Genghis Khan in the Golan – highlights locations in the area
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Sea of G
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2 Genghis Khan in the Golan
Sara Zafrir +972-52-3715687
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3
The Mongolian village and Zafrir Family .............................................................................................. 3
The Golan Heights ................................................................................................................................ 4
Sea of Galilee (The Kineret Lake) .......................................................................................................... 5
Archeology and Holy sites ....................................................................................................................... 7
East Sea of Galilee - Golan ................................................................................................................... 7
Kursi ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Em-Hakshatot-Rehavam(Um el kantir) ............................................................................................ 9
Gamla ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Mt. Hermon Reserve ...................................................................................................................... 11
Katsrin ............................................................................................................................................ 11
North Sea of Galilee ........................................................................................................................... 12
Kfar Yehudiye (Sogana) .................................................................................................................. 12
Jordan Park – Bethsaida ................................................................................................................. 14
Tabcha............................................................................................................................................ 16
Orthodox Church, Capernaum ....................................................................................................... 18
Capernaum .................................................................................................................................... 19
Korazim .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Mount of Beatitudes ...................................................................................................................... 22
Domus Galilaeae ............................................................................................................................ 23
Job's spring & cave ......................................................................................................................... 24
Safed (Tsfat , Zefat) ........................................................................................................................ 25
West Sea of Galilee ............................................................................................................................ 26
Arbel .............................................................................................................................................. 26
Jesus Boat - Genosar ...................................................................................................................... 27
St. Peter’s Church – Tiberias .......................................................................................................... 28
Mount Tabor .................................................................................................................................. 28
South Sea of Galilee ........................................................................................................................... 29
Yardenit ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Hammat Gader .............................................................................................................................. 30
Beit Shean ...................................................................................................................................... 32
Attractions offers in Golan and Sea of Galilee area .............................................................................. 33
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Introduction
The Mongolian village and Zafrir Family
Benzy & Sara Zafrir would like to welcome you to the Mongolian village "Genghis khan1 in the Golan" in Moshav2 Givat Yoav in the Golan Heights.
The village with the 5 tents opened in April 2008, after we had a pilot tent in our yard and we find it very pleasing occupation.
Benzy Zafrir born in Tzfat and arrive to Givat Yoav after his military service in 1968, with group of parachutists to establish the Moshav that named after their lieutenant colonel Yoav Shacham who killed in Samuaa action.
Sara Zafrir born in Natanya and arrive to the Golan in 1974 to celebrate the Passover Seder with her high school friends in the Golan and meet Benzy in the communal Seder.
Sara and Benzy got married in summer 1975 in Givat Yoav, and had their 4 children in the Moshav.
During the years the Zafrirs work in field crops, and since 1983 they have cowshed for milk as their main occupation. Sara had a vision, as known friends and family hosting, to have a place to host the Golan travelers.
The entire building procedure of the Mongolian village made by Sara and Benzy from infrastructure, billing the tent walls, sewing the tent caver, gardening and more with the help of their children.
We hope you will enjoy your staying with us, to help you with some information of what our area is offering we arrange this highlights locations list.
Any updates, comment, recommended places that are not in this list, or question, are more than welcome, it will assist us to assist you and those who will come in the future to enjoy this magnificent piece of land.
1 Khan - Hostel in Arabic. In Hebrew the root word, "Khana", means stayed over, and so both
languages share common roots 2 Moshav (in Hebrew: "settlement") - an agriculture village, where the property is privately held (as
opposed to the Kibbutz where the property is shared by the community) but some of the resources
and labor is shared, including collective investments. There are about 450 Moshavim (a plural form) in
Israel.
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The Golan Heights
The Golan Heights, Israel’s mountainous northern region, is one of the most
beautiful and most traveled parts of the country. There are wonderful scenic
treasures alongside lovely nature reserves, historic and archeological sites and
attractions for the whole family. Some people call this area the Israeli Texas, because
of its size, while others see it as a land of plentiful water sources. The beauty of the
Golan is so captivating that some visitors return here again and again to enjoy the
sights.
The view from the Golan Heights becomes more and more magnificent as you
gradually climb from the plains, at 300 meters above sea level in the south to 1,200
meters in the north. The eastern edge of this region is dotted with a chain of volcanic
hills, while the south and west border on basalt cliffs that descend to the Jordan
Valley Rift, Lake Kineret and the Yarmuk River.
Scattered throughout the Golan Heights are a wide variety of sites that offer a broad
spectrum of activities for tourists and hikers throughout the year. In the winter both
amateur and professional skiers flock to the top of the snow-covered Hermon
Mountain to enjoy its excellent ski conditions, the snow that piles up on the ground
and the pure white landscape. In the summer hikers can enjoy a swim in the many
streams, in spring the plains are carpeted with multi-colored flowers and in autumn
the pleasant weather attracts hikers to the many wooded trails.
The Golan Heights also offers tourists an authentic cowboy experience at a ranch
with horses and cattle. Visitors can go out to the orchards and pick ripe cherries,
raspberries and other seasonal fruits.
Bird lovers can watch the eagles nesting in Gamla and on the cliffs of the nature
reserve, and see the remains of a Chalcolithic Era settlement (from about 5,500
years ago). There are also burial grounds from 4,000 years ago, a 2,000-year-old
Jewish city a monastery with a Byzantine church (from 1,500 years ago) and much
more.
The summit of Mount Bental offers a panoramic view of the whole area, while the
Sa'ar, Zavitan and Meshushim streams gurgle and froth from the waterfalls along
their routes through breathtaking canyons.
Odem Forest, in the northern Golan, is the home of a deer reserve, with many
different species. Near here you can also see Rujum al-Hiri (Circle of Ghosts), a
Megalithic structure about 5,000 years old that researchers believe was used for
ritual purposes, burial or as an astronomy observatory.
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The Golan Heights is the only part of Israel with basalt stones, originating from long
ago volcanic eruptions. Here in the mountains the nights are chilly all year long.
Visitors to the Golan Heights can tour the archeological sites (Banias, Gamla, Beit
Tsida, ancient Katsrin) and the unique nature reserves, enjoy the boutique wineries,
taste the delicacies at the wide variety of restaurants and much more.
Sea of Galilee (The Kineret Lake)
All winter long, the most important part of the news report for Israelis is not the
dollar-shekel exchange rate or the level of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange index, but
rather the water level in Lake Kineret, which often reflects the national spirit. The
Kineret is Israel’s largest fresh water reservoir, and is also the country’s largest and
most important source and reservoir of drinking water. For this and other reasons,
the Kineret has become an important national symbol and is also a first class tourism
center.
The beaches that surround the entire lake are similar but different. The width of the
beaches varies in keeping with the local geography, creating different landscapes in
every location. Above the eastern and western shores, for example, rise the Galilee
mountains and the foothills of the Golan, while to the north there is the Beit Tsida
valley, a wide area with plentiful water that drains from the Jordan River and the
Golan streams, and to the south is the Jordan estuary, which flows south toward the
desert regions.
For this reason, some of the Kineret’s beaches have soft sand, while others are
rocky; some beaches are narrow while others are very wide. Either way, the beaches
are fun and offer many tourist attractions for every age group.
Most of the beaches also offer various types of water sports and water activities,
such as boating in inflatable rubber dinghies, canoes, etc
The beaches surrounding the Kineret are also a perfect starting point for wonderful
nature tours of the area. Some of the most popular and beautiful nature sites are the
Jordan Park, the Beit Tsida Nature Reserve, Khamat Gader, Naharayim. There is also
the lower Golan Heights region, which borders on the Kineret and is full of swift
flowing streams, historic sites and nature reserves.
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The Kineret played an important role in the early years of Christianity and has now
become a pilgrimage site for many Christians. According to Christian tradition, Jesus
lived, preached and performed miracles in the Kineret and the surrounding region. It
was here that he walked on the water and the miracle of the loaves and the fishes
happened in nearby Kfar Nakhum (Capernaum). There are many Christian holy sites
around the Kineret, including the Mount of Beatitudes, the Church of the Loaves and
the Fishes, Kfar Nakhum, Kursi, and the wooden boat discovered in the lake and now
on display at Kibbutz Ginosar. Other nearby historic sites include Migdal, Tel Hadar,
Ubeidiya (Israel’s most important prehistoric site), Beit Tsida, Kibbutz Dganya Alef,
Moshavat Kineret and the city of Tiberias.
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Archeology and Holy sites
East Sea of Galilee - Golan
Kursi
11 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 10 minutes drive).
The Gospels tells how Jesus heals the madman, after sailing across the Sea of Galilee
and landing in the Country of Gadarenes (Gader, south east corner of the lake). He
drives out the devils into a herd of swine, who "ran violently down a steep place into
the sea and were choked in the sea".
At Kursi, excavations restored the ruins of a 5-6Th C AD church and monastery, the
largest Byzantine monastery in Israel, which was established on basis of the
traditional site of the miracle.
History:
The site was established in the middle of the 5thC AD. The monastery was built on a
large area (145 x 123M) and was protected by walls. According to some text (Cyrillus
Scythopolis; "Vita Saae") the "father" of Israeli monks, Mar Saba, prayed here in
491AD with his fellow monks, on a tour of the Sea of Galilee.
The baptistery near the chapel was added in the 6th C.
During the Persian invasion (614AD) the site was severely damaged, but later
restored. In the 8th C AD the monastery was damaged again by a fire, never to be
used again as a place of worship. During the 9th C the place was reused for
residential and storage by local Arabs, and the mosaics may have been damaged at
that time (erasing the figures on the magnificent floor).
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In 1970 the road works accidentally revealed the walls of the monastery, which
started an archaeological expedition. It was headed by V. Tsaferis and D. Urman, on
behalf of the Department of Antiquities. The excavations restored the ruins, and
unearthed the chapel on the hill. The site was opened to the public in 1982 as a
National park. In recent years the excavations continue.
http://www.parks.org.il/ParksENG/company_card.php3?NewNameMade=43&from=116&C
Number=336752
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Em-Hakshatot-Rehavam(Um el kantir)
20 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 20 minutes drive).
Ruins of a Roman village located in the southern Golan heights. The site has a
double-arches wall where a spring is located (hence its name), ruins of an ancient
synagogue (now under reconstruction), and ancient houses.
There are no known inscriptions that
can reveal the name of the village.
According to scholars, the site may
have been the village of Kamattirya.
It is referred to in the Talmud - the
5th CAD books of religious practices,
an extension and interpretation of
the earlier texts of the Mishna - 3rd C
AD.
A person - by the name of Simon - is
from a village called Kamattirya, and is mentioned in several places (for example:
Talmud Yerushalmi, Brachot, chapter 9 page 2).
The spring at the Arches:
The spring's water are clean and refreshing - and even some dive in. The water is
covered in some sections by a fine mesh of water plants.
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Gamla
26 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 28 minutes drive).
The ancient city of Gamla is located in the lower Golan, on a steep ridge that rises to
a height of 330 meters above the surrounding terrain. It is sometimes called "the
Masada of the north", though it is most remembered for the catastrofic defeat
during the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans.
When in our times archaeologists started to search for the legendary Gamla, it took
them almost a century to find the place. For a long time it was believed that a Gamla
is a place near Syrian village of Jamileh, fifteen kilometers to the south of the correct
place.
In 1968, Itzhak Gal -- a participant in a Sites and Landscapes Survey in the Golan --
first suggested that an isolated cliff near Nahal Dalyot is a site of Gamla.In 1976, the
archaeologist Shemaryahu Gutmann, together with Gal, began to excavate here. His
excavations not only verified that this was Gamla, they also uncovered many
amazing finds. Gutmann discovered the remains of the wall from the time of the
Great Revolt, the place where the Romans breached the wall, the city's exquisite
synagogue, several houses from one of Gamla's residential neighborhoods, and
evidence of the fierce battle that took place here -- hundred of ballista stones and
thousands of arrow heads and nails.
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Mt. Hermon Reserve
81 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 1:15 hours drive).
Israel's highest mountain at 2,814 meters offers Israel's only skiing site. One can ski,
ride a cable car up the mountain, race down in extreme sleds or just play in the
snow. In early summer, when the snow disappears, there is an abundance of flowers
and birds not visible anywhere else in Israel appears.
Katsrin
35 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 38 minutes drive).
A pleasant north wind greets visitors to Katsrin - the capital of the Golan Heights.
Founded in 1977, it has become an urban, commercial and tourism center. Katsrin is
built in the heart of the Golan Heights and is a young city known for its landscapes
and its quality of life. Its special location affords easy access to many nature
reserves, historic and archeological sites, river beds and attractive visitor centers.
The city is named after the ancient town of Katsrin, whose ruins are located in the
nearby Katsrin antiquities park. The ancient town was inhabited on and off from the
Middle Bronze Age (about 4,000 years ago) and archeological digs found evidence of
a Jewish village from the Talmudic period, which existed until the Moslem conquest
just over 1,300 years ago. The remains of the ancient village are fascinating with
reconstructed homes, complete with their interiors and the farming implements
used by the inhabitants. The central site is a magnificent synagogue from the 6th
century, evidence of a prosperous community. The park is full of beautiful rest spots,
surrounded by fig trees and grape vines, and there is also a museum of modern
basalt sculptures.
The Katsrin industrial zone houses a mineral water bottling plant and a large winery,
among the most famous in Israel, and both have visitors’ centers that offer a glimpse
of the water-bottling and wine-making processes. The Golan Antiquities Museum is
located in the commercial center in Katsrin, with exhibits of archeological findings
from the region as well as an impressive audiovisual presentation of the heroic
defense of the town of Gamla against Roman forces in the 1st century. Also at the
center is a doll museum depicting the history of the Jewish people up until the
renewal of Jewish settlement of Israel and the Golan Heights in the late 19th
century. Between the two museums are stores, pubs and restaurants.
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North Sea of Galilee
Kfar Yehudiye (Sogana)
22 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).
Ruins of a Roman village located in the central Golan heights. The village was
fortified by Josephus Flavius during the Jewish revolt against the Romans (67AD).
The 5000 forested acres of the reserve are called the Yehudiya Forest. The most
common tree in the forest is the Mount Tabor oak, a large evergreen. The Mount
Tabors create a formation known as a "park forest," a forest in which the trees grow
relatively far apart from one another. A wealth of small plants and a savanna of
jujubes and pistachios grow between the oaks.
The ground at the reserve is populated by wild boar, northern jackal, red fox, Syrian
hyrax, Indian crested porcupine, and the Cairo spiny mouse
The Rivers:
The five most important rivers that flow through the reserve and down into Beit
Zaida Valley are Meshoshim, Zavitan, Yehudiya, Gamla, and Daliyot. The rivers are
fed by scores of springs, which drain into a network of rivulets. The rivers get deeper
and carve out extraordinary canyons in the basalt rocks, with waterfalls toppling
from above. In the flat plains of the Beit Zaida Valley, the streams form lagoons and
marshes, waterscapes which cannot be seen elsewhere in Israel.
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Color-coded hiking trails run along most of the rivers. Trails span the gamut from
easy paths for the entire family to challenging routes which involve going down
ladders or rappelling. Those intending to rappel should engage the services of a
professional guide, certified for this type of activity.
Please stop by the information center to receive a list of guidelines for visitors and
an update on trail conditions.
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Jordan Park – Bethsaida
24 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 20 minutes drive).
The Jordan River, fed by the Dan, the Hermon(Banias) and The Snir(Hatzbani),
crosses the hula valley to course through a narrow basalt from which it continues to
flow southward to the Sea of Galilee. Within the bounds of Jordan Park, in the
Bethsaida basin, the main channel splits into numerous streams that merge just
north of Arik bridge before emptying into the sea of Galilee.
The area of Bethsaida was referred in the New Testament in conjunction with two of
Jesus miracles: healing the blind man and the first feeding of the Multitude. It is also
known as the birthplace of some of the Apostles (Andrew, Peter, Philip). The city was
renamed to Julias by Herod Philip - son of Herod the Great - who was also buried
there.
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In later centuries, when travel became difficult, this location was actually forgotten!
Now, thanks to archaeology, Bethsaida has reopened its gates to visitors. Following
the rediscovery of Capernaum, and more recently Korazim, Bethsaida is the last of
the three towns of the “Evangelical Triangle” of Jesus’ Galilee ministry to rejoin
Christian itineraries.
There are many scattered ruined villages at the area, and it was not clear which one
of them is the village that Jesus has visited and performed miracles. According to
recent excavations, Khirbet et-Tel ("the Tell") is such candidate for that village.
A view from the east towards the plains of Bethsaida, at dusk.
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Tabcha
?? K"M, from Givat Yoav (About ?? minutes drive).
Tabcha, or Ein Sheva, is a site on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee. In this
site there is the Church of the first feeding of the Multitude, with beautiful mosaics
of an old church, including the two fish and basket - the symbols of the miracle.
In this site there is a church which was built over two earlier churches:
the earlier one (from 350AD) -its remnants can be seen on the right side of the altar
below the glass cover.
the later church (450 AD) was built towards the exact east, unlike the earlier church.
Over many years the mosaic floor was laid out (there is an inscription in the floor
dated about 480AD).
The Persian invasion (614AD) destroyed the site, which was in ruins until 1932 when
the site has been excavated.
In 1982 the new Church was built around the old Churches, preserving the beauty
and simplicity of the design, and glorifying the mosaic floor - one of the most
impressive in the Holy Land.
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In the front, under the altar, is a rock. This rock is believed to be the place on which
Jesus laid the loaves. The old church was actually built around this rock.
Before the rock - the beautiful mosaic illustrating the two fish and basket with loaves
(for details of that section - press here). At the right of the altar is a glass protecting
cover; under it lay the remnants of the foundations of the older ancient church (from
3rd C AD). At the left of the altar is an inscription of Patriarch Martyrios of Jerusalem
(479-486) which is mentioned as the founder.
The late Joannes Paulus II visited here in March 24, 2000, as part of his Millennium
visit:
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Orthodox Church, Capernaum
30 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).
Capernaum was the center of Jesus activities in the Galilee and his town during that
time. Jesus taught in the local synagogue. It was also the home of the apostles Peter,
James, Andrew and John, and the tax collector Matthew.
The Orthodox church is built in the middle of the ruins of the ancient Roman village
of Kfar-Nahum (Capernaum). Around the church the remains of the village have not
yet been excavated, unlike the synagogue of Capernaum and the buildings around it.
The area under the control of the Orthodox church is 1/3 of the entire ruins, which
covers about 60 dunams (6 Hectares).
The village was established in the Hellenistic period, and was designed according to
that period's urban design of straight lines. The village prospered in the Roman and
Byzantine periods. It was destroyed in the Persian conquest in the 6th C AD.
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Capernaum
30 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).
Capernaum was the center of Jesus activities in the Galilee and his town during that
time. Jesus taught in the local synagogue. It was also the home town of the apostles
Peter, James, Andrew and John, and the tax collector Matthew.
The village first started to be inhabited during the 3rd Millennium BC in the early
Bronze period. It was a small village of several houses, which was in the area
controlled by the Biblical city in Tell Kinneret, located 3 KM to the west. It continued
through the 2nd Millenium, as surfaced in the excavations, in the area around the
center of the Roman village. During the Israelite/Iron period (1200-587BC) there was
a break in the population, which was restored in the 5th C BC (the period of the
returns of the exiles to Zion).
The village expanded in the Hellenistic period (4th-3rd C BC), gradually replacing the
focus from Tell Kinneret - as most of the Tells in Israel at that time. It was designed
according to that period's urban design of straight lines, which was built in parallel to
the main Roman imperial highway, which crossed the village on the northern side. It
grew larger at the time of Jesus (early Roman period, 1st C AD), and a synagogue
was built in the center of the village. It reached its peak in the Byzantine period
when the grand white-stone Synagogue was built (4th C AD) over the earlier
synagogue. An octagon church was built in the 5th C AD at the location of St Peter's
house, and serviced the Christian citizens. At that time the village covered about 60
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Dunams (6 Hectares), with a population of about 1,500. Note that the excavated
area that is seen today is only 1/3 of the entire size of the village.
The village prospered in the Roman and Byzantine periods, and its citizens were
mainly fishermen (as most of Jesus apostles), farmers, and people that provided
services to the Roman road and caravans, including tax collection (as was Matthew).
Capernaum was partially destroyed in the Persian conquest in the 6th C AD. The
synagogue and church were destroyed in the Arab period (7th- 12 C AD), but the
village continued to function at that time. It then was totally ruined.
The area was purchased by the Franciscans in 1894, where 2/3 of the entire area of
ruins were purchased (the other third was purchased by the Greek Orthodox). The
excavation were conducted in several seasons (1905-1915, 1968-1984).
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Korazim
33 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 35 minutes drive).
Ruins of a Roman/Byzantine town, located above the north side of sea of Galilee,
and is referred in the new testament as one of the cities condemned by Jesus. The
buildings are made of black basalt stones, and a grand 4th C AD synagogue was
restored in the central quarter.
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Mount of Beatitudes
?? K"M, from Givat Yoav (About ?? minutes drive).
According to the tradition, the Mount of Beatitudes is the place where Jesus gave his
important sermon on the mountain (Mt 5, Lk 6:20) to the multitude that assembled
to see and hear him.
The sermon has 9 verses, each starting with "Blessed the..." or in Latin "Beati ...". The
Latin word gave this hill its name - Beati-tudes. In this place is a Roman Catholic
Franciscan church, monastery, hostel, gardens, farm and a visitors center.
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Domus Galilaeae
35 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 37 minutes drive).
The House of the Galilee (Domus Galilaeae) is a modern 21st C International Center
meeting place, primarily used for Christian seminars and conventions. It has a
number of meeting rooms, praying halls, gardens and library. It is located on the
peak of Mount of Beatitudes, above and north to Capernaum and the sea of Galilee.
Its special architectural design, its arts, and the spirit of the place makes it a unique
site and a recommended stop for travelers in the area.
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Job's spring & cave
30 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).
Tabcha (Ein Sheva) is a place in the north-west section of the Sea of Galilee which is
blessed by seven springs. One of them is a spring called "Job's spring" (Ein Ayub), a
warm sulfuric spring named after the Biblical figure that was tested by God.
According to the tradition, Job lived in the nearby cave and treated himself from his
sickness in the waters of the spring.
The entrance to the spring is through a gate on the side of the road, close to the Bus
public parking. Since private cars cannot park here, it is advised to leave your car in
the parking lot Church of the first Feeding of the Multitude.
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Safed (Tsfat , Zefat)
54 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 1:06 hours drive).
A visit to the city of Safed (Tsfat) - with its magnificent mountaintop setting and
fresh, clean mountain air, is a heavenly experience.
The ancient Galilean city is the highest city in Israel, and commands a breathtaking
view of the Galilee in the winter with its green mountains and the white snow-
capped peak of Mount Hermon.
Safed is a picturesque city of spiritualists and artists, wrapped in mysticism and
mystery, and steeped in sacred atmosphere. Visitors to Safed sense the city’s warm
embrace as they wander through its alleyways past charming stone houses with their
artists’ studios and workshops.
Safed is one of the four holy cities in Israel. It has been a spiritual center since the
1600s when it was the center of Kabbala (Jewish mysticism). The Kabbalist mystics
lived, studied, taught, and wrote in the city and many of the graves are objects of
veneration.
The ancient picturesque alleyways of the Jewish quarter contain hidden niches and
beautiful synagogues whose rich past emanates from the high ceilings, colorful
decorations, and ancient Torah scrolls.
The artists’ quarter is located in what was previously the Arab quarter of Safed.
Artists reside and work in their studios in the ancient and magnificent houses, and
their paintings and artifacts fill the display windows and can be viewed while walking
through the narrow alleyways.
To visit Safed - with the grapevines growing up the arbors of its stone houses, the
decorated iron gates, the beautiful panorama that is visible from the verandas, and
the winding cobblestone alleyways, is like strolling through a painting. It is a city for
vacationers and tourists, a city of artists and rabbis, history and tradition.
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West Sea of Galilee
Arbel
42 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 34 minutes drive).
The Arbel Cliffs overlook the Sea of Galilee and show a spectacular panorama. The
following photo was taken from the observatory terrace on the top of the cliffs,
overlooking the north side of the sea of Galilee. The first two villages are Migdal
(center left, where the road bends) and Kibbutz Ginosar (center; on the shore). Just
above that, in the background on the beaches of the lake is the ancient village of
Capernaum. Further to the east is where the Jordan river flows into the lake, and in
its background and along the right side of the lake are the Golan heights.
The Arbel Cliffs overlook the Sea of Galilee and show a spectacular panorama. The
following photo was taken from the observatory terrace on the top of the cliffs,
overlooking the north side of the sea of Galilee. The first two villages are Migdal
(center left, where the road bends) and Kibbutz Ginosar (center; on the shore). Just
above that, in the background on the beaches of the lake is the ancient village of
Capernaum. Further to the east is where the Jordan river flows into the lake, and in
its background and along the right side of the lake are the Golan heights.
27 Genghis Khan in the Golan
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Jesus Boat - Genosar
37 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 30 minutes drive).
The boat was discovered by accident in the winter of 1986, after a dry season when
the lake was very low. It was found on the muddy shores of the sea of Galilee
between Ginnosar and Magdala. After 12 days of excavations on site it was
transferred, and now exhibited in a special museum.
The boat was dated to the 1st C AD, the times of Jesus and the Jewish Revolt against
the Romans. To date the boat, Carbon 14 tests were made. Additional dating
information came from the artifacts that were found in the boat: cooking pot, arrow
head, nails, hooks and oil lamp.
28 Genghis Khan in the Golan
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St. Peter’s Church – Tiberias
42 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 45 minutes drive).
Just off Tiberias’ restaurant-lined Sea of Galilee promenade is the little-known
Church of St. Peter, its thick stone walls providing cool respite and tranquility.
The walls of this church, built around the year 1100, widen from the altar to the back
like a boat, reminding visitors that Peter fished in the lake just a few steps away. In
1757, the Franciscans were able to refurbish the church, and in 1945 a memorial to
the Free Polish Army, which fought here in World War II, was erected in the
courtyard. More recent restoration exposed the original medieval masonry.
A beautiful mosaic in the apse depicts Peter in a boat, and the words of Jesus’ charge
that Peter was the rock against which the Gates of Hades would not prevail (Matt.
16:18).
Mount Tabor
56 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 1 hour drive).
Mount Tabor is strategically located on the main north-south ancient road, and for
most Christians it is a Holy mountain - "the mount of Transfiguration". It was an
important fortress during the First and Second Temple, Greek, Roman and Crusaders
times.
This page is an overview of the topography, history and sites on mount Tabor.
Additional web pages detail various sites on the hill.
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South Sea of Galilee
Yardenit
32 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 27 minutes drive).
Yardenit is a popular Baptism site, near Kibbutz Kinneret. Here, the water flows into
the Jordan river, eventually flowing into the Dead Sea located more than 100KM to
the south. This site is believed by some traditions to be the actual site where Jesus
was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3: 13 : "Then Jesus came from Galilee to
the Jordan to be baptized by John").
Many Christian pilgrims stop at this site and perform baptism ceremonies, normally
in small groups and accompanied by the group's pastor. It is a remarkable and
charming site - and should not be missed.
http://www.yardenit.com/Site/en/pages/homePage.asp
http://www.yardenit.com/data/Images/yardenitweb.wmv
30 Genghis Khan in the Golan
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Hammat Gader
23 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 21 minutes drive).
Hammat Gader is a Roman/Byzantine Thermae complex, and a modern therapeutic
and resort center on the north bank of the Yarmuk River. The site was a resort
suburb of the great Hellenistic and Roman city of Gader (Gadara), a major
Hellenistic/Roman/Byzantine city on the road from the Sea of Galilee towards the
east.
Etymology (behind the name):
Gader - fence in Hebrew.
Ham - warm in Hebrew.
31 Genghis Khan in the Golan
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Photos of the Amphitheater:
Hammat Gader Spa
North to the ancient site is the large, modern Spa complex, which has been
renovated in recent years. Its source of warm water is from the Balsam spring - 42
Degrees Celsius, 4.7% sulfur, and rich of other minerals. It consists of a covered
public pool, seen on the left side, a large open pool seen in the center of the photo, a
closed spa and hotel section (on the right side, but not seen in the photo), and the
source of the hot springs (on the left side, but not seen in the photo). Additional
showers, lockers, and two restaurants (Thai and Middle-eastern) provide service to
the visitors. The visit here is recommended for the winter time, and is a remarkable
therapeutic site which pumps energy and relaxation into the soul and body.
http://www.hamat-gader.com/?curLanguage=eng
32 Genghis Khan in the Golan
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Beit Shean
57 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 46 minutes drive).
Beit Shean, south of the Sea of Galilee, must have been familiar to the first believers
in Jesus, as it was the capital of the Decapolis cities, through which word of Jesus’
miracles and teachings spread (Matt. 4:25, Mark 5: 20).
It has also been a scene of tragedy: more than a millennium earlier, the Philistines
hung the body of Saul from its ramparts (I Sam. 31:10). Tel Beit Shean, with its 5,000
years of history, towers majestically over the ruins of the Roman and later the
Christian city that took shape below.
Visitors wander the ancient streets, amazed by columns toppled in the earthquake of
749 AD; an impressive theater that has returned to use; a bathhouse, which has
been reconstructed to show visitors the pastimes of bygone days, and later
contained a baptistery; and the churches that graced its suburbs. The fertile
surrounding countryside, from Gilead to Jezreel and Gilboa, is still worthy of the
ancient epithet “gateway to the Garden of Eden.”
33 Genghis Khan in the Golan
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Attractions offers in Golan and Sea of Galilee area
On the high basalt cliffs of the Southern Golan Heights above the untamed gardens
of a beautiful nature reserve with spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee spread out
in its entire length and width, Mt. Hermon, hills of the Galilee, Mt. Tabor and the
fields of the Jordan Valley.
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