Wednesday afternoon, after leaving Malkiya, we had a delightful hike.
Next was a fairly easy hike at Tel Dan Nature reserve. There, we saw some archaeological sites that were dated to the Middle Bronze Age at about 3700 CE - that is, about the time of Abraham and Sarah. There is also a site that, according to tradition, is the village where Boaz lived at the time he married Ruth. (reference Book of Ruth for additional details). A location that appears to be the village gate has been uncovered; that may be where Boaz asked the village elders for permission to marry Ruth.
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| Rose enjoys a few delightful minutes cooling her feet in a small lake |
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This space might be where
Boaz asked for permission to marry Ruth |
Finally was a hike in along the wall of the Hula Valley. This hike was a little more challenging, with a vertical climb of several hundred feet and the usual rocky trails we have seen throughout Israel. But the scenery was beautiful! The Hula Valley is part of a rift of several thousand miles from Lebanon and Syria all the way to Central Africa. When Jewish settlements were established there shortly after independence in 1948, the swamps in the valley were drained to control malaria and establish agricultural communities. While this was quite successful, it also led to some environmental issues including fertilizer runoff into the Sea of Galilee and also the loss of a location for migrating birds. An artificial lake has been created to mitigate both of those issues.
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| We don't mind sharing the trail! |
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| What a view! |
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| Rita, Rose, and Debbie have finished the hike! |
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| Ron, Mike, and our leader Asaf have also! |
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| Ron asked for his own picture. Here it is! |
At the end of the day, we drove to the Golan Heights, where we spent most of Thursday.
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