Shvilist

Since I did not visit those sites as a prat of the INT, i came back the following day to see them. Tel Dan is a tiny place, and so for most visitors three hours visit will suffice for a leisurely visit – and it’s a visit which is very worth-making.

The reservation is roughly divided into two parts : the first one is the fountains which creates the Dan river (one of the three which join up to form the Jordan river). The second part is an archeological site – the ancient city of Laish. The formal brochure, in Hebrew, could be downloaded here.

Dan existed for about 5000 years – it was deserted only in the Roman period (about 2000 years ago). It is mentioned in the bible in several different places : The two most important are the description of the conquest of the Canaanite city of Laish by the tribe of Dan, sometime during the Iron age, and the second is the placing of a golden calf at the temple in the city by Yerovam Ben Navat. At about 796 B.C. the kigdom of Israel was divided into the kingdom of Judea, and the kingdom of Israel – and Yerovam was the first king of Israel after this division. Since the temple was in Jerusalem, and Yerovam didn’t want his people entering the kingdom of Judea, not to mention paying taxes to the priests – he built two religion centers : in Dan and in Beit El. the temple in Dan, where the golden statue of a calf was placed, is visible today.

Osishkins house is a nature museum, hosting the collections of Menachem Osishkin. It also presents some of the archeological findings from the ancient city of Dan. Unlike Tel Dan, i wouldn’t recommend it – it’s a small place, and the collections are few and not too impressive.

Couple of friends joind me today for a short day hike – and they asked especially for an easy one.

We went to Kfira stream (blue-marked trail, right by Mevo Horon). The trail reaches Ein Nataf (a small fountain. Don’t expect to see much and you won’t be dissapointed ), Then becomes a red marked trail and climbs up to the ruins of Nataf, and to mount. Uzrar. Then we took a black marked trail – the only part which is not suited for a 4×4 vehicles – and climbed down to Kfira.

It took us less than four hours of easy walking to complete this trail, so this trail could very well suit you, if you’re with young children, looking for a trail.

The ancient city of Arad thrived from about 4000 B.C. to the fifth or eight century A.D., the time it got deserted, and was re-settled onlya thousend years later,  in 1961 – where the city still stands today.

The archeological excevations and reconstructions of the ancient part started in 1962, and are on going today – I think that this is one of the longest excavations we have (at least i hope so. why couldn’t they finish already?). The site is protected as a national site (גן לאומי) which means you will pay (about 13 NIS ) to see it – and there are sights to be seen there.

The visit takes approx. 2 hours, well worth it if you’re in the neighborhood – So now the problem remains what should you do in the rest of the day….

for further reading :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Arad

www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~20~~770734107~Card12~&ru=&SiteName=parks&Clt=&Bur=4972252

The place holds a special room reseved for hikers who hike the INT, and we stayed friday’s night in it – but the owner got upset because we stayed there for the following day, and so he wouldn’t let us stay for saturday night as well. and so I went back to Arad, where I stayed at Mr. Dov Fonyo’s house – a good person who lets hikers into his home.

It was saturday, and i was still resting from my 12 days hike from Eilat to Mitzpe ramon – and what better way to rest then to do another, less strenuous hike?

Since i was in Mitzpe ramon, and there’re still a few trails which i never completed, i was able to convince several of my friends to join me for a day hike in the western part of the makhtesh – since i entered the makhtesh from the east, this hike completed the trail to my opinion (I would definitly recommend adding it to the INT)

The hike began from Nitzana river (green trail), which descends the makhtesh walls (since day 12i had no problems with that part) and enters a buetiful place called the prism canyon – two volcanic hills in the middle of the makhtesh, which you enter between and so able to see up close the rock formations which were created as the lava cooled down, making a beautiful contrast to the yellowish sand stone common in the makhtesh.

Then the trail connects to Ramon river (the one which created the makhtesh in the first place) – marked as a black, 4×4 trail, on which you walk approx. 1 km to the west – and then north you go on a red marked trail, which climbs back the makhtesh walls, carry on for 2 km alond the makhtesh edges, climbs mount Ramon (which is almost the western-most point of the makhtesh) and then contiues on a 4×4 road to the main road.

The entire trail is approx 11 km long, and it took us about 7 hours to complete. It is not too strenuous hike – but it does climb the makhtesh walls up and down, so i’d say that average fitness is recommended here….