor.

Continue on Route 65 past the McDonalds sign and drive beyond the turn-off to Dabburiya on route 7266. Circling around the mountain, turn left and drive several kilometers through the village of Shibly. You may wish to leave your car at the visitor center parking lot and take a taxi up the mountain, or if you are an adventurous driver, you can follow the narrow road through its 16 hairpin turns, to the summit. Visiting hours to the basilica are daily from 8 to 11:45 and 2 to 5, and from 8 to 11:30 on Shabbat and holidays.

Mt. Tabor was shaped by volcanic forces which have left visible traces of basalt at its base and ascent. During the Ottoman period  the entire mound, as well as much of Palestine, was deforested. However, the evergreens  and other indigenous trees that you see on the hillside today were planted after the First World War, through the efforts of  the KKL/JNF. Though the scenery along the drive up the mountain is dramatic, you’ll have a better opportunity to later admire Israel’s north from the roof of the basilica.

Proceed through the impressive Crusader era arched entrance, to the parking lot ahead. If you are wearing shorts, now may be a good time to slip on long pants, as entrance to the compound may be precluded if you are  dressed immodestly. Take a few moments to walk through the cactus and flower gardens to admire the excavations and archaeological artifacts, before heading up to the roof of the church. There, spread before you is the Gilboa mountain range, the Jezreel valley, to the east the mountains of  Gilead in today’s Kingdom of Jordan, and to the north, in the distance,  Mt. Hermon.

In the early days of the Jewish people these lands were divided among the tribes of Naphtali, Zebulun, and Issachar, and all three tribes bordered the mound we today call Tabor (Joshua 19:22). Antiquity also saw the creation of important roads near the mound leading from Egypt to Damascus and beyond. These roads and their branches, known as the Via Maris, were further improved by the Romans and subsequent conquerors of the Holy Land.

As you overlook the valley below, try to imagine the scene described in Judges 4 and 5, where a force of thousands of  Canaanites under the leadership of Sisera,  was bivouacked on the land near the mountain. These were the days when the tribes of Israel were led by the Prophetess Deborah who summoned General Barak, from the tribe of Naphtali, and said to him:

” The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go, take with you 10,000 men of Naphtali, and Zebulun, and lead the way to Mt. Tabor. I will draw Sisera, the commander of Yaniv’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon river, and give him onto your hands”

The biblical narrative goes on to tell us that in the midst of a violent storm Barak brought his men down from the summit of Mt. Tabor to route Sisera’s forces whose 900 chariots became mired in the mud of the Jezreel valley. As foretold by Deborah, Sisera himself was later killed by a woman who drove a spike into his temple as he slept in her tent.

Jewish forces were not so lucky, when during Roman rule, over 10,000 men lost their lives near Mt. Tabor during one of the Hasmonean rebellions. Later, in 66 A.D., the mountain served as a temporary sanctuary to Jews from the Galilee under the command of Josephus Flavius.

Of course, Roman rule was also the time of Jesus’ preaching’s, and for Christians Mt. Tabor has special significance as the place of Jesus’ Transfiguration. Tradition holds that upon the mountain Jesus became radiant, and in the company of his disciples, spoke with Moses and Elijah (Luke 9:28-36), and was called “Son” by God ( Mathew 17:1-9).

During the Byzantine period the mountain,  became known as the Hill of Transfiguration, and Christians began to celebrate this miracle with the erection of a monastery and several churches on  the summit. These structures were subsequently destroyed by the Mamelukes, rebuilt by the Crusaders, and destroyed again in subsequent battles. The current basilica, designed by the Franciscan architect, Antoine Barluzzi, was completed in 1924 and is set upon the ruins of earlier churches. As you spend time in the basilica, be sure to admire the, use of arches throughout,  three naves which are separated by two rows of columns with their intricate floral carvings, as well as the gilded mosaic above the alter portraying Jesus’ Transfiguration. Jesus’ conversations with Moses and Elijah are commemorated in each of the chapels located in the bell towers.

Let’s take a last  look at this mosaic of colors stretched out before us as we descend from Mt. Tabor  to our next destination. At the bottom of the hill turn right and follow route 65 to route 716, where you will turn left to Kibbutz Ein Harod (Ichud). As it may not be easy to find the art museum on the kibbutz grounds, don’t hesitate to ask for directions.

The museum has come a very long way from its meager beginnings in 1937 housing artifacts in a wooden shack. These early collections were gathered by Chaim Atar, a member of  Kibbutz Ein Harod, who had settled in Israel in 1922. As a painter, Atar was influenced by the School of Paris, and his many  portraits include family and his neighbors on the kibbutz. The current structure was completed in 1948 during Israel’s War of Independence, and as such, it was the first museum to be built in the nascent state. As you stroll through the expansive galleries and courtyards you  will no doubt appreciate the architect’s use of natural light to highlight the exhibitions.Though buildings in the Bauhaus School are prevalent throughout Tel-Aviv, it’s quite unusual to find its representation in rural Israel, especially in the form of modernist museum architecture.

Today, the museum’s collection exceeds 16,000 paintings, drawings, prints, artifacts, sculpture and Judaica, some of which dates to the 17th century. The museum features ongoing solo exhibitions, most recently featuring such well known Israeli artists as Gabriel Klasmer, Moshe Gershuni, Uri Lifshitz and Tzibi Geva. Internationally recognized sculptors have their works displayed in the museum, but especially in the tree lined courtyards. In fact the museum’s cafe offers an excellent al fresco lunch, permitting  you to sit comfortably surrounded by stone and bronze masterpieces.  Also, a new auditorium  to accommodate  large groups is nearing completion. Visiting hours to the museum are daily from 9 to 4:30, Fridays and holidays 9 to 1:30 and Saturday 10-4:30. You may also wish to call  04-653 -1670 before visiting  the museum.

It’s a short drive from Kibbutz Ein Harod to our next destination, Ma’ayan Harod (Harod Spring). Turn left out of the kibbutz and proceed to route 71, turn right, then left following the sign to Ma’ayan Harod. The national park is situated at the foot of the Gilboa mountains and offers visitors the opportunity to visit a spring with a significant biblical connection and the burial site of Yehousha and Olga Hankin. Group reservations to visit the Hankin museum can be made by calling 04-653 -2211.

Park your car near the concession stand and make your way to the trail or steps leading up to the small white house on the ridge. This Bauhaus structure was built by Yehousha Hankin in 1936 as the place to which he and his wife Olga would one day retire. This unfortunately did not come to pass, but immediately adjacent thereto is their final resting place. The ornate style of the  mausoleum, use of columns and rose and pink colored marble, intentionally replicates the rabbinic tombs in nearby Beit She’arim.

Adjacent is a KKL/JNF memorial plaque which enumerates the amount of land Hankin purchased during the first quarter of the 20th century on behalf of the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish National Fund, and other organizations, in what is today the Jezreel Valley, Rehovot, Hadera, Akko, and Emek Hefer. His knowledge of Turkish law, fluency in Arabic, and intimate knowledge of the customs of the local Arab population, permitted Hankin to successfully negotiate transactions valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars with absentee Arab landowners in Beirut and Damascus. Much of this purchase was malarial swamp, and it was only through the tireless efforts of Jewish pioneers, that this land was transformed into the rich farmland that we viewed earlier today from Mt. Tabor.

As you descend the cliff make a point to stop at the sculpture memorializing the soldiers who have fallen during Israel’s many wars defending the land that Hankin had purchased. As the sculpture commemorates the heroism of the young fighters of modern day Israel, so does the area immediately below harken back to the battles of the biblical Israelites.

At the foot of the cliff there is a small spring-fed stream and cave. It is here that you can take a moment to reflect upon the passages in Judges that speak of the unconventional test performed by Gideon in choosing his men for the battle against the Midianites.

“Early in the morning (Gideon) and his men camped at the spring of Harod…..Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths, all the rest got down to their hands to drink…….Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents, but kept the three hundred men.” (Judges 7:1-8)

The biblical passage goes on to speak of the success of Gideon’s troops, who under the cover of darkness used only torches, trumpets and jars to over come a much larger fighting force. Interestingly, it is with this battle in mind, that a devout Christian serving in the British army in the 1930’s and 1940s, chose to train Jewish fighters at the spring in the use of unconventional fighting methods. Today, Orde Wingate, a decorated British army officer, and lover of the Jewish people, is revered among Israelis for his friendship and for the instrumental role that he played in the training of Israel’s first military commanders.

We will now make our way to the nearby Beit Alpha Synagogue via a scenic drive over the Gilboa mountains. Exit the national park to the left and continue on route 71 to route 675. There, on a hill, you will pass a new complex known as the “Gilboa Gateway” with its cafes, ski lift and synthetic grass and snow ski slope. Ascending from the foothills to the heights you’ll travel on route 6724 through a dense forest of evergreens. During your drive, you’ll find numerous picnic groves created by the KKL/JNF, some of which are named for King Saul’s family, scenic lookouts to the shimmering pools of the fish farms in the valley below and hiking trails along the ridge.

It is on Gilboa that Saul, the first king of Israel, and his son Jonathan, were killed in battle against the Philistines. David lamented the death of his friend Jonathan when he proclaimed ” Ye mountain of Gilboa, let there be no dew, nor rain upon you, neither fields of choice fruits…”(II Samuel I: 19-27). However, today if you are fortunate enough to visit Gilboa in late winter, you may have the opportunity to see fields of cyclamen, crocuses and daffodils carpeting its slopes. By March, the unique Gilboa Iris attracts thousands of Israelies to the mountain range, so watch out for traffic jams!

We will now make our way to the Beit Alpha Synagogue to view one of the most beautiful and interesting mosaics ever found in Israel. Use route 6666 to descend from Mt. Gilboa and at route 669 turn left following the brown signs to the antiquities. Make your first stop at the Beit Alpha National Park  the model of the synagogue in the court yard which depicts its use during the 6th century. Note that the synagogue had a second story which accommodated women sitting in the balcony, a feature that was not reconstructed by the archaeologists.

The Beit Alpha Synagogue was excavated in 1929 by the Hebrew University under the direction of the well respected archaeologist E.L.Sukenik.  The excavators established that a tiled roof covered the sanctuary which was divided by two aisles with columns, and an apse containing the Torah. However,  the most noteworthy finding was the colorful and naive mosaic which carpets the entire floor of the synagogue. The upper panel of the mosaic depicts traditional Jewish ritual objects including an intricately carved Aron Kodesh ( holy ark), a candelabra and two lions, while the lower panel, in a cartoon-like fashion, tells us the story of the near sacrifice of Isaac.

Most beautifully depicted however, is the Zodiac centered in the middle of the floor. The twelve astrological signs are accompanied by their Hebrew names and in the center, constellations surround the sun god Helios who is seated in a chariot drawn by four horses.  In the  corners, busts of winged women symbolize the four seasons of the year. But there is something most unusual about this Zodiac as compared to those that most of us are familiar with. Here, the signs move counterclockwise and are not aligned to correspond with the representation of the four seasons! Many scholars believe that the Beit Alpha Zodiac was used solely for decorative purposes, as by the 6th century its use had become common in other synagogues throughout the land of Israel. Imported initially from Persia to Palestine, the use of the Zodiac was condemned by the prophets as a  desecration of the Second Commandment “not to make a likeness of the heavens above”. However, over time the use of astrology became accepted in the land as the Jewish People adapted to their pagan and Christian environments.

You can learn much more about the use of the Zodiac, the artists that designed the mosaic, the synagogue’s destruction during an earthquake, and the excavation, during the movie presented before your self guided walking tour. Visiting hours at the national park are daily 8-4 and Fridays and holidays 8-3.  Summer hours extend one hour later. You may wish to call ahead at 04-653-2004 for further information.

We will now proceed to our next destination a short distance away. From Beit Alpha return to Route 669  in the direction of Beit Shean, and then turn right toward the Gan Hashlosha National Park. Here, you and the kids can enjoy a warm swim in the spring fed Amal stream which has been enlarged into several large natural pools surrounded by lush foliage and slopping lawns. These pools are one  of  the main attractions of the national park known as Gan Hashlosha, the garden of the three. The Hebrew name memorializes three Jewish settlers who were killed in 1938  during the Arab Riots of 1936-1939. The park is also commonly known by its Arabic name el-Sakhne, and today is a favorite gathering spot for visitors to Israel, Jewish residents of nearby kibbutzim and moshavim and Arab families from nearby villages.

You can easily spend several hours at the park soaking in the sunshine, exploring a cascading waterfall, jumping off the rocks into the constant 82 degree (F) water or barbequing a meal. A short walk will take you to a restored water powered mill as well as a Madafeh, a traditional Arab hospitality room. A stroll through the regional archaeological museum, which houses some artifacts from nearby Beit Shean, and an exhibit about the Etruscans, may also be of interest. The swimming areas are usually staffed by lifeguards and changing rooms are available for bathers. Visiting hours during the summer are 8-5 and Fridays and holidays 8-4. The park closes one hour earlier in winter.

Near the entrance to the park you may have noticed a large wooden tower. This structure is a replica of  Tel Amal, built by residents of Beit Alpha, and is typical of the towers and stockades that were established  by the Jewish Agency in Mandatory Palestine in 1936. Fiftyseven of these structures, constructed in large part by prefabricated segments, were erected during one night throughout the country as a defensive measure against marauding Arabs. Not unlike the American fort, the stockade provided protection to settlers and the tower a means of recognizance.

During the three year Arab Riots (1936-1939) this line of towers and stockades served as an effective mechanism guarding newly established kibbutzim and moshavim, and as a way to establish a Jewish presence along the Mandatory borders. A short film inside the stockade provides detailed information about this period of time, while a walk through the living quarters sheds light on the cramped and primitive living conditions of these early settlers.

Nearby, the Gan Garoo will delight children and adults alike. Established with the assistance of the Australian government, the 4 acre park brings a bit of Australia to Israel with its representative flora and fauna. You can easily walk the grounds of the park to mingle with kangaroos, wallabies and walaroos lazily lounging under shady Eucalyptus trees. You’ll have fun observing the koalas dangling from the trees and watching an assortment of  flying foxes (bats), cockatoos and emus. Also, don’t miss the adjacent gift shop for educational materials and everything Australian.

The excavations at  nearby Bet Shean merit a visit of several hours and are beyond the scope of this blog. If you choose to stay overnight in the immediate area to visit Bet Shean and  then continue with our itinerary, Kibbutz Nir David near Gan Hashlosha may be most convenient.

We will now continue our “off the beaten path”  adventure to Israel’s best preserved Crusader era castle, Belvoir. Return to Route 71 and proceed east toward  Route 90 via Beit Shean. Travel north on this scenic Jordan valley road for approximately 30 minutes, and then follow the sign for the six mile drive up the mountain.

The Order of the Hospitalers aptly named their castle Belvoir, beautiful view. In Hebrew it is known as Kochav Hayarden, the Star of the Jordan, preserving the name of the nearby Jewish village of Kochav which had been inhabited during the Byzantine and Roman eras. During your self guided tour of the castle you will notice several pieces of masonry with Jewish images, including an engraved menorah, that were taken from the abandoned village by the builders of Belvoir. In Arabic the site is known as Kaukab al-Hawa, star of the wind, best described by the medieval historian Abu Sharma, as a place ”amidst the stars like an eagle’s nest and abode of the moon”.

The castle is situated on a precipice 1,500 feet above the Jordan river on the Naphtali plateau, opposite the mountains of Gilead, and 20 kilometers south of the Sea of Galillee. Based on its strategic location, the Hospitalers purchased a small feudal estate from the French nobleman Velos and in the 12th century built a magnificent fortress on the mountain. The castle became part of a series of  defensive positions  along the rift valley stretching  from Nimrod and Safed in the north, in an effort to secure the eastern flank of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem from Muslim attack.

The fortress was designed as an early example of the concentric castle plan with a 10 meter deep moat surrounding a rectangular wall with towers at each end, and a well-fortified, two storey citadel,  within.  The moat was incorporated into the castle’s defensive design to protect the it from siege instruments, such as the battering ram and the assault tower.  However, ultimately the successful breach came from the  south east, along the slope of the mountain, to which area the moat did not extend.

Nevertheless, the Crusaders at Belvoir withstood the army of Saladin for 18 months longer than their brethren who perished on mass in 1187 at the decisive battle at the nearby Horns of Hittin. And in the end, Saladin’s forces could not breach Belvoir’s impenetrable citadel, permitting an honorable surrender  negotiated with the Christian fighters who were resettled in Tyre.  To the Muslim rulers in Damascus, Belvoir’s continued presence appeared so fearsome that the remaining walls of the fortress were dismantled to preclude any thoughts of a reconquest by subsequent Crusader armies.

Israeli archaeologists excavated the site in the 1960s, and its reconstruction permitted the opening of a national park some years thereafter. Today, the national park authority provides an excellent brochure eloquently describing  points of interest inside the fortress. As you enter the main gate, be sure to look for the doorposts and square grooves which held large wooden doors in place. Then as you walk through the network of corridors note the defensive use of harder basalt stone in some areas, the strategically placed loopholes (archery slits) in the arched windows, and the main entrance to the citadel with its 90 degree hairpin turns precluding easy access to invading forces. As you walk from the inner fortress toward the bridge, look for the hidden staircase to the moat which would have provided the defenders with an easy avenue escape during the siege. The castle is a fun place to explore and it’s observation points offer vistas not often found in Israel.

We will now return to route 90 and drive several kilometers north to visit “Old Gesher” near the confluence of the Yarmuk and Jordan rivers. Old Gesher (bridge in Hebrew) is the name given to a museum, a number of stone buildings and a model hydraulic power plant that now occupy the site of a kibbutz that thrived there until Israel’s War of Independence.

In the early years of the 20th century, Baron Edmund de Rothschild purchased land in Ottoman controlled Palestine in an effort to resettle Jewish European victims of pogroms while establishing commercial opportunities for himself.( see blogs for Zichron Yaakov and Rishon Le Zion). In 1939, at the behest of the Jewish Agency, members of the Jewish Palestinian youth movement HaNo’ar HaOved, together with newly arrived refugees from Europe, established a Tower and Stockade settlement on land purchased years earlier through  the Baron’s generosity.

During the next decade the settlement evolved into Kibbutz Gesher, many of whose 120 residents farmed the fertile fields of the Jordan valley. Its strategic location made the kibbutz a target for attack, and indeed in April and May of 1948 it endured an onslaught of  Iraqi and Arab Legion forces. While 50 of the children were evacuated to Haifa under the cover of darkness, the rest of of the members of the Kibbutz and soldiers from the Golani Brigade, held their ground at the sttlement and the adjacent British police station. This ‘Tegart”  fortress-style station, similar to those on route  35 in the Negev and at the route 1 Latrun Junction,  can only be viewed from the outside. However, this bullet and mortar pocked building today stands as a silent reminder of the ferocity of the attack and the bravery of the defenders of the kibbutz. Gesher was almost completely destroyed during the war of independence, and only after a peace agreement with Jordan was signed in 1994 did reconstruction of some of the original buildings commence.

Park your car near the kiosk and walk to the border fence to view the remains of the ancient Kahn (inn), the railroad tracks and the three bridges in front of you. The oldest bridge, known as Jeser el-Majama, or meeting bridge, dates back 2,000 years to the Roman era, and connected the east and west banks of the Jordan river as an extension of the Via Maris. The railway bridge was built in 1904 by the German engineer Meisner, who developed  the “Valley of the Train” connecting the cities of Haifa and Damascus permitting Muslim worshipers in the region to make their Hajj to Mecca.  The third bridge was completed by the British in 1925 as part of the road linking Beit Shean and Tiberias along with its northwest extension to Jordan and Iraq. All three bridges were intentionally bombed by Israeli forces in 1948 to preclude their use by invading Arab legion and Iraqi forces.

An audio visual presentation  recreating the history of “Old Gesher” can be viewed at the former fighters’ bunker which now serves as a visitors center. There, you can also visit the former medical clinic, kitchen and communications room used by the defenders of the kibbutz.

Perhaps most interesting is the model of the Naharayim power plant that was developed by the kibbutz in cooperation with the Israel Electric Company. Children will especially enjoy walking through the system of dams and bridges complete with a tower and turbine room, all the while hearing the sound of running water accompanied with flashes of light and color. Remains of the actual power plant can be viewed in the distance as you stand in the courtyard of the former kibbutz.

A better  view of the former hydraulic power plant can be had several kilometers north on route 90 at Naharayim. There, a tour guide from the adjacent Kibbutz Ashdot Yaakov can provide two excellent tours of the realized vision of the father of Israeli electricity, Pinchas Rutenberg.

On the first tour, the guide will lead you on a partial driving and walking tour along the Yarmouk river from the bridge above the 1,300 meter long concrete canal known as the “Zero canal” through an observation of the “access dam” and the remains of the destroyed “train dam”. You’ll have the opportunity to view the area which served as the former water reservoir, lake Nahahrayim, and the nearby Bauhuas style turbine engine rooms.

The second  tour, which is done almost exclusively by car, permits you and your guide to actually enter the Kingdom of Jordan to visit the Island of Peace. The 1994 peace agreement between Israel and Jordan created a special regime for a portion of land that had been previously used by Rutenberg’s hydraulic power plant complex.The island was returned to Jordanian sovereignty , but leased back to Israel for agricultural and tourism purposes. Access to the island requires a brief border inspection but does provide closer access to view the various hydraulic installations.

The island is also the site of the 1997 murder of  seven Israeli school girls by a Jordanian soldier, an event that prompted King Hussein to personally visit each of the girls’  grieving families in Israel to express the sorrow of his Jordanian subjects.  Their memory is today beautifully commemorated  on ” the picked flowers hill” behind the tourist kiosk. A climb up to the  adjacent observation tower provides a striking view of the memorial and the vast system of bridges, canals and abandoned buildings below. Reservations to tour  the Island Of Peace can be made by calling Kibbutz Ashdot Yaakov  04-670-9143. Visiting hours at Old Gesher are Saturday-Thursday 10:00-4:00, Friday 9:00 to 1:00. Further information van be had by calling 04-675-2685.

You can now continue your tour of the Jordan Valley by returning to Route 90 and proceeding north to Tiberias and the religious sites at the Sea of Galilee. Look for future blogs discussing these in detail.

Click to enlarge the map

Sources: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Israel Nature and Parks Authority

Kibbutz Gesher

Kibbutz Ashdod Yaakov

Museum of Art, Kibbutz Ein Harod

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Today’s “off the beaten track” travels will take us to the north-western section of Israel’s breadbasket, the Jezreel Valley, to observe the impact that Muslims, Christians and Jews had on the development of Palestine at the beginning of the 20th century. We will explore the renovated Ottoman-era train station at Kfar Yehoshua, through which Muslim pilgrims from Haifa and surrounding villages passed on their way to The Haj in Mecca, as well as the agricultural Templer and Evangelical Protestant communities of Bet Lehem Ha Glilit and Alonei Abba. At the end of our day we will jump back 2,000 years in time to visit the remains of an ancient Jewish city and cemetery with its ornate tombs at the nearby Bet She’ Arim National Park.

Travel time between Tel-Aviv and our first destination will be between 60 and 90 minutes. Follow the coastal road, Route 2, to the Zichron Yaakov exit. Then follow Route 70 past Bat Shlomo and Elyakim through the town of Yokneam. Alternatively, you can take Route 6 from Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv and exit at Yokneam. Turn right at the Hatishbi junction onto Route 722, and then shortly thereafter, take another right at the brown directional sign toward the Hejaz railroad station and Moshav Kfar Yehoshua. Follow this road for several kilometers and at the circle take the first right toward the old stone buildings.

You have now entered the Jezreel Valley, called in Hebrew Emek Yisrael, which today is home to countless moshavim and kibbutzim harvesting much of Israel’s grain, cotton, produce and sunflowers. In antiquity the valley saw epic battles between the Egyptians under the leadership of Pharaoh Thutmose III, and the King of Kadesh, Gideon and the Midianites, Saul and the Philistines, and Romans against Jewish forces. In modern times, Napoleon led his French troops through the valley as did General Allenby in his advance against Ottoman forces in World War I.

A decade before the outbreak of the the war, the Ottoman Sultan commissioned the laying of a railroad line through the Jezreel Valley for strategic military reasons and as a way to facilitate the pilgrimage of his subjects in Palestine to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Of course, the Sultan hoped that his magnanimity would also bolster his image as the head of Islam throughout the Muslim world.

The Sultan engaged the services of the German engineer Heinrich Meissner, whose team of European trained professionals, supported by 10,000 Ottoman soldiers, completed the railroad’s Jezreel Valley leg in 1905 by linking Haifa with the Hejaz Damascus line in the Jordan Valley. (Remnants of this line can be viewed at Naharayim, off of Route 90 in the Jordan Valley.) Three years later the remainder of the route to Mecca was completed by Meissner’s team, permitting Palestinian Muslims to more easily travel to the Arabian peninsula.

Steam locomotion was the only means by which the train could be powered and that required sources of water and timber along the route. Luckily, well water was found near the entrance to the Jezreel Valley, which for Meissner, proved to be an excellent location to develop the Tal Ish-shammam train station. Following identical blueprints from stations built throughout the Ottoman Empire, Meissner built seven stone buildings and a water tower, which we will visit today.

The first decades of the 20th century also saw a marked increase in the development of Jewish agricultural settlements in Palestine, with kibbutzim and moshavim being built near water and railroad lines whenever possible. The founders of Kfar Yehoshua understood the value of locating their new settlements near the Tal Ish-shammam train station as it would open markets for their produce in Haifa and other seacoast communities. The train also served as a communication life line between the Jewish settlements in the Jezreel Valley as farmers standing along the route could exchange information with passengers on the slow moving steam train.

With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire the name of the train station was ultimately changed to that of the nearby moshav, Kfar Yehoshua, and the route through the Jezreel Valley became affectionately known as the “railroad of the valley”.  During the British Mandate, the train became part of the British railway system and three  daily trains travelled between the settlements. The line and station were abandoned during Israel’s War of Independence, and it was not until several years ago that the Society for the Preservation of Historical Sites in Israel decided to rehabilitate the site.

Pull into the parking area adjacent to the iron fence surrounding a complex of beautifully restored stone buildings, train carriages and a water tower. Make your first stop the deputy station master’s house which today serves as a childrens’ arts and craft workshop. At the adjacent visitors center, which was formerly the station masters home, you can examine artifacts, maps, train schedules and other memorabilia hearkening back to the days when the station was in use. You can also view an assemblage of black and white photos depicting passengers at other railroad stations in Palestine. Most impressive though are the early photographs of the train making its way through the Jezreel Valley, and later standing to take on water and passengers at Kfar Yehoshua. A short film, which can also be viewed with an English narration, incorporates vintage movies and pictures of the train, Ottoman officials, and neighboring moshavim and kibbutzim. The movie should be of interest to children as well, as it effectively uses graphics and humorous pop-ups to tell the story of the valley of the train. Across from the visitors center are two restored train carriages which sometimes also serve as an art gallery. Interestingly, the railway car’s old wooden sleepers are now being reused as benches in the movie screening room. And, not far from the old station, new tracks are being laid to once again connect Haifa and Beit Shean!

The valley of the train visitors center is open daily from 9-2. The contact number for the site is 04-9534226 or 052-722-0139.

Return to Route 722 and turn right for approximately 3 kilometers. Turn right again at Route 75 and then immediately left on Route 7513. Follow this hilly and forested road for several miles in the direction of Allonei Abba, but pass this moshav for now and proceed a short distance to a dirt road leading to the Herb and Spice Farm. The farm merits a short visit, especially on Saturdays as you can enjoy a good cup of coffee and some home baked cake or cookies on the patio overlooking the fields of the Jezreel Valley. However, the rich aroma of hundreds of spices will no doubt entice you to spend some time in the store, where the helpful staff can be of invaluable assistance. Be sure to wander through the herb plantings in front and behind the store and to pick up the English language handout describing the medicinal effects and recipes for twenty popular spices including anise, cumin, turmeric and mustard seed. The farm is open daily from 8:30 to 6, but closes one hour earlier on Friday.

Now retrace your steps back to the entrance of Alonei Abba/Waldheim and follow the main road, past the modern community, to the vine covered stone church. It is no coincidence that the two main streets of the village, with the church at their center, take the form of a cross, as the village was founded by Christian Germans affiliated with the Prussian Evangelical Church. These Protestant settlers were initially part of the Haifa branch of the Templer Society in Palestine, but because of a schism in the movement, were offered financial assistance to form a separate settlement in the countryside called Waldheim (forest home).The purchased land was part of the Arab village of Umm al-Amed and was owned by absentee landowners residing in Beirut.

In the 1930s the Waldheimers, along with many of the other Templers in Palestine, joined the Nazi Party, and with the onset of World War II, the British Mandatory government in Palestine declared them to be enemy aliens. Consequently, the residents of Waldheim, and the Templer movement’s residents living in nearby Bet Lehem Ha Glilit, were interred in their communities. Some of the Templers in Palestine were later deported by the British to Australia, while others returned to Germany in the early years of the war. Another group of Templers were repatriated to Germany in exchange for 200 Jewish female inmates from the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. A small group of residents remained in Waldheim until the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

Start your walking tour of the village at the church which was designed as a basilica by the Haifa -based, German architect, Otto Lutz. It is of simple stone design which is typical of Protestant churches. Yet, its beautifully tiled floor, arched and port hole style windows and broad steeple, add a symmetric and elegant dimension to the structure. Construction commenced in 1916, but because of the war, its inauguration was delayed until 1921. Thereafter, a minister would travel from Haifa to conduct Sunday services at the church for the Waldheimers and some residents of neighboring Bet Lehem Ha Glilit.

Proceed down on either side of the streets and note some of the original two story stone homes bearing a mix of German and Arab architectural elements, including balconies and porches with wrought iron gates, copper gutters leading to cisterns in the cellar, window flower boxes and wooden shutters, some of which are adorned with carved flowers and hearts.

Across the street from the church is a home built in an unusual octagonal style. Adjacent to the church is the home and art gallery of Hannah Levav. Hannah is a second generation resident of Alonei Abba and will be happy to escort you or a group through the village for a fee. Hannah can be contacted at 04-983-5412.

Walking with Hannah through the small village is to take a step back in time to when her parents and other members of a group of Zionist volunteers from Romania, Austria and Czechoslovakia, settled in abandoned Waldheim in 1948. Most of these young people were members of the Hanoar Hatzioni Zionist youth movement in their home country, and having survived the horrors of Nazi Europe, now attempted to enter Palestine on the refugee ship, Darion II. The rickety old boat was intercepted by the British for attempting to run their blockade of Palestine, and its load of refugees were interred behind barbed wire fences at the Atlit and Mizra prison camps. With the founding of the Sate, arrangements were made for their resettlement at Waldheim.

Hannah will also be happy to tell you about the heroic efforts of Abba Berdichev, the namesake of the village, who as a member of Hanoar Hatzioni, volunteered to parachute into Nazi Europe to organize Jews for their ultimate immigration to Palestine. His valiant efforts cost him his life, together with other parachutists such as Hannah Senesh. Be sure to also ask Hannah about the numerous sites in Alonei Abba that served as the setting for local resident Meir Shalev’s novels, “Fontanelle” and Pigeon and a Boy”.

As you walk down the pine tree-lined streets, you may note the nature reserve in the distance. The name Alonei in Hebrew means oak, and indeed the 240 acre nature reserve is today a sanctuary for a small number of Tabor oak trees remaining in Israel. Before the outbreak of World War I, Tabor oaks were a common site in the lower Galillee and near Hadera along the sea shore. The Ottomans deforested much of Palestine during the war, but thanks to the strenuous efforts of the residents of Waldheim, the Tabor oaks surrounding the village were saved.

Abbie Rosner, another resident of Alonei Abba, and a transplant from the United States, offers culinary tours of the region. You can check out Abbie’s site at www.galileecuisine.co.il, and if time permits, be sure to book one of her tours to discover herbs, cheeses and other delicacies from the Galillee.

Return to the entrance of Alonei Abba and proceed right, past the Herb and Spice Farm, to Beit Lehem Ha Glilit (Bethlehem of the Galillee). Though the village is best known for its Templer homes and farms, the site dates back to the Roman and Byzantine eras ( 2nd and 7th centuries A.D.). In fact, some biblical scholars ascribe the area as the true Bethlehem in the Jesus narrative because of its proximity to Nazareth.

Strolling under the arched canopy of trees lining the main street, and by the gardens of some homes, you’ll pass numerous archaeological remains such as oil and wine presses, cisterns, columns and bases, and artifacts salvaged from nearby tombs. An impressive mosaic floor, with representations of birds, animals, grapes and geometric designs discovered at a Byzantine era site in the village, is now prominently displayed at Ben Gurion airport as your proceed down the ramp toward passport control. Though ancient Beth Lehem Ha Glilit was destroyed in the 7th century A.D., archaeologicalal evidence supports continued habitation through the time that the Templers purchased the land from an Arab family in the 1890s.

As you approach the Templer community center and adjacent water tower, note that the architectural elements of the center’s elegant stout design, arched wooden doorways and windows, use of pitched stone slabs and sharp angles, are reminiscent of the Protestant church in nearby Alonei Abba. Though the center is now closed to the public, you can peek into the windows and walk around the garden to examine archaeological artifacts.

Located in the rear of the center’s courtyard is a moving memorial composed of large standing stone slabs engraved with the names of family members of the village who had perished in the Holocaust. A memorial plaque erected by the second generation of residents, commemorates the struggle of their parents who had survived the Holocaust to ultimately settle in Beit Lehem Ha Glilit.

To truly appreciate the beautifully maintained homes with their colored shutters, flower boxes, and porches, be sure to glance into their lush front and back gardens and walk along some of the adjacent paths and alleys.

Down one such path is the rear entrance to the Spirulina soap and oil “company”. There, under the direction of Eli, groups of children and their families can enjoy making molded mobiles using soap and glycerin. Spirulina also provides lessons in the art of oil and soap making, and Eli can also arrange ATV rides for you and your family through the surrounding countryside. These rides can be especially enjoyable in spring and winter when the cyclamen, anemones, and irises are in bloom. Group activities should be scheduled in advance by calling 050-540-4034.

As you walk toward the end of the main street, a treat awaits both young and old at the Brandes dairy farm, www.shvilparot.co.il .There, owner Zvika Brandes will be happy to provide a personalized tour of his farm where 100 cows provide milk to the Tnuva dairy company. It’s fascinating to observe the operation of this highly mechanized farm with its robotic milking machines and computers registering the daily intake of food for each cow. But, it’s even more fun to hand milk a cow or feed an new born calf!

Zvika will also be pleased to relate the story of his parents who started the farm in 1957 with one cow provided by the government and a mule which they shared with a neighbor. On the second floor of the farm house Zvika’s parents raised chickens while also selling poppy seeds which grew in the nearby fields. Soon they were able to purchase additional cows, and by 1962 the dairy farm had become mechanized.

You may also wish to stop at the nearby home of Kobi and Nurit Fleischman, who maintain on the first floor a museum of village artifacts, photographs and other memorabilia. Kobi is an expert on local Templer history and will be pleased to give you a tour of the village for a fee. He can be contacted at 052-355-6939.

As we near the end of our day, a brief stop at nearby Bet She’Arim National Park would help place the region into its historical context. Long before modern Israelis settled in Alonei Abba and Beit Lehem HaGlilit, their forefathers established many Jewish settlements in the lower Galillee. One of the most significant of these, was the fortified city of Bet She ‘Arim, which in its heyday in the 3d and 4th centuries C.E., boasted a synagogue, religious school, public buildings and private dwellings. Archaelogical remains of these edifices can be viewed from the side of the road as you enter the national park. (as you leave Beit Lehem HaGlilit proceed right on Route 75 and immediately left on Route 722 to the park).

For a brief time the city was home to ancient Israel’s foremost judicial and ecclesiastical body, the Sanhedrin, and its leader Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi, who is today revered for his work in redacting the Mishna ( compilation of Jewish law). Many of Judaism’s greatest sages were educated at Bet She’Arim’s religious schools by Rabbi Hanassi and his two sons, Rabbi Gamliel and Rabbi Shimon, whose names may be familiar to readers of the Passover Haggadah. At his death, Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi was buried at Bet She’ Arim, and for many generations thereafter, Jews from Israel and the diaspora sought to be buried in the cemetery nearby this great sage. It is this necropolis of 30 excavated tombs, with their ornate stone carved facades, that we will now be visiting.

Start your walking tour at the information square where you can view a topographical map of the excavated city, the cemetery and several reliefs of Jewish symbols found in the tombs. Though it’s certainly worthwhile to follow the map in the brochure, if time is limited, you should make a point of stopping at the tomb of Yehuda Hanassi, the cave of the coffins, as well as at the mausoleum museum.

Though it is closed to visitors, the Cave of the Syrian Jews, is composed of four chambers with burial niches. Its most significant feature is the beautifully stoned carved seven branch menorah, and the Greek and Aramaic curses carved into the walls. Tomb number 14, the burial chamber of Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi, has an impressive stone facade with three arched doorways facing a large courtyard. The names of the rabbi’s sons are inscribed on the walls, and to the rear of the cave, two graves are cut into the bedrock according to the wishes of Rabbi Hanassi.

Perhaps the cave of the coffins is the most interesting of the tombs for its size and the large number of beautifully decorated sarcophagi found therein. It is also referred to as the Cave of the Rabbis for its many inscriptions recalling the names of these educators and spiritual leaders. Some of the 135 sarcophagi include intricately carved representations of animals, while on one is a carving of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory. The variety of Jewish symbols, such as the menorah, ram’s horn, ritual palm frond, and citron, decorating the burial chamber, together with the use of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages, with their accompanying pagan representations on the coffins, is indicative of the culture and beliefs of Jews in Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora at the beginning of the first millennium.

The mausoleum/museum has a beautiful display of archaeological artifacts, several stone and lead sarcophagi, as well as a collection of stone doors carved in a manner to imitate the wooden doors of the deceased’s residence. Similar doors are found at the entrance to each tomb.

This concludes our tour illustrating the mark that ancient Jews, Arabs, Christians and Israelis have left on this small area of the lower Galilee. You can retrace your return to Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv using the directions above.

Click to enlarge the map

Sources:

The Jerusalem Post

Society For The Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites

Israel Tourist Office

The Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority

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Our destination today is one of the most unusual natural attraction in Israel, the Sorek cave in the Judean Mountains near Bet Shemesh. We’ll have lunch nearby and then explore the remains of an ancient khan with it’s well-preserved mosaic floors, and hike down the Emperor’s Road. The drive to the Sorek cave will take about an hour from either Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem and is especially scenic as you drive through American Independence Park, which is also known as USA Park.

Exit Route 1 at the Sha’ar Hagai junction and follow Route 38 into the town of Bet Shemesh following the brown directional sign toward the stalactite cave. Drive through this quasi-industrial town on Routes 3855 and 3866 until you enter the American Independence Park. The well-paved drive up U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey Parkway will provide you with a stunning view of the Sorek valley, as well as the hills, valleys and the sea far into the distance. Along the way you can easily turn off into some scenic lookouts to enjoy the view below. Near the summit there are several noteworthy sculptures, which we will reflect upon at the conclusion of our visit to the cave. Now turn left to drive down the hill to the parking lot of the Sorek Cave Nature Reserve.

From the parking lot it’s a up to 10 minutes by foot to the visitors center. Though the 150 stairs are well placed, the descent at times is steep, which you should be mindful of as you do need to climb back up to your car! By advance reservation, the physically challenged may be dropped off near the visitors center, but unfortunately, their access within the cave is limited to the observation platform . For further information  please call the following number: 02 991 1117 or 02 992 5756.

The Sorek cave and the surrounding nature reserve, is named after Avshalom Shoham, who as a member of an elite military unit, was critically wounded during the War of Attrition in 1971. When he succommed to his wounds several years later, his family wanted to ensure that his love for Israel would be memorialized, and assisted in making the opening of the cave to the public a reality. Interestingly, his family harkens back to the Bilu settlement movement of the early 20th century, and Avshalom is named for Avshalom Feinberg a member of NILI (see Zichron Yaakov blog).

Start your Israel tour with a visit  to the cave early in the morning or on Fridays when large groups are not permitted. Prior to your guided tour, it would be worthwhile to view the audiovisual presentation, which in detail explains the geological development and discovery of the Sorek cave. Most noteworthy is the fact that this small cave renders a full representation of almost all types of stalagmites and stalactites found in larger caves worldwide. After watching the film you can touch the stalagmites and stalactites that are on display. Especially for children, this can be one of the highlights of their Israel trip.

The Sorek cave was discovered by chance in 1968 while workers were quarrying nearby. However, another decade would pass before it could be officially opened to the public. The cave is located on the side of Mt. Ya’ale, which is part of the Judean mountain range. Today, with thanks to the efforts of the KKL/JNF, the entire area is forested with Mediterranean woodlands and evergreens which are interspersed with walking trails, lookouts and picnic groves.

The Sorek cave has been carved out of Mt. Ya’ale’s dolomite rock, through the seepage of rainwater mixed with carbon dioxide into fissures which expanded in time to create the cavern we admire today. The Sorek is a live cave, in that water continues to infiltrate through these fissures to slowly form the artful display of limestone formations known as stalagmites and stalactites, some of which are three hundred thousand years old. You’ll soon learn to identify this evidence of “life” by observing drops of water hanging at the tip of “macaroni” shaped stalactites. The tour, which is conducted in English and other languages, can last 40 minutes, depending on the number of visitors. The cave is well illuminated with lighting and shadows permitting you to visualize, with the assistance of your friendly  Israel tour guide, formations such as a guardian angel, ice cream cones, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a baboon, a marrying couple, a wedding cake, and Romeo and Juliet. The latter presents the question if these two growing stalagmites and stalactites will ever join and kiss. The walkway is constructed in such a manner that once inside you are at all times surrounded by this vast array of illuminated formation.

At the conclusion of your tour you can stop at the visitors center and gift shop before returning to your car for the drive back up the mountain. As you reach the main road, turn left into the picnic grove and follow the dirt road to the summit of mount Ya’ale for an impressive view of the valley and plains that are spread out in front of you. There you will also find a number of diagrammed signs in Hebrew explaining significant battles that took place nearby during Israel’s War of Independence. As you descend the mountain, park in the picnic grove and carefully cross the road by foot to admire the memorial sculptures.

The first metal elliptical sculpture depicting the earth is in memory of the Challenger astronauts that perished shortly after liftoff. It’s imposing size and shape near the summit of Mount Ya’ale is a moving tribute to these American explorers. Nearby is the plaque commemorating the Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who perished with the crew of the Columbia spacecraft.

From the junction, it’s a 4 kilometer drive on Route 3866 to the Bar Giora visitors center (turn left at the sign Wadi Quetlef) where you can enjoy a full meal on the terrace or inside the rustic restaurant while taking in the view of the valley below. KKL/JNF maintains a kiosk at the visitors center with brochures in English and Hebrew describing hiking trails, archaeological sites and streams in the Jerusalem Mountains area. Opposite the restaurant are wall displays of geological formations, vegetation, and wildlife, which serve as excellent learning tools for Hebrew readers. There is a also a large wall map in Hebrew identifying several hiking trails that start at the center. These are considered some of the best hiking attractions in Israel.

Though I recommend the hikes at our next nearby stop, a short hike on the black-dotted trail will afford you views of ancient hillside terracing, the original Jerusalem-Jaffa train line in the valley below, a variety of indigenous trees and bushes and a sumptuous display of flowers in spring time. Alternatively, you may just wish to enjoy the view by strolling down the asphalt promenade, which is easily accessible to the physically challenged. From there, it’s a 7 kilometer drive down Routes 386 in the direction of Zur Hadassah and 375 west to the Hanoth ruins.

As you proceed down Route 375, you will note on the right immediately adjacent to the road in a picnic grove, the remains of an ancient inn or khan, dating to the late Middle Ages. This ruin, known in Arabic as Khirbet el-Khan, contains the nave of an earlier Byzantine church whose beautiful mosaic floor and inscriptions are clearly visible. If you don’t immediately spot them, use your foot to brush away the sand that has been placed there to protect the mosaics. The adjacent wine press also has a mosaic treading floor which is not as ornate. Nearby, a tree-covered mound with buried stones relates this site to Byzantine period pilgrims, who on their way to Jerusalem, would place a stone on the spot they believed was Goliath’s final resting place. This site may be of particular interest to those participating in holyland travel.

The Hanoth ruins are adjacent to an ancient thoroughfare which in part leads up from the nearby Elah Valley where the biblical account of the battle between David and Goliath took place. The khan is the start of your hike on this ancient Emperor’s Road, through a forest of evergreens with an impressive view of the valley below. Alternatively, by driving south on the route 375 for about three kilometers, you will reach a JNF/KKl grove with steps hewn into rock which researchers believe are part of the Roman road connecting Ashkelon and Jerusalem. It is thought that the road was built in honor of Emperor Hadrian’s visit to this Roman province in 130 C.E. Adjacent thereto, you will also find the remains of an ancient olive press

You can now retrace your steps back to your car and follow Route 375 south to Route 38 toward Bet Shemesh and then north to Route 1 for your return to Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem.

Click to enlarge the map

Sources:Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority
JNF/KKL

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A visit to the charming village of Zichron Yaakov, with its pedestrian-only cobblestone main street lit by old fashioned street lamps, and bounded on both sides with beautifully restored homes, courtyards, galleries, boutiques, and places of historical interest, will provide the visitor with a true understanding of Edmund de Rothschild’s vision and contribution to the Jewish re-settlement of The land of Israel at the end of the 19th century. No doubt your visit to Zichron Yaakov can be one of the highlights of your Israel trip.

Several hours should be dedicated to your visit to Zichron Yaakov, especially if you plan to visit the First Aliyah Museum, tour the Aaransohn house, the Carmel Mizrahi or Tishbi winery and perhaps have lunch on the main street. As travel in Israel is relatively easy, the village can be reached within 45 minutes from Tel-Aviv or within 15 minutes from Haifa. Use Route 4 to enter Zichron Yaakov from the southwest and drive up the hill to Hakovshim St., and then turn left toward the circle, where you will again turn left in the direction of the arched entrance to Hameyasdim Street. You may find parking in front of the cemetery near the Founders’ Monument. The latter is a natural start to your walking tour and provides a brief historical sketch in ceramic relief. Here you can also pick up a map of the village as well as a list of restaurants and B&Bs. Then cross the street and enter the cemetery.

The challenges that had faced Zichron Yaakov’s first settlers will quickly become evident as you walk through the cemetery noting the large number of children’s graves entombed above ground. The village was originally settled in 1882 by Zionist pioneers, predominantly from Romania, many of whose children perished from malaria or the hardships of the winter of 1883. Though some dispirited families chose to leave immediately thereafter, Edmund de Rothschild came to the rescue of the nascent community by providing agricultural employment and subsidized housing for his workers. The relationship between Rothschild’s administrators and these pioneers at times became acrimonious, in that the deeds to their homes had to be registered in the names of the administrators in return for Rothschild’s financial assistance. However, soon thereafter vineyards were planted and by the early 1890s a winery had become successful, providing the moshava with its financial footing.

As you pass under the arch, note at number 18 the modest home of Asher Bonstein, a founding settler/farmer of Zichron Yaakov, and the collection of agricultural implements in the side yard of the homes at numbers 22 and 24.The Hershkovitch home is located further up Hameyasdim St. at number 30. Moshe Hershovitch, one of the original pioneers, was a master carpenter whose wood carvings survive in the synagogue as well as in the home of Aaron Aaronsohn. In his yard you will also find some of the mulberry bushes that were originally planted in 1900 to feed a population of silkworms. Silk manufacturing was yet another venture of the industrious Baron de Rothschild, yet short lived. Across the street from the Hershkovitz home at number 19 is the former home of the “foot pilgrim”.  Chaim Bar Schwartz, one of the founders of Zichron Yaakov, was known to have fulfilled one of the biblical commandments, make pilgrimage to the Kotel or Western Wall of the Temple.

One of the most notable buildings on Hameyasdim Street, with its stone, castle-like exterior and beautiful garden, is the Aaronsohn family home. As members of one of Zichron’s founding families, the wealthy senior Aaronsohns left Romania with their furniture, crystal and china, which is still on display at the home, as if the family had just sat down to a formal meal. The exploits of two of their children, Aaron Aaronsohn and his sister Sara have become legend in Israel. Aaron was a world-renowned botanist whose research at nearby Atlit led to his discovery of specimens of wild wheat known as “the Mother of wheat”. You may tour the home and the museum which contains an explanation of his scientific research, as well as many excellent documents, photographs and an audiovisual presentation relating to the role that Aaron, Sara and others played in the establishment of the espionage group NILI. Note: It is sometimes difficult to gain entrance expeditiously because of the many school children visiting the place.(06-6390120) A visit to the museum certainly merits a stop during your tour in Israel.

Members of this group used NILI, an acronym for a biblical verse from the Book of Samuel, as a password. Their purpose was to help facilitate a British victory in World War I in Ottoman controlled Palestine by gathering intelligence on Turkish military installations and troop movements. The group used carrier pigeons to relay information to the British, but to the ring’s great detriment, one such pigeon decided to land at the home of the Turkish governor in Caesarea as it made its way from Atlit to British headquarters in Cairo Egypt. With the exposure of the espionage ring, Turkish authorities surrounded Zichron Yaakov and arrested members of the NILI group, including Sara Aaronsohn. Sara was brutally tortured by the Turks, but refused to divulge any information regarding the group. Asking to be returned to her home one last time to change her clothes, she went to the bathroom and shot herself, rather than giving the Turkish authorities the satisfaction of hanging her. The pistol’s hiding place (known as a “slick”), and the bathroom can be visited on the tour of the home. Aaron, whose accomplishments also included the preparation of a detailed map of Palestine for use at the Versailles Peace Conference, mysteriously perished in an airplane accident over the English Channel in 1919.

The remains of Avshalom Feinberg, another resident of Zichron Yaakov, and member of NILI, were discovered in the Sinai desert after the Six Day War. Beduins had murdered Avshalom during his attempt to reach Aaron Aaronsohn and the British in Cairo. At the time of his death he must have had a date in his pocket as a large date tree sprouted with his remains entwined in it’s roots. Bedouin tradition held that this tree was the resting place of the Jew. After the war, Avshalom Feinberg was returned to Israel and given a formal state funeral.

Across the street from the Aaronsohn home you will note the restaurant/bar of the Tishbi family, with it’s comfortable outdoors seating area. The elegant stone house was originally the home of Shmuel Sternberg who designed the Carmel winery’s first iron gates. It was in the cellar of the Sternberg home that Shmuel’s son David hid  Sara Aaronsohns’s final letter and will from the Turks.

As you meander through the many shops and galleries make a point to stop at the water reservoir, known as Brechat Binyamin. At first glance you may think that the façade is that of an ancient synagogue, but the true purpose at the time of its construction in 1891 was to provide continuous flowing water to a central point in the village. The design of this otherwise utilitarian structure again reflects the careful planning undertaken by Rothschild’s administrators. Your next stop will be the synagogue at the corner of Hameyasdim and Hanadiv streets.

The village was originally known as Zammarin, but  to honor his father James, Edmund de Rothschild had the name of the village changed to “ In Memory of Jacob.” His Father’s name is further enshrined in the name of the town’s synagogue, Ohel Yaakov, which was built in 1886. The size and architectural quality of the Synagogue, with its elegant crystal chandeliers and richly carved furnishings, reflect Rothschild’s vision for the growth of the community and his main commercial enterprise, the winery.

Immediately past the synagogue and opposite Rothschild Park stands the First Aliyah Museum (04-629-4777). The subject matter of this museum is unique, in that it focuses on the Aliyah from 1882 to 1904, rather than on the more frequently discussed subsequent waves of immigration to the Land of Israel. Spread over three floors of a building constructed in 1892, the museum presents a moving multi-media presentation of the travails of one family’s journey from the Diaspora to Palestine. Tracing the movement of a family unit is especially poignant, in that this Aliyah was comprised primarily of entire families escaping the pogroms of the East or those otherwise inspired by the opportunity to work the land. The video is supplemented by large photographs, sculptures depicting the First Aliyah’s pioneers and metal relief maps of sister villages of Zichron Yaakov built with the assistance of Edmund de Rothchild. The museum is also a repository for one of the first movies filmed in Israel depicting life in Tel Aviv in 1913.

As you exit the museum, turn right into Hanadiv Street and proceed down the hill to the visitor’s center of the Carmel Mizrahi winery for a tour. If you previously visited the winery founded by Rothschild in Rishon Le Zion, you may instead wish to tour the smaller winery at the nearby Tishbi Estate (04- 638- 0435.) The Tishbi family was commissioned by Rothschild in 1882 to plant a vineyard near to Zichron Yaakov and they continue to be in business to this day. You may even find proprietors Johnathan and Nili Tishbi busily at work on the property.

Their visitors’ center offers tours of the winery, a Kosher dairy restaurant, a wine and cheese shop, wine and chocolate tasting, as well as the ability to bring your own container from home for a fill up. The winery is unique in that much of its state-of the-art equipment is located outside for easy viewing. An exception of course is the oak barrel wine aging facility and the cognac plant, which utilizes a magnificent antique Remy Martin processor. The winery affords pleasant outdoor seating under a trellis and vines or at long wooden tables inside their modern/rustic style restaurant. The state of the art wine shop has an impressive collection of the large varieties of Tishbi wines, from their less expensive table wines to their estate collection. To reach the estate, follow the signs on Aahron Street, South of the Founders’ Monument, directing you toward Binyamina.

Return to Route 4 for the short drive in the direction of Haifa to the village of Ein Hod, which for art lovers is a must-see stop during their travel in Israel. Turn right at the Ein Hod/ Ein Hud sign that directs you up a winding road through the scenic foothills of the Carmel Mountains. The village was founded in 1953 by Marcel Janko at the site of abandoned Arab homes in what was then known as Ein Hud. Because of its proximity to the main road connecting Tel-Aviv and Haifa, the villagers of Ein Hud were evacuated to higher ground during Israel’s War of Independence. Today, most of these former Arab residences have been reconstructed and enlarged, becoming home to a thriving artist colony. Try to avoid the crush of the weekend crowds to more fully enjoy meandering through the alleys, courtyards and in and out of artists’ studios.

At the main square, across from the Dona Rosa Argentine restaurant, you will find a communal gallery displaying a sampling of the works of most of Ein Hod’s artists. Opposite is the Janko Dada Museum (04-984-2350), whose permanent display is dedicated to the seventy years of the artist’s world-renowned creations. Those of you with an adventurous artistic streak can try your hand at creating your own Dada masterpieces in the Dadlab interactive exhibition.

If you care to enjoy more traditional, hands on artistic experiences, Ein Hod offers the visitor a number of interesting venues. Pottery making, including wheel techniques, glazing and kiln firing, can be studied with Naomi Verchovsky (04 984-1107). A demonstration of linoleum cutting, lithography and etching can be observed at the studio of Ora Lahau-Shaatiel (04 -984-2018). The studio of Helena Markson (04-984-1171) can offer you a glimpse into the world of printmaking techniques and etching on copper and zinc.

After attending a workshop or just wandering through Ein Hod’s galleries, a brief stop for some homemade beer at the Art-Bar might be just what you may need on a hot summer day. There you will meet it’s colorful proprietor Danny Shlyfestone, who with his wife Analia, runs the mini brewery/art gallery. Danny serves a variety of stouts and ales, Yemenite style pizza is made on an outdoor Taboon on Fridays, and on Tuesday evenings it’s jazz from 6 p.m. onwards. If you stay long enough you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about the intricacies of beer making and the history of beer, with a few of Danny’s jokes thrown in between. Before you leave Ein Hod, ask Danny to point you in the direction of the Nisco Museum of Mechanical Music.

Nisan Cohen will greet you at the door of his museum which is jam packed with his collection of music boxes, hurdy gurdies, an automatic organ, a reproducing player piano, and much more. No doubt, one of the more unusual attractions in Israel! Cohen, a native of New York, spent a lifetime as a documentary filmmaker while collecting music boxes and accumulating a vast archive of Yiddish records. One of his most prized possessions is the 1918 rendition of Hatikva on the Edison label, which he will play for you on an original RCA windup gramophone. Also, if you are visiting Ein Hod on a Friday, you can attend the 1 p.m. concert presented at the Nisco Museum using Cohen’s original mechanical instruments. However, you may wish to call first as the concert is dependent on the number of guests attending.(052-4755-313).

At the conclusion of your visit you can return down the hill to Route 4. Turn right, and at the sign, left towards Atlit where you can rejoin Route 2 toward Tel-Aviv.

There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Click to enlarge the map

Sources:

First Aliyah Museum;

The Aaronsohn House;

Municipality of Zichron Yaakov;

Gidonim Society For The Promotion Of Tourism

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At the present time in Israel you can find evidence of ancient techniques of cultivating fruits and vegetables using a system of hillside terraces bordered with stone. Viewing these terraces is easy around the mountains of Jerusalem, where a system of springs, channels and terraces, accessible by hiking trails, has been reconstructed at Sataf as well as at the En Hemed National Park.

Before we start our hike though, it would be fun to stock up on some provisions at the Har HaRuach Goat cheese farm above the village of Abu Ghosh. After a 30 minute drive from either Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, exit Route 1 at Abu Ghosh/En Hemed, drive through the village and then follow Route 425 in the direction of Nataf and Ma’Ale Hachamisha. Before the very top of the hill, turn left toward Nataf and travel about 4 kilometers, entering the Forest in Memory of Polish Jewry on the left. It’s then a few more kilometers on a winding gravel road toward the farmhouse on the ridge in front of you.

The farm is owned by Haim and Dalia Himmelfarb, who with the help of their two girls, sell a variety of natural and goat cheeses, yogurts and labane on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, starting at 10 in the morning. Haim and Dalia are graduates of the Bezalel academy, but yearning for a change in their lives, moved to the hillside village of Nataf to establish their nearby farm in 1996. Today the Himmelfarb’s own 140 goats that graze on 1500 dunams of pastureland. Goat and sheep cheese has been a mainstay of the local population in the hills surrounding Jerusalem since Biblical times, and the quality of the grass is comparable to pastures found in European countries bordering the Mediterranean. With prior reservations, you can attend Dalia’s workshop on the history of cheese making in the Jerusalem hills, as well as lectures on related topics (054-493-34566, 02-534-5660). After purchasing a picnic basket with your bread, cheese, yogurt or milk you can wander around the barn, perhaps pet the goats roaming the hillside, and then enjoy a snack under the towering evergreens.

Now retrace your drive through Abu Ghosh toward Route 1, but instead of entering the highway, cross the bridge to the entrance of En Hemed National Park. En Hemed is also known in Latin as Aqua Bella, so named by the Crusaders who built, what some archaeologists surmise, is a fortified farmhouse adjacent to the Kisalon stream. The wooded area and adjacent olive grove beautifully frames the high walls of the surviving structure that was built during the period of King Fulk of Anjou, between 1140 and 1160.

Upon conquering Palestine in 1099, the Crusaders built a series of large castles and fortresses on strategic routes, as well as smaller dwellings that served as rest stops for pilgrims. Also, by adopting the feudal system of land ownership that was so well known to them from Europe, the Crusaders awarded noble families tracts of land that were often used for agricultural purposes. While standing inside the courtyard of this fortified farmhouse you can admire its thick walls, the surviving staircase, the tower with its loopholes and the beautiful windows on the second level. It is one of the most beautifully preserved artifacts from the Crusadrer period and certainly merits a stop on your Israel tour.

From that vantage point it would have been possible for the residents of the farmhouse to observe and be observed by Crusaders stationed at the nearby Belmont Castle. As you enter the Eastern hall, note remnants of an olive press and a niche in the wall, which would have supported a wooden beam attached to the press. From the farm house you can continue on a thirty to sixty minute walk along the stream, noting the numerous springs, manmade channels, and unique remnants of the Mediterranean woodland with it’s oak trees and Palestine Buckthorn.

From En Hemed it’s a short drive on Route1 to the Harel/Castel exit and then south on Route 3965 to Sataf. Park your car in the upper parking lot near the information booth where excellent written materials of the five walking trails can be obtained. For hikers, this is a must-see stop during their Israel trip.

Sataf was originally settled during the Chalcolithic Age, and it’s ancient system of terraces dates back 4,500 years. The early inhabitants of the site moved stones to the edge of the natural terraces where they built retaining walls for the imported fertile soil that they used as fill. The two streams emanating from the slopes of Mt. Eitan were used to channel water to plots where crops were grown. Other terraced plots, where olives, figs, almonds, pomegranates and vineyards were harvested, relied on seasonal rains. The remaining stones were used to build watchtowers from which the farmers could keep an eye on their crops.

The JNF/KKL has done an excellent job refurbishing the terraces, the tunnels that were hewn into the water-bearing strata to increase water flow, and channels that carried the water to the storage pools, thereby recreating for the visitor an excellent sense of Biblical farming. In fact, The Parable of the Vineyard in Isaiah Ch. 5 clearly describes this method of farming in the hills surrounding Jerusalem:

My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watching place in the midst of it, and hewed out a vineyard in it.

Though there are several walking trails of 2 to 3 kilometers in length that can be followed, perhaps the full path marked in green is most interesting. All the trails at times can be steep and are strewn with rocks and stones, making good walking shoes essential. Starting at the upper parking lot, the trail follows an ancient route descending through olive groves and cultivated plots, along Chalcolithic archaeological excavations down to the former Arab village of Sataf.

At the middle of the 19th century the population of Sataf numbered about 450 individuals, and today what little remains of these homes attests to their previous beauty. The village was abandoned in 1948, and  was later used by the Israeli Defense Forces as a training area. Since 1985 the JNF/KKL has been restoring the area to its biblical past, and should be most interesting to visitors participating in holyland travel. After passing the ruins you can make your way down to Ein Sataf, the main spring in the village, and from the terrace above the pool, descend into the cave from which the spring issues. Then, by stooping, you can traverse a tunnel to its other end. The water, which flows through the tunnel, ends at a pool with a capacity of 180 cubic meters from which farmers could regulate the flow of the water into the man- made plastered irrigation channels.

Further along the path you can view the Eretz Israel Tree Garden behind a wall and an iron gate. There, an effort is underway to traditionally cultivate the country’s original species of fruit trees. As you descend, pass the cultivated plots where organic crops are grown, and make your way toward the Bikura spring. On the way you can observe another traditional means of cultivation when space is limited, the use of hanging stairs from the terrace walls. You can then complete your hike by following a traditional mountain trail past walled vineyards following a path to the upper parking lot. There you will find a most welcome site, a restaurant serving full course meals, from which you can admire the beautiful hills of Jerusalem and the trail from which you have just ascended. Truly one of the most beautiful attractions in Israel!

As you depart Sataf, return to the circle and follow the signs for Route 395 leading you to Kibbutz Tzuba. Enter the industrial grounds of the kibbutz and keep to the right, driving up the hill past the kibbutz hotel. The impressive castle on the hill will be to your left and you can park your car under some shady trees before making the rest of climb by foot. It should be noted that this site is in the process of becoming a national park and that some of the area around the ruins are overgrown with weeds, which may hide some holes and gullies.

It can be easily understood why the Crusaders chose to name their castle Belmont, beautiful mountain. Indeed the views over the hills of Jerusalem through the arched windows and doorways of this ruin are magnificent. Note also the vaulted chambers, fireplaces, and the placement of the windows which permitted the inhabitants to enjoy dramatic views from many vantage points. The site of this castle, high on a hill overlooking one of the roads leading into Jerusalem from the West, attests to its strategic military importance through the ages. However, the Crusaders held this fortification only until 1191 when Saladin overran the position and destroyed it. Subsequently, the site and the surrounding area became home to several Arab villages. During Israel’s War of Independence the Palmach, Harel regiment, under the leadership of Yitzhak Rabin, successfully routed the invading Egyptians from Belmont. This action ultimately led to the capture of the nearby fortification known as Castel and the reopening of the road to Jerusalem.

As you retrace your steps into the Kibbutz, you may wish to stop at the hotel for a meal, a beverage or just to enjoy the view from its terrace. The hotel may also be able to arrange for a tour of the “Cave of John the Baptist” which was found on its grounds. The cave was originally part of a large water system hewn from rock during the 8th century BCE, and was later used as a reservoir and baptismal site. Archaeologists now assert that in the Fifth or Sixth centuries CE Christian monks incised drawings on the walls of the cave depicting images dealing with the life and death of John the Baptist.

As you exit the industrial area of the Kibbutz turn right into Route 395 toward Eshtaol. You will now drive through some of the most beautiful mountainous countryside that central Israel has to offer. The latter part of this road will take you through a narrow, winding and forested ravine, making you believe that you are elsewhere in the world.  Prior thereto, you can turn at the circle directing you to Kessalon and travel three kilometers to view the Scroll of Fire. This outstanding sculpture is located in the world’s largest memorial  to the Holocaust, the B’nai Brith Martyrs Forest of six million trees. Nathan Rapoport has vividly depicted the plight of the Jews in the Holocaust and their subsequent struggle to establish the State of Israel in his dramatic design of the sculpture. Travel to Israel certainly merits a stop at this moving memorial.

As you approach the end of your travels on Route 395 near the Eshtaol junction, consider making one last stop to memorialize your agricultural experiences in the hills of Jerusalem with a purchase of an excellent bottle of wine at the Flam winery visitor center and some wonderful spices from the immense collection at the adjacent store. At the junction, a right turn will lead you back to the Jerusalem Tel-Aviv highway.

Click to enlarge the map

There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Sources:

KKL/JNF
Kibbutz Tzuba and Tzuba Tourism Board
Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority

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If you have an interest in the mysteries of biblical archaeology, a stop at Tel Gezer to visit the 3500-year-old Canaanite temple of standing stones is a fascinating and moving experience. The size and number of steles, makes viewing them as awesome as a trip to Stonehenge, but in fact, they are right in our own backyard; a mere thirty minutes from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem! From there it’s a short drive to Ramla for a stroll through a shuk with a hummus and falafel stuffed pita in hand. You can end the day viewing a bridge constructed in the Middle Ages which continues to be used daily as an entry to the city of Lod.

The cultic site at Gezer dates to the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1500 B.C.E.), when the well-fortified hill was one of the most important cities in Israel, controlling the junction of the Via Maris and the road to Jerusalem. Its strategic importance through the ages can be easily understood today by viewing from the tel the 180-degree expanse, which includes the Ayalon Valley, The Judean hills and the land to the west toward the sea. This view may be one of your most dramatic vistas of your Israel tour.

There are some other important sites to visit at the tel, but if your time or interest is limited, you may wish to view only the steles by backtracking from the end of the trail. As you reach the center of the northern part of the tel, you are immediately struck by the splendor of ten monolithic stones standing in a row, soldier-like. Each stele is different from the other in size and shape; the tallest being 3 meters high. Some scholars believe that this temple served as a venue where alliances between tribes or city states may have been forged or renewed. The ten monoliths may represent Gezer and 9 allied cities in its vicinity. The sacred precinct also contains a stone basin, which may have served as a container for blood libations poured during the alliance ceremony.

In fact the bible describes a ritual ceremony of this type having occurred as Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai. In Exodus 24:4 it is written that

Early in the morning, he set up an alter at the foot of the mountain, with 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel…Moses took one part of the blood and put it into the basins, and the other part of the blood he dashed against the alter.

References to the importance of Gezer during the Middle Bronze period can be found in the El-Amarna letters in which the kings of Gezer established their fealty to the pharaoh. However, the glory of the Canaanite city ended in a fiery battle, most likely during the military campaign of Pharaoh Thutmose 111, in 1468 BCE. The remains of the Canaanite tower and the well-preserved mud brick portions of the Canaanite gate, near the beginning of the trail, are impressive visible remains bearing witness to the early importance of Gezer. Also, to the left of the tower, you will note stairs leading to the ancient water system whose 7 meter deep shaft and 45 degree angled tunnel provided sustenance to the residents of Gezer living within the city walls.

After a short walk down the trail you will encounter a beautifully preserved gate and water channel attributed to the 10th Century BCE. reign of King Solomon. Indeed, 1 Kings 9:16 recounts the destruction of Gezer by the pharaoh, who then gave the site to Solomon as part of his daughter’s dowry. Solomon proceeded to build a royal Israelite city, whose massive fortifications remain clearly visible today.

Also dated to the Solomonic period is the well-known Gezer calendar, a small limestone tablet of agricultural chores, evidencing the earliest use of written Hebrew. Unfortunately, the calendar is not on display in Israel.

As you conclude your visit to Tel Gezer, look west, past the space ship-like Nesher factory, where in the distance you should see the town of Ramla. Its historical connection to Gezer is vital, in that the Gezer springs, have through the ages, filled Ramla’s ancient underground reservoirs.

Ramla was founded as an Arab city in 716 CE and served as the capital of “Jund Filastin”, a geographical area of the Syrian province of the Arab empire, until the Crusader conquest in the 11th century. Today thousands of Israeli-Arabs, and Jews, live in Ramla among an architectural mix of medieval mosques, Episcopalian, Franciscan and Greek Orthodox Churches, giving the town an interesting religious and ethnic texture. If you are a participant in holyland travel, your visit to Ramla may be especially meaningful.

It’s a short drive from Gezer west on Route 424, which merges with Route 44, to Ramla for a visit to its shuk, Franciscan Church and the Medieval White Tower. As you enter Ramla from Tel-Hai Street, park your car near the Hospice of St. Nicodemus Clock Tower which served as French staff headquarters during Napoleon’s battle for Palestine in 1799. You can enter this Franciscan Church from Bialik Street daily from 8 to 11 in the morning.

However, you may want to call ahead (08-912 7200) to ensure your expeditious entry, as the complex also houses a private school. A highlight of the beautifully adorned chapel is an original painting by Titian depicting Jesus being removed from the cross. The chapel is oval in shape with magnificent crystal chandeliers and stained glass windows. Its 8 arches are clad in marble and stone.

From Bialik St., return to Herzl St., and proceed left to Dani Mas St., across from the Episcopalian Church with its short/stubbed tower. It will then be about a four-block walk toward the tallest building in the distance, one of the oldest attractions in Israel. This 100 ft. high “White Tower” was built in 1318, during the Mameluk era, over the remains of an earlier tower. It’s a steep climb up the 119 steps, but upon reaching the top you will understand why the tower has served not only as a minaret, but has been of strategic military importance through the ages. Beneath the tower lies a huge water reservoir, while surrounding the exterior of the tower are the remains of the “White Mosque”, which was constructed in the 10th century and clad in white marble. Adjacent to the mosque is a Muslim cemetery with the white painted tomb of the legendary traveler and preacher Nebi-Tzalach.

A short walk from the “White Tower”, near the intersection of Herzel and Haganah, is another large underground reservoir, the pool of St. Helena. There, in what looks like an underground Crusader castle, you can row a small boat under arched ceilings. The pool was constructed in 798 CE venerating Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, who some 400 years earlier had traveled to the Holy Land to oversee the construction of churches. Note the carving of this date near the entrance to the pool.

By now perhaps you have built up an appetite. If time permits to sit down for a meal, you may wish to try the humus at the Khalil Restaurant, 6 Kehilat Detroyt, just two blocks to the right of Bialik Street. If continuing your walk with a pita in your hand suits you better, Zaki’s Falafel stand at 104 Herzl is said to be the best in town. Who can travel to Israel without eating a stuffed pita with salad and falafel!

From there it’s a short walk down Herzl St. to the shuk where you can enjoy its vibrant atmosphere, the bright colors of its varied fruits and vegetables, and fragrant spices. In this immediate area you will also find an imposing minaret, which is part of a well-preserved mosque that was originally constructed in the 12th century as a rectangular Crusader church. The modest interior has a long carpeted aisle and a vaulted ceiling supported by 14 arches. The exterior  plaza of the Mosque, which is surrounded by a high wall, has been recently renovated with white marble and stone.

As you walk near the market you will note to the east a neglected area, a remnant of the heavy fighting in Ramla between Jewish and Arab forces in 1948. On Herzl St., to the right of the shuk, a memorial to members of the Israel Defense Forces can be found in a newly developed garden. Also, at the corner of Herzl  and Shlomo Hamelech streets, you will find the Ramla Museum (08 929 2650), which is often overlooked during tours of Israel. In the museum’s three small rooms artifacts, photographs, and jewelry, relevant to Ramla’s major historical periods, are displayed. Most interesting is the hoard of gold coins, whose recent excavation is well documented in English.

At the conclusion of your walking tour of Ramla, proceed by car east on Herzl St., over the railroad tracks. Turn right and then at the traffic light, make a U-Turn following the signs to Route 40, direction Lod. After several miles, and immediately before the Route 1 viaduct, turn left following the sign to Lod-Old City. Proceed to the circle, park your car at the gas station and carefully backtrack by foot to the stream near a grouping of evergreen trees. In front of you lies the oldest stone bridge in Israel still in use today. The bridge was constructed during the rule of the Mameluks in 1273 CE and has well withstood the test of time. Between the beautiful reliefs of the two stone lions an inscription attests to the building of the bridge under the direction of the Sultan Beibars.

This concludes your Israel trip to Gezer and Ramla. The nearby entrance to Route 1 can be used for your return to Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem. Please visit one of my other blogs for other ideas regarding travel in Israel.

Directions to Gezer: coming from Jerusalem on Route 1, Exit at the Latrun junction and take Route Number 3 south less than a kilometer before turning right on Route 424. Proceed west for several kilometers before turning left to Gezer. From Tel-Aviv, exit Route 1 direction Lod/Ramla and proceed on Route 40 and then for a short distance on Route 44 to 424. Follow the sign to Gezer and immediately before the entrance into the moshav, turn right onto the dirt road which will lead you up to the tel. Note that as of March, 2011 the road has deteriorated dramatically since this post was first written. You may wish to use a 4×4 to reach the tel.

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There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Sources:

Ramle Municipality
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Haaretz Magazine, June 1st, 2007
Jewish Virtual Library

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If you want to escape to one of Israel’s best beaches and combine it with excellent cuisine and a bit of Crusader history, then the place to go to is Herzliyah Pituach.

This seaside community, which is also one of Israel’s largest high tech centers, is just a ten minute drive north of Tel-Aviv. To reach Herzliya Pituach, exit Route 2 at the Herzliyah Pituach exit and proceed west to the open parking lot at the corner of Wingate and Abba Eban St., or to the Herzliyah mall parking lot. There, a pristine, two kilometer long beach is spread in front of you. To some, this beach is one of the greatest attractions in Israel.

Walking north to explore this popular stretch of the Mediterranean will bring you to the archaeological site of Apollonia National Park. However, some visitors may just wish to relax at the waterfront where an umbrella and some chairs can be rented and a drink can be enjoyed. Even a typical Israeli breakfast can be had at one of the many waterfront restaurants right on the beach. What a perfect Israel vacation!

After several hours of basking in the sun, visitors can shower and use one of the new changing rooms at the beach before heading on to explore the Herzliyah Pituach mall. There, you can enjoy a wonderful alfresco lunch or dinner with such choices as sushi, Italian, or Greek cuisines, and always excellent fish, while taking in the views of the sailboats and yachts docked at the harbor.

The afternoon can also be spent renting a boat with a skipper to explore Israel’s coastline. Many charter companies post their names and phone numbers on their boats, but note that unless you can gather a group to share the cost, this could be an expensive proposition. If you are not the seafaring kind, but would rather soak in a bit of history, walk north along the brand new boardwalk and beach for about 30 to 45 minutes or drive to Apollonia, following the brown directional signs on Wingate Street. Driving will of course permit you to venture into the elegant side streets to view the numerous ambassadorial residences in this diplomatic community. Some of these homes are easily identifiable by their national flags or emblems on their gates.

A short drive to the left of the main gate to Apollonia stands the tall minaret of the Sidna Ali Mosque, the main feature of the Sidna Ali National Park.  The mosque is open daily for a visit to its prayer halls, but requires modest dress. On Fridays, Arab worshippers arrive by charter bus to worship at the shrine, which was built about 800 years ago to venerate the Arab warrior Al-Hasan Ibn Ali. Tradition has it, that Ali, a lieutenant to the Sultan Biebers, fell in battle against the Crusaders, at the spot where the mosque is located today. From there, drive back to Apollonia National Park, where you can continue your Israel tour.

Apollonia is located on a kurkar promontory overlooking the Mediterranean. On a clear day you can look south to Jaffa or to the north toward the high rises of Netanya and beyond. Looking down into the shimmering waters of the aqua colored sea one can easily make out the outlines of a former harbor as well as the remains of the early Islamic period wall that had fallen into the sea many years before.

The natural harbor was used at the end of the 6th Century BCE by the Phoenicians, Apollonia’s earliest settlers, who harvested snails to produce a purple dye later used in the making of religious and royal garments. The Phoenicians named the settlement Arsuf, and later the Greeks renamed it after their God Apollo.

Immediately upon entering the national park you can observe a well preserved portion of the crusader moat, and immediately beyond, the remains of a Roman villa, whose inhabitants no doubt enjoyed its unobstructed views of the sea. Time permitting, you may wish to follow the sea path route, rather than the more direct walking path to the crusader fortress.

Walking along the ridge, note the Byzantine cistern, water reservoir and stone lined pool, both of which were part of a sophisticated system that supplied water to the inhabitants of the then 70 acre city. These are the only remnants from the heyday of Apollonia of the 5th and 6th Centuries CE. At that time, the city dominated the coastal plain and was known for its glass manufacturing, its port, fishing industry and oil and wine presses.

At the end of the sea path trail enter the imposing crusader fortress, whose walls are surrounded by a 30 meter wide and 14 meter deep moat, the largest in all of Israel. The crusaders conquered  the city in 1101 CE  and renamed it Arsour, but it was not until 1241 CE that the fortress was constructed under the leadership of  Jean d’lbelin d’Arsour. Subsequently, in 1265 CE, the Mameluk Sultan Beibars conquered Arsour.

One of the most impressive surviving structures at Apollonia is the two-story inner gate of the fortress, which is reproduced on the seal of the crusader nobleman, Seigneur Belian 1st, whose residence was at Arsour. Then proceed to the observation point of the keep, which was part of a 30 foot high tower and try to imagine the crusaders attempting to defend their fortress against the approaching Mameluk army with its massive siege machines. The 2200 large ballista stones displayed at the site, and the remnants of a fire in the Burnt Room, are a vivid reminder of the ferociousness of the 40 day battle that ultimately destroyed Apollonia. Immediately, to the north of the fortress, recent archaeological excavations uncovered a beautifully preserved wine press surrounded by a mosaic floor.

If visitors are fortunate enough to travel to Israel during the summer, they can enjoy an evening of live music under the stars in the Apollonia fortress’ courtyard. The national park should have a concert schedule at the front gate. At the conclusion of the visit, you can return to the beach via a nearby path to enjoy the sunset from a seaside bar. There’s no better way to end a day of travel in Israel!

Click to enlarge the map

There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Sources:

Israel Nature and Natural Parks Protection Authority

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• The Latrun Junction, where you’ll find tanks, great wine and a venerated shrine (0)

The Latrun junction at Route 1, just 30 minutes from Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem, offers the visitor a number of interesting sights to explore. So today, we’ll visit a military museum and war memorial, a monastery and an important archaeological site. It’s also a good day for a picnic, so let’s pack some sandwiches and hit the road. We’ll pick up the refreshments later.

Latrun is located in the Ayalon Valley, which has significant strategic, biblical and historical significance. It is here that the sun and moon stood still while Joshua Ben Nun battled the Amorites, where King David fought the Philistines, and Judah Maccabee defeated the Seleucids. The Ayalon Valley is also where the Roman Empire’s Fifth Legion encamped during its siege of Jerusalem. Later, Arab, Crusader and Mameluke armies conquered the valley, and in 1917 it saw decisive battles between the Australian battalion of the British Army and Ottoman forces. It has been said that whoever controlled Latrun, controlled the road to Jerusalem. For this reason, the Ayalon Valley, and Latrun specifically, became an important battlefront for Israel’s quest for independence and again in 1967 during the Six-Day War. Today, as you travel in Israel, especially between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, you can’t help but enjoy the vista that the Ayalon Valley provides.

Our first stop during today’s Israel tour will be the armor war memorial in the old British police fortress, where you will find a large array of tanks, half trucks and other armored vehicles. Many of these are of World War II vintage, others have seen battle during the Suez crisis in 1956, the 1967 and 1973 wars, and most interestingly, some Soviet armor from Arab armies captured by the Israeli armed forces. The site also includes an amphitheater where military ceremonies and memorials are held.

The police fortress was built by the British government in 1940 for purposes of self-defense and because of its strategic location, as a base to operate forces in the region. The British army evacuated the fortress on May 14, 1948 and four days thereafter the Jordanian Legion took control of it, blocking the road to Jerusalem.

Israeli forces attempted to capture the Latrun fortress in five separate unsuccessful attacks in an effort to lift the siege entrapping the 100,000 residents of Jerusalem. These bloody battles cost the lives of 142 Jewish soldiers whose names are engraved on Latrun’s wall of names, along with fallen soldiers from other wars and recent victims of terror. Computers inside the museum provide additional information on the lives of the soldiers, some of whom had arrived just days before on immigrant ships from Europe to fight at Latrun. It was only during the Six Day War that the Israel Defense Forces were able to capture the fortress. Existing bullet holes and bomb craters in its walls are clear evidence of the ferociousness of this battle.

While visiting the memorial you have no doubt admired the beautiful monastery across the road. The Latrun Monastery, also known as the Monastery of the Silent Monks, has gardens and a church that is open to the public (Summer: 8:30-12:00, 15:30 -17:00 and Winter 8:30-11:00, 14:30-16:00). You may want to schedule your visit to the Monastery to coincide with one of the  Saturday concerts, which are held inside the church ( 08-922-0065). As you wander through the church note its stained glass windows with their geometric patterns and the unadorned vaulted ceiling supported by seven white stone arches.

If your visit to the Monastery is not on a day of a concert, your visit may probably be a short one, perhaps long enough to stroll through the gardens to admire some of the archaeological artifacts or purchase in the gift shop a bottle of wine or some olive oil harvested from the adjacent groves.

The Monks are Trappists, part of the Catholic Church’s Benedictine Order, which was established in Italy in the 6th century. Abbott Paul Saouma is the driving force behind the winery and has been living at Latrun since 1945. Unfortunately, the winery itself, which is a maze of chambers, halls and cloisters, is not open to the public.

The monastery has over 400 dunams of vineyards on its grounds which are accessible by car on a dirt road as you exit to the left from the driveway. Today the winery produces about 300,000 bottles annually including many varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Blanc. Now that your appetite has been wetted its time to stroll through the wine shop to pick out your favorite selection. But before departing the monastery be sure to stop at the “Garden of Brotherhood” near the parking lot to admire the large wooden carving with its inscriptions, which is not unlike a totem pole.

Returning to the main road we turn right following the signs to Modi’in. Drive under the viaduct of Route 1 to Canada Park where you can now enjoy your wine and picnic lunch. Canada Park has numerous hiking and walking trails, as well as a very well paved road on the east side which snakes through the mountainous forest planted by KKL/ JNF. During the winter months you can also explore it’s springs and water channels. After your visit, backtrack about half a kilometer to the entrance to Emmaus Nicopolis, a must-see site for those of you participating in holyland travel.

Most drivers proceeding down the Tel -Aviv Jerusalem highway (Route 1) fail to notice the impressive ruins of two basilicas nestled between the evergreen trees and typically organized tours to Israel don’t include this stop on thier itineraries. During the Byzantine period, Emmaus Nicopolis was established as an Episcopal See, with two basilicas being  built at the presumed place of Christ’s meeting with his disciples. Subsequent Persian and Arab invasions destroyed the basilicas, but they again were rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century. With the conquest of the Crusaders, the Christian presence at the site disappeared, and it was not until 1878 that the Carmelite Convent of Bethlehem acquired Emmaus Nicopolis. Subsequently, the site became an important place of pilgrimage and in 1993 its care was entrusted to the community of the Beatitudes.

The significance of Emmaus Nicopolis to Christianity lies in the Gospel according to Luke, Ch 24, and verses 13-35.

Two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about 160 stadia. And they talked together of all these things that had happened. And it came to pass that while they communed together and……Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him……and it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and break, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their site.

As you enter the front gate of Emmaus Nicopolis note the long and beautifully preserved basilica. This is a remnant of the Crusader church that was constructed upon the remains of the Byzantine basilica, which itself was apparently built over a Roman house. Below that strata archaeologists believe that they have discovered a layer dating back to the reign of King Herod.

To it’s right is the southern apse with a reliquary niche, while to the left is the baptistery chapel with a well-preserved baptistery font in the shape of a cross. Scattered around the site are remains of mosaics some of which include Greek inscriptions as well as an area of ancient tombs. Ossuaries (limestone bone boxes) found in some of these tombs attest to a Jewish presence at Emmaus during the Herodian period. You can also visit the museum on the hill which was built in the 1930s that today houses some of the finest mosaics excavated from the site, a wonderful collection of early 20th century black and white photos and an excellent array of artifacts, maps and detailed descriptions of important historical periods.

In antiquity the site was noted as a place of delicious waters, a pleasant oasis. The name EMMAUS derives from the Hebrew word Hammot, meaning hot sources or springs. In the 3rd century the city was given the new name Nicopolis, city of victory, in Greek. Though hot springs are not visible at the site, you will recall, that the adjacent area, which is today Canada Park, has active springs flowing to this day.

This concludes your Israel tour of Latrun and Emmaus Nicopolis and you can now easily return to Route 1 for the drive to Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv.

Click to enlarge the map

There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Sources:

The Community of the Beatitudes
Domaine de Latrun
Biblical Archaeological Review, March/April 2008
Latrun Memorial Center and Museum

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Our travels today will take us to the city of Rishon Le-Zion, a modern city 30 minutes from Tel-Aviv and approximately 60 minutes from Jerusalem. It’s name “First to Zion” derives from the biblical verse in Isaiah, 41:27, and is appropriately so named as it was one of the first settlements in Israel.

The history of Rishon Le-Zion is closely tied to the beginning of the Zionist enterprise in Palestine. In fact, the two most important symbols of nationality, the flag and national anthem, later formally adopted by the State of Israel, have their foundation in Rishon. A visit to Rishon Le-Zion’s open-air museum and a stroll down Pioneers’ Way toward the Carmel winery is a wonderful way to learn about the hardships and achievements of one of Israel’s first group of settlers. The municipality has done an excellent job of providing the visitor with a glimpse into the past by authentically renovating many of the founders’ homes, commercial enterprises and public buildings, making this visit an interesting educational experience for all family members. However, when additional funding becomes available, many more historical homes require renovation.

The intersection of Achad Ha-Am and Rothschild St. is known as Founders’ Square, and the synagogue was one of the first buildings to be erected, together with those that now make up the museum complex. As Turkish law forbade the building of a synagogue, the founders declared that the structure was to be a warehouse. Using this rouse and perhaps gifts of persuasion, the warehouse later evolved into the synagogue as we view it today.

In 1882 the area was quite barren, covered with brush, thorns and rocks as well as being devoid of water. Nevertheless, a group of seventeen enterprising families from Eastern Europe purchased 850 acres of land, in an effort to fulfill their dream of resettling the Land of Israel.

These settlers were part of the initial wave of new immigrants to Palestine. Known as the First Aliyah, many brought with them personal experiences of the pogroms ravishing the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. However, many also carried with them a fervent nationalistic feeling, having been exposed to early Zionist writers who espoused not only returning to the land of Zion but actually working the land through the establishment of agricultural settlements.

Realizing that without water their dreams would be shattered, the settlers immediately sent one of the founders, Joseph Fineberg, to meet with Baron de Rothschild in France to appeal for financial assistance in the drilling of a well. Rothschild provided an anonymous loan, and the success of the new well is today immortalized in the seal of the municipality. The well, its pumping equipment and the adjacent water tower with its red shingled roof, ornate columns and sandstone foundation can be visited toward the end of the walking tour.

After stopping to admire the synagogue, cross the street to the entrance of the museum (03-968-2435). These buildings previously housed the pharmacy, the public health clinic and the post office. Today the building houses a host of early photographs, maps and other historical items and is one of the most intersting museum attractions in Israel.

Perhaps the most interesting display is that of the first flag of Israel, and the story behind it. To celebrate the third anniversary of the founding of the community, a banner was to be carried in a parade by a representative of Baron de Rothschild. Two members of the community chose the talit (prayer shawl) of one of the founders, Zeev Abramovitch, and sewed thereon a blue Star of David. They now had their banner. This very design of the Star of David, with two bars from a talit, was later adopted as the flag of Israel.

Equally fascinating is the story of the first singing of the national anthem by the school children of Rishon Le-Zion.The poem Hatikva (The Hope) was written by Naftali Herz Imber during his stay in Rishon, and was edited by members of the community. However, it was a local farmer, Shmuel Cohen, who adapted its words to the tune of a Romanian folk song “Carl cu Boi”, a melody similar to Smetna’s “Moldau”. The words and tune grew in popularity and became a worldwide symbol for the Jews’ yearning to return to Zion, even many years before its formal adoption as the national anthem of the State of Israel.

On the other side of the courtyard you can descend into the cellar of the pharmacy to view a reproduction of the first hebrew school in Israel, where Hebrew was taught not as a language of religion, but rather as a tool for everyday life. In the rooms above, you can view excellent recreations of village artisans at work, and nearby a display of fashions of the time. As you exit the buildings into the farmyard and stable of the Shalit family, note the reproduction of the American type of covered wagon, which was used in the late 1800s as a stagecoach to shuttle residents of Rishon back and forth to Jaffa. The inside of the Shalit house has been beautifully restored by the descendants of the original family and outfitted in period furniture.

As you depart the museum complex on Achad Ha-Am St., note to your right the shuttered London Hotel, which was built in 1891 as a private residence by the Gordon family. At the turn of the last century, its rear farmyard housed Israel’s first ostrich farm. The building across the street at 17 Achad Ha-Am St. is regarded as Israel’s first hebrew school.

Start your Israel tour of Rishon at the old village bell on Rothschild St., and then continue your walk down Pioneers’ Way toward the Heisman House. This two storied home, which is constructed of sandstone, is typical of the Eastern European style of building which was so familiar to Heisman and the other the early founders. It is also there that Imber, the author of the poem Hatikva, lived during his time in Rishon. The Heisman House has been recently renovated and today serves as a beautiful new venue for historical and artistic exhibitions. Back on the main street, be sure to stop at the old kiosk with its juice squeezer  and other artifacts, and peer into the old barber shop.

At number 7 Rothschild St., the Kanner House is unique for its “colonial style” design with a wide slopping shingled roof, support columns and iron grill work around the terrace. In the years before the establishment of the state, the Haganah used the home as a local headquarters and arms cache. Further down the street at the corner of Mohliver, the dilapidated white house served as the home and office of Rothschild’s chief administrator. Some of the Baron’s other administrators resided at 24 Rothschild St., which has served as Rishon’s City Hall since the 1920s.

The beautifully restored Community Hall on Zadal St. was built in gratitude for the Baron’s assistance and generosity, and has been the central social and meeting place of the village ever since. It is also there that the country’s first orchestra took residence in 1895. Attending the Rishon Le-Zion symphony during your Israel tour would no doubt be a treat.

As you enter the park, take note of the water tower and well, which merits a tour. Stay for the movie, but be careful as it ends if you don’t want to get wet!  The majestic “Avenue of the Palms” in front of you has been the site of receptions for Theodore Herzl, Lord Balfour, Winston Churchill and other dignitaries. However, the area was originally a garden plot, an agricultural research station and then an orange grove, before evolving into the municipal park. As you stroll down the path toward the Carmel winery, note how well the recently built administration buildings, blend with the park and its surroundings. A number of new restaurants facing the park provide visitors with comfortable outdoor seating and excellent fare.

On the other side of the park, the large brick buildings with their red shingled roofs and large dark cellars, were built by Baron de Rothschild in 1888, and soon evolved into one of the largest and most successful wineries in the world. In fact the winery became very self sufficient, housing its own barrel and pump workshop, a flour mill, a blacksmith, an ice factory and a distillery. If you have never had the opportunity to visit an older and larger winery, a tour of the premises would certainly be worthwhile.( 03-948-8888).

As you make your way down Ha-Carmel St. toward the corner of Achad Ha-Aham St., you won’t want to miss, what was built as Rishon’s most beautiful building, the Rothschild Administration Center. The complex of buildings and gardens, which also contains a memorial to Rishon’s fallen soldiers, has been painstakingly restored and is beautifully maintained. From there, it should be a short walk back to your car.

Others have replicated the resourcefulness and sense of ingenuity demonstrated by the first settlers of Rishon Le-Zion before and after the establishment of the State of Israel. A case in point is the clandestine bullet manufacturing operation known as the Ayalon Institute that was established at Kibbutzim Hill in nearby Rehovot. This is certainly a must-see spot during your tour in Israel.

During the mid 1940s self-sufficiency in the manufacture of weaponry and ammunition became an urgent matter for the leadership of the Jewish community in Palestine. Continuing conflict with the Arabs and the prospect of a British withdrawl from it’s Mandate in Palestine led to the local development of the sten sub-machine gun and the acquisition of surplus bullet manufacturing equipment in post war Europe. The equipment was smuggled into Palestine via Beirut with the assistance of a friendly British intelligence officer, but the question then became where manufacturing was to take place.

The solution was found at Kibbutzim Hill, an established kibbutz near the entry to Rehovot, whose earthen mound would make an excellent hiding place for a clandestine bullet manufacturing operation. Within a span of 22 days a rectangular underground cellar was established into which the newly acquired machinery was placed. At one end a building containing washing machines to muffle the sound of the underground equipment was established, while at the other end a bakery was built, whose immense oven could pivot on the floor to permit access into the cellar. Recent immigrants to Palestine from Germany and Austria, as well as members of youth groups were recruited to work underground in secrecy, while others worked the fields of the kibbutz above.

Copper for use in the manufacture of the casings was imported into Palestine under the ruse that it was to be used for the production of lipstick tubes. Thus, from 1946 to 1948 2.5 million bullets were manufactured at the Ayalon Institute, and at times as many as 40,000 bullets a day were smuggled out under the cover of darkness into the field of battle. David Ben Gurion has said that the efforts of these young members of the Haganah contributed greatly to the success of many military operations and the ultimate establishment of the State of Israel. Thereafter, many of these young people went on to found Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael on the shores of the Mediterranean near Zichron Yaakov.

In 1987 the Ayalon institute was declared a National Historic site and the museum was opened to the public. Today you can only visit the Ayalon Institute by appointment (08-940-6552). A tour guide will lead you to the underground manufacturing operations where photographs and written explanations describe the displayed equipment. The tour also includes a visit to the reconstructed bakery and laundry and an audiovisual presentation.

Directions to Rishon Le-Zion:  Travel in Israel is relatively easy. From Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem merge into Route 4 from Route 1 and exit at the sign directing you to Rishon Le-Zion center. Travel east over the viaduct following Jabotinsky St. until you reach light number 72. Turn left into Rothschild St., right into Herzl St., and left into HaCarmel St. After several blocks turn left into Nordau St. and then right into Rothschild St. once again, where you can look for street parking. Walk up the hill toward the synagogue.

Directions to the Ayalon Institute: Return to Herzl St. and travel 8 kilometers until the street name changes to to Weitzman St. in the village of Nes Tziona.Soon thereafter, at the group of large white buildings known as Science Park, turn left into Hamada St. Proceed several blocks toward Chaim Holzman St. and turn left up the hill. At the conclusion of your visit, return to Weitzman St., which is now known as Herzl St. and proceed south to Route 40, where you will turn left in the direction of Ramle and Route 1.

Click to enlarge the map

There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Sources:

Municipality of Rishon Le-Zion;
Museum of Rishon Le-Zion;
Society For The Preservation Of Israel Heritage Sites;
The Ayalon Institute Museum;
International Jerusalem Post, April 20-26, 2007;
Municipality of Rehovot

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Our destination today is Bet Guvrin, but the drive there, with stops along the way, can be half the fun! We will take the day to travel in Israel by following Routes 44 and 38 through vineyards, rolling hills and lush valleys, with kibbutzim and moshavim on both sides of the road.

From Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem, exit Route 1 at the Latrun junction and follow Route 3 to the Nahshon junction and then turn left unto Route 44.  After about eight kilometers note a brown sign on the right side directing you to the entrance of the Sculpture Road. Follow the well-paved path along the ridge of the President’s Forest of carob, pine and terebinth trees planted by the KKL/ JNF. Among the towering evergreens are modern sculptures created by Israeli artists, some of whom have used raw materials from the region to create their works. The area is also dotted with picnic groves, hiking trails, and short paths leading the visitor to magnificent vistas. Bicycling under the shaded canopy on a hot summer day is an especially enjoyable way to  tour Israel and view the sculptures.

Return to Route 44 and then turn right onto Route 38 at the Shimshon junction, so named as it is in nearby Zorah that Samson was born, and in the Sorek valley was persuaded by Delilah to reveal the secret of his strength. Continue driving through the quasi-industrial town of Bet Shemesh, to American Independence Park, following the brown signs in the direction of the Sorek stalactite cave. The well-paved five-mile drive up U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey Parkway  is one of the most beautiful attractions in Israel and provides the visitor with a stunning view of the Sorek valley below, as well as hills, valleys and the sea far into the distance. Near the summit one can reflect on the sculpture memorializing the crew of the Challenger spacecraft. Then, before turning around to proceed down the hill, stop to admire a stone topographical map of Israel, as well as the memorial to Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon who perished upon the disintegration of the Columbia spacecraft.If you want to visit the cave and the surrounding area, check out my blog Sorek Stalactite cave.

Follow Route 38 from Bet Shemesh in the direction of Kiryat Gat, driving through the Elah valley where David slew Goliath. Here, try to imagine the battle scene as described in Samuel 1, ch.17, with Saul and the men of Israel massing on one side of the valley, the Philistines stationed on the opposite hillside, with the ravine between them. Today, the Elah valley is home to numerous galleries and workshops located in kibbutzim and moshavim along Route 38. A guide to these shops as well as local events can be obtained at any of the galleries.

In Moshav Sirigim Li-On one can purchase colorful leather shoes manufactured by Einat Kedmi at her home workshop. Einat studied and worked in Switzerland for many years and brought her experience back to Israel in 1990. The foam rubber soles, threads, and leathers are all imported to create custom made shoes so soft and light that you may forget that you are wearing them. To make an appointment with Einat call 02-9990357.

The Kakadu showroom and factory can be found further down the road at Moshav Zafririm. Owners Aahron and Reut Shahar are often seen at their factory designing and painting their collections of furniture, wooden carpets, and decorative tableware, or at their Tel-Aviv store on Dizengoff  St. At the moshav, the Shahars run painting workshops for visiting families and also lecture larger groups on topics related to design and color techniques. Kakadu can be reached by calling 02-9998921.

While driving through the Elah valley, note on your right the entrance to British Park, which warrants a short detour to view the area from the park’s observation posts.

As you reach Route 35, turn right toward Bet Guvrin, as proceeding left would lead you to Hebron. Rather than immediately entering the national park, leave the car at the gas station to pick up some drinks and other packaged foods, before a short walk to the adjacent amphitheater. This may also be a good time to slip on some good walking shoes.

The amphitheater is one of the most beautifully preserved Roman structures in Israel and is a must-see stop on your Israel tour. It was originally constructed for the entertainment of the Roman troops that were garrisoned in the area after the suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132-135 CE. Visitors can easily walk through the magnificent four-vaulted vomitoria, which led spectators to the seating areas. Though the seats are still visible, unfortunately the marble has been plundered. A circular subterranean complex housed the wild beasts, while in another room archaeologists excavated many oil lamps used by gladiators in the performance of rituals and libations before and after combat with the animals.

The amphitheater was in use for about 200 years, and may have been abandoned after the earthquake of 363, which destroyed much of the city of Bet Guvrin. In the early Byzantine period the amphitheater became a marketplace, while later, in  Medieval  times, it was used as a stable and storeroom. In the 12th century, Crusaders built a fortress on top of the amphitheater, and some remains of its adjacent church can still be explored today.

Returning to your car, cross the road to enter the Bet Guvrin National Park, and request a brochure with a detailed map of driving, parking and hiking instructions. The most important sites to visit at the park are the bell caves, the columbarium, the Sidonian tombs and the olive oil plant.

The huge bell caves, which were excavated during the 7th to 10th centuries, are most impressive for their immense size, and are today used by Israelis for wedding ceremonies and concert performances. The area was originally dotted with some 800 caves, which were easily hewn from the deep layers of soft limestone that is unique to the area.

In fact, the quarried limestone was sometimes used for building projects on the coastal plain, and some of these can still be identified today as coming from Bet Guvrin. Each of the bell caves has a chimney type hole on the top, used as an entry point for the workmen who carved the limestone from inside the perimeter into blocks removed by ropes.

As you continue exploring the National Park, note it’s highest point, Tel Maresha. Maresha is referenced in Chronicles 2, ch.11, as one of the cities in Judea fortified by Rehoboam against the invading Persians. This conquest saw the Edomites settle in the area, and in the 4th century BCE, Sidonians, the Greeks, as well as some Jews fleeing Jerusalem came to Maresha. Later, the Hasmonean King, John Hyrcanus 1, conquered Maresha and converted its citizens to Judaism.

Josephus writes of Bet Guvrin as having been conquered by the Roman General Vespasian, though a community of Jews continued to live in the city until the end of the Bar Kochba revolt in 135. Ascend the tel to the southeast observation point for an interesting view of the surrounding Hebron Mountains, and then explore the excavated shops, homes and tower.

From the tel it’s a short walk to several caves, of which the pigeon coop cave or columbarium merits a longer visit. It’s  beauty is defined by its shape, a double cross. Within the cave, 2000 niches for the breeding of doves were carved into the soft limestone walls during the 3d century BCE. While biblical scholars believe that doves were mainly used for sacrificial purposes during religious ceremonies, here most of the pigeons were raised for their meat, while their droppings were used to fertilize the surrounding olive groves. The importance of this olive crop to the local economy is attested to by the fact that 22 subterranean olive presses have to date been found in the Bet Guvrin area, of which the crushing and oil extraction plant in cave number 5 is an excellent example. Also, before returning to your car at Parking area A, you may wish to cross the road to examine the interesting reproduction of the oil press and crushing mill.

From there it’s a short walk or drive to the  Apollophanes or Sidonian tombs at the edge of the biblical and Hellenistic city of Maresha. The Sidoneans left their mark at Maresha by excavating a series of unique burial caves, interring their deceased in rows of niches designed to form a triangle above each crypt. The paintings and inscriptions in the Sidonean caves have been beautifully restored and vividly bring to life the beliefs and customs, as well as the social hierarchy of this 3rd-2nd century community. From there, it’s a short walk through an olive grove and picnic area to a gift and snack shop.

At the conclusion of your visit, depart the main park entrance and return to Route 35 and 38 traveling toward Bet Shemesh. Immediately after the Agur junction with Route 353, note on the left side of the road a small hill with a group of evergreens surrounding four Roman columns, which served as mile markers for one of the five roads that led to Bet Guvrin.

Before approaching Bet Shemesh, look for a sign directing you to turn right up a narrow paved road to the hilltop Monastery of Beit Jamal, which was established in 1881 by Cessian monks. Wander through the gardens to the rear of the Monastery, where a 5th century Byzantine church was excavated in 1916. The discovered floor mosaics have been beautifully preserved and are now prominently displayed on the outside of the rebuilt church which is dedicated to St. Stephen. The site is especially meaningful for visitors participating in holyland travel as the frescoes and paintings inside the church beautifully illustrate St. Stephen’s life and martyrdom. Note especially the ornate wooden ceiling, the painting of the 12 Apostles and the 4 stained glass windows depicting important moments in the life of Christ.

The arched entranceway into the Monastery houses a wine shop where tastings can be had and purchases made of the Cessian wines whose vineyards are in the West Bank. Inside the building you can view an interesting video and then proceed up the stairs to visit the chapel and meeting rooms. A walk through the olive grove and parking lot will lead the visitor to a shop, where beautiful pottery handcrafted by the resident Sisters can be purchased. Immediately adjacent thereto, a small store sells locally made condiments and sweets for your ride back on Route 38 to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. For a schedule of Saturday and holiday concerts at Beit Jamal you can call 054 474 4799.

Travel in Israel is relatively easy, but feel free to click on the map below to help you with your itinerary and directions.

Click to enlarge the map

There is a podcast available for this post. To listen to it now click this link. If you would like to download it, right click the link and select the appropriate dowload option.

Sources:

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
American-Israel Cooperative Enterprise
Israeli Nature and Natural Parks Protection Authority
Jerusalem Post
Jewish Agency for Israel

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