A Visit to the Valley of Jezreel in Israel

THE VALLEY OF YIZRE'EL

The Biblical Valley of Yizre'el (Jezreel) may be considered the neighborhood of the town of Afula where I live. From my window I can see the Hill of Moreh which is mentioned in the Old Testament as bordering from the north on the Valley. It used to be a volcano in the remote past, and basalt rock were thrown from it and rolled through out the Valley, making its soil when crumbling very fertile. It is one of the most ancient sites (some thousand of years) of agriculture in the world. On the southern border of the Valley there is Mount Gilbo'a, where King Saul and his three sons were killed in their war against the Philistines. At the western edge of the Mountain lies the modern kibbutz Yizre'el, named both after the Valley and the Biblical town, whose remains can still be seen in the vicinity of the kibbutz. Rather than its barren look mentioned in the Old Testament, Mount Gilbo'a has now been planted with trees all over, among which plenty of blossom appear in winter: anemones, cyclamen, tulips, etc., including the most famous flower called after it - the large, mauve color Gilbo'a Iris. From the side of the mountain, the Spring of Harod (Ein Harod) flows incessantly, where the Biblical hero Gideon tested his fighters for his war against the Midianites. The name of the spring was given to a kibbutz on the other side of the Valley, where I was born and raised. At the eastern side of the mountain there is another kibbutz, Beit Alfa, where there was found a beautiful mosaic floor from the 1^st. cent. A.d., depicting the circle of the Zodiac signs in the Greek style of the period. In all the kibbutzim in the Valley there are accommodations for tourists, in singles or families, which are highly suitable for children. With its farmlands, topographical variety and wild areas - including herds of wild gazelle - the Valley of Yizre'el is one the most beautiful place I have seen and experienced.