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An
Arab village in Lower Galilee, 15 km. southeast of Acre.
The old Biblical Kabul was included in the piece of land
given to the Tribe of Asher. King Solomon gave it as a
present to Hiram the king of Tyre. It was a large city
in the time of the second Temple on the border between
the Jewish and Gentile settlements, which gathered in
Acre. A city of sages in the time of the Mishnah and Talmud;
Jewish pilgrims used to come here and pray over the sages'
graves. According to tradition this is where Rabbi Yehuda
Halevi, Rabbi Ibn Ezra and Rabbi Ibn Gabirol are buried.
Remains of a synagogue and a cemetery from the Talmudic
period.
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Founded
in 1964, is the commercial, educational, cultural and
industrial hub of the Galilee. Situated on a major east-west
highway in a valley, separating the upper and lower regions
of the Galilee, its location is central with respect to
the major population centers of Northern Israel. A community
of 36,000, Karmiel is a planned modern city consisting
of self-contained neighborhoods. It is the home of the
International ORT Technological College and the Nerken
Performing Arts Cultural Center.
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New
Jewish town on the Golan Hights. Antiquities museum with
objects from Canaanite 1st and 2nd Temple periods; remains
of a synagogue from the early CE centuries.
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The
Kfar Blum Kibbutz Hotel is located on the banks of the
Jordan River, at the foot of Mt. Hermon. 109 Luxurious
rooms, air-conditioned-heated with TV, radio, telephone.
Spacious lobby with refreshment bar, gift shop. Kosher
dinning room, capacity of 250 people, new multi-function
conference halls, well equipped for large meetings and
parties. Breathtaking views of the Galilee and Mt. Hermon,
immaculate gardens and lawns. Olympic, children's swimming
pools, dressing rooms, saunas. Kayaking, Rafting and nature
walks along the Jordan River.
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Kfar
El Alma in the Golan
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Remains of Talmudic period synagogue.
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Kibbutz
Hotel Kfar Giladi is situated in the heart of the peaceful
and pastoral Upper Galilee, within view of snow covered
Mount Hermon, the Golan Heights and the Hula Valley. Green
hills, nature reserves, rivers, and archeological and
holy sites surround it.
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On the northern shore of Lake Kinneret nears the mouth
of the Jordan River. Ancient settlement on one of the
ancient roads leading to the lands of the Euphrates and
Tigris. According to Jewish tradition, named after the
Prophet Nahum. Known during Second Temple, Mishnaic and
Talmudic Periods; it took part in the Revolt against the
Romans. Excavations (1979 CE) revealed evidence that the
town flourished up to the 10th century DE.
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Abandoned village on South-Golan near Ramat Magshimim.
Built on ruins of the Jewish town Khispin. Referred to
in the wars of Yehudah Hamaccabi. Remains of buildings
and stone tablets and mosaic floors.
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These
rural Communities exemplify the Israeli pioneer spirit
of hard work and cooperation. Many are in resort areas
and offer quality accommodations for tourists. Visitors
can also volunteer to work on a kibbutz. Throughout Israel
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Located
in a former mosque, this museum presents the history of
Kiryat Shmona. 16 Jordan St., tel: 06-6940135 in Kiryat
Shmona.
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Kochav
Hayarden (Belvoir)
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An
impressive Crusader fortress was built at this site, close
to the remains of an ancient Jewish town named "Kochav"
(a star). Much time and effort was required by the Muslim
forces headed by Saladin, to capture Belvoir, and only
in 1189, one-and-a-half years after the battle of Hittin,
did the defenders surrender and leave for Tyre. In 1220,
the ruler of Damascus sent his men to destroy the fortress
in order to prevent its re-annexation by the Crusaders.
In the 18th century, the Arab village Kaukab eI-Hawa (meaning
"star of the winds") was established on the ruins of the
fortress, and in May 1948, during the War of Independence,
it was conquered by the Golani Brigade, after defeating
an Iraqi force on the slopes below. Excavations and reconstruction
works were carried out between 1966-1968, on behalf of
the National Parks Authority, headed by M. Ben Dov. Geographic.
Description "It is but a nest of eagles and the dwelling
place of the moon." This is how Muslim historians of the
12th century CE described the Crusader fortress of Belvoir.
The fortress stands on the basalt terrain of eastern lower
Galilee, at the edge of a plateau, at an altitude of 312m
above sea level, overlooking the Jordan Valley some 550m
below.
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Ancient Synagogue. Important Jewish town during Second
Temple, Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. According to travelers'
reports, there was a Jewish settlement here up to the
end of the Middle Ages.
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Kibbutz on the Galilee coast, 4 km. north of Acre on the
road to Nahariyah. Founded in 1949 CE by Partisans and
Ghetto Fighters of World War II, from Poland and Lithuania.
"The House of the Ghetto Fighters" - Museum
of Holocaust Research Center, named in honor of Yitzchak
Katzenelson, writer and poet who was killed in the Holocaust;
Youth Institution named for the Jewish educator Yanush
Korchak, who refused to leave the children under his care
and was killed in the Holocaust together with them. Large
amphitheater where memorial assemblies are held on Holocaust
and Heroism Day.
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Maayan
Harod National Park
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Maayan
Harod (the Harod Spring) is the westernmost of the group
of large springs flowing from the foot of Mt. Gilboa.
The sources of the water lie in the Gilboa Ridge and northern
Samaria. The Harod Spring emerges from the Cave of Gideon
at a flow rate of about 500 cubic meters per hour; its
waters are sweet and delicious. Surrounding the spring
is a flourishing park, which attracts many bathers and
picnickers. A Bit of History Maayan Harod is where the
Lord subjected Gideon's fighting men to the "water test."
Gideon had called for volunteers to fight the Midianites;
some 32,000 men responded. He sent 22,000 home, but the
Lord told him that 10,000 were still far too many: "Gideon,
and all the people that were with him, rose up early,
and pitched beside the spring of Harod... Midianites were
on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the
valley... and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that
lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth,
him shalt thou set by himself... And the number of them
that apped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three
hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down
upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto
Gideon, by the three hundred men that lapped will I save
you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let
all the other people go every man unto his place" (Judges
7:1-7). In a nighttime surprise attack, Gideon led the
chosen three hundred into battle and routed the Midianites.
At the Battle of Ayn Jalut ('Ein Harod) in 1260, Mameluke
Sultan Kotuz defeated the Mongol army which had conquered
much of Asia and Europe, and at that time was storming
the gates of the Holy Land. The Mameluke triumph stopped
the Mongol juggernaut in its tracks, and is considered
one of the most significant victories in world history.
The commander of the Mamelukes was the ex-slave Baybars,
who shortly afterward returned to Egypt, killed Kotuz,
and named himself Sultan of Egypt. In 1921, Kibbutz 'Ein
Harod was founded alongside the Harod Spring by members
of the Labor Corps, the first settlers in the swamp-ridden
Jezreel Valley. After a few years, groves of trees were
planted by the spring and on the surrounding hills. Joshue
Hankin, "Redeemer of the Land," was quite busy during
those years, acquiring land in the Valley from Arab owners.
He and his wife Olga are buried in an impressive tomb
above the spring, adjacent to the house in which they
lived. In the late 1930s, a British intelligence officer,
Orde Charles Wingate, operated in the Jezreel Valley from
his headquarters at 'Ein Harod. Wingate, whom the Jews
of Palestine dubbed "the Friend," initiated a plan of
battle against the Arab gangs terrorizing the area. For
this purpose he organized special "night brigades" from
among the Jewish settlers. On the eve of the establishment
of the State of Israel, Maayan Harod was the site of one
of the training bases used by the Palmach, the fledgling
Jewish army.
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Believed
to be the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus
drove out seven devils.
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Located
at 89 Yafe Nof St. 04-8383482. Open Sun., Mon., Wed.,
Thurs. 10am to 4pm; Tues. 2pm to 6pm; Fri., 10am to 1pm;
and Sat. and holidays 10am to 2pm. Admissions free.
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Abandoned village on the Golan, 3 km. northeast of Ramat.
Remains indicating settlement from Canaanite times and
continuing to the Persian and Hellenistic period. Remains
of a synagogue with ornaments, Aramaic inscriptions; also
other archaeological remains. There is a park and a lookout
point towards Lake Kinneret Upper-Galilee and South-Golan.
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of Haifa, lies at the head of a mountain pass at the western
end of the valley of Jezreel. Commanding a key defile into
northern Israel, and standing astride the great trunk road
from Egypt in the south to Syria and Mesopotamia in the
north, it was thus a vital strategic site throughout history
and the scene of mighty biblical battles. It was an object
of fortifications by its occupiers and of attack by contending
empires from pre-biblical times right up to the First World
War in this century. Small wonder that Megiddo finds frequent
mention in second millennium documents and in the Bible.
In the New Testament Book of Revelation, it is marked as
the site of the last great battle of the world: Armageddon
(which is a corruption of the Hebrew Hat Megiddo). Small
wonder too, that the large scale archaeological excavations
carried out on that Megiddo tel, or artificial mound between
1925 and 1939 should have brought to light the remains of
twenty distinct historical periods, from 4000 B.C.E. to
400 B.C.E. The more spectacular of the ruined structures
now visible belong to the fortified "chariot city" built
by king Solomon in the loth century B.C.E. and to its Israelite
successors, and to the remains of Hyksos and Canaanite cities
The ancient water system dating from the 9th century B.C.E.,
preserved to this day and now cleared and made accessible
by the National Parks Authority, is a remarkable piece of
engineering. It consists of a large shaft sunk through the
rock to a depth of 120 feet, where it meets a tunnel cut
through for a distance of: 215 feet to a spring outside
the city. This ensured the water supply for the defenders
in time of siege -- for the spring, outside the city, was
also hidden by a wall camouflaged by a covering of earth.
Near the center of the mound is an 8th century B.C.E. sunken
grain silo, with a staircase against the circular wall curving
down to the bottom. At the southern part of the tel are
the ruins of stables, built probably by king Ahab in the
9th century B.C.E., and some of the stone hitching posts
and limestone mangers may be seen today. Three Canaanite
temples still stand at the eastern edge of the site. The
National Parks Authority has prepared the entire site for
visitors, laid out footpaths and provided explanatory signs
for the ruins, so that no guide is necessary. It also established
the museum at the foot of the hill which contains model
reconstruction of the main buildings and photographs of
replicas of the more exciting objects found here, including
the famous Megiddo Ivories. Restaurant and Coffee shop.
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South of Moshav Meron in Upper-Galilee on Acre-Safed road,
at foot of Mount Meron. Ancient Meron. Remains of monumental
2nd-3rd century synagogue and remains of ancient settlement,
a place of pilgrimage at Lag B'omer in memory of Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai.
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Metulla
was founded in 1896 with the aid of the Baron de Rothschild.
The founders chose a hill overlooking the Galilee and
Lebanon, and hoped to establish a tranquil existence as
farmers. The reality did not meet these expectations.
Metulla suffered poverty, struggles, distress and disturbances
for many years. The first settlers had to cope with attacks
and provocation by their Bedouin neighbors. Neither did
the political upheavals and changes in rule of the area
(first the Turks followed by the French and the English)
make their daily life any easier. The establishment of
the State of Israel brought a brief period of quiet to
the region. The border with Lebanon was peaceful at the
time, and in the 1950s Metulla began to grow and develop.
Young newcomers arrived from the city and the economic
situation improved. After the Six-Day War (1967), security
problems at the border arose again, when terrorist activity
from the north was renewed. At some stage, the residents
of southern Lebanon decided to disassociate themselves
from the terrorist organizations and strengthen their
ties with Israel. Thus, in the late 1970s the Good Fence
began operating. To this day it serves as a symbol of
coexistence and good neighborly relations. Thousands of
Lebanese men and women pass through the fence daily to
Israel, where they make their living. Today Metulla is
a prosperous and beautiful Mountain vacation resort. Its
2000 residents enjoy a quality of life that is one of
the highest in Israel. The quiet, the serenity, the scenery,
the combination of old with new and the special climate
all attract many visitors, who enjoy this unique, enchanting
spot, unlike any other in Israel.
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A
Christian village. Ruins Crusader fort Chastiau Dou Rei
(Kings Castle) 1220 Teutonic knights.
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The most impressive fortress built immediately after the
First Crusade (1220) of French knights. On the slope the
outer defense wall with early Gothic architecture very
different from other Crusader castles. A steep path leads
up to the only entrance, which was defended by a tower.
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Several mountain ranges run the length of the country.
In the northeast, the basalt landscapes of the Golan Heights,
formed by volcanic eruptions in the distant past, rise
as steep cliffs overlooking the Hula Valley. The hills
of Galilee largely composed of soft limestone and dolomite,
ascent to heights ranging from 1,600 to 4,000 feet (500
to 1,200 m.) above sea level. Small perennial streams
and relatively ample rainfall keep the area green all
year round. Residents of Galilee and the Golan, some 17
percent of the population, are engaged in agriculture,
tourism-related enterprises and light industry.
The
Jezreel Valley, separating the hills of Galilee from those
of Samaria, is Israel's richest agricultural area, cultivated
by many cooperative communities (kibbutzim and moshavim).
The rolling hills of Samaria and Judea present a mosaic
of rocky hilltops and fertile valleys, dotted with groves
of age-old, silver-green olive trees. The terraced hillsides,
first developed by farmers in ancient times, blend into
the natural landscape. The population is concentrated
mainly in small urban centers and large villages.
Moshav
- The moshav is a rural settlement in which each family
maintains its own farm and household. In the past cooperation
extended to purchasing and marketing, today moshav farmers
have chosen to be more economically independent. Some
450 moshavim, averaging about 60 families each and comprising
3.1 percent of the population, supply much of Israel's
agricultural produce.
Mount
Beatitudes (see Horns
of Hittin) place of sermon delivered by Jesus.
Mount
Ha'Gilboa A range of hills (extension of the
Samaria hills) between Yizreel and Beit She'an Valleys.
About 18 km. long and 9 km. wide. Its highest point reaches
53G m. above sea level. The mountains have little rain
and therefore the flora is quite poor. Mentioned several
times n the Bible: included in the inherited lands given
to the tribes Yissachar and Menashe; the wars of Deborah
and Gideon took place nearby. King Saul and his sons fell
there in a battle with the Philistines, and one of the
mountain heights is "Mount Saul" in his honor.
In the War of Independence the Israeli army conquered
half of it and in the Six-Day War the whole range was
conquered by the Israelis. Today, 3 Israeli settlements
are situated there: Ma'ale HaGilboa, Malkishua and Nurit.
Large parts of the mountain area are covered with forests
planted by the JNF, parts of which are nature reserves
and beautiful flora in the spring.
Mount
Hermon - Towering above the Golan at almost
10,000 feet is Mount Hermon. It straddles Lebanon, Syria,
Israel and several demilitarized zones under United Nations
jurisdiction. Its highest points are covered in snow during
the winter, and Israeli skiers are familiar with these
slopes. As the only sub-Alpine habitat in the country,
Mount Hermon and its wildlife are of interest to outdoors
enthusiasts. Several species of birds, including the Hermon
horned lark, redstart and rocknuthatch, can be found only
here.
Mount
Tabor (Transfiguration) Situated in Lower
Galilee, in the center of Emek-Yizreel and is 588 m. high.
The mountain controls its environment and the near-by
pass ways and therefore considered being a strategic point.
In Ancient times it was used as a battle field (the battles
of: Ramses the Second, the children of Israel against
Midian, Deborah the prophetess and Barak against Sisera,
the battle between Alexander the son of Aristobulus and
Gvinius and others). In the time of the first Temple the
mountain was populated (the city Tabor which was given
to the Tribe of Levi). Also after the destruction of the
Temple there was a Jewish settlement there. The sanctuary
of the transfiguration. The fortress, the walls, the crypt,
the ancient walls are well preserved. Greek Church of
St. Elias, ruins of an ancient church. All the archaeological
objects, which were found during the excavations, are
concentrated in a museum.
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Museum
of the Underground Prisoners 1920-48
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See
the history of Jewish prisoners during the British Mandate,
members of the Hagana, the Etzel and Lehi. Opening hours:
Sun.- Thurs. from 9am to 5pm; and Fri. from 9am to 1pm.
Located at Acre Fortress, 10 Hagana St. Tel: 04-9918264.
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A Carmelite monastery situated on the site where according
to tradition, Elijah the Prophet fought and defeated the
prophets of Baal. Located just past the Druze Villages.
Bus 192 to Daliat-el-Carmel village and from there by
service taxi.
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What
ever your choice, contact About
Family Travel and let us design your vacation with
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