Category: South

How to visit the Gaza Envelope area in the wake of the October 7th massacre

Understandably, the Hamas massacres of October 7th and the ensuring war brought tourism to Israel almost to a complete stop. However, despite the ongoing war, the relative calm that we’ve been experience inside Israel over the past year or so has led to a welcome resurgence in inquiries about tours.

It’s been interesting to note that now almost all the messages I’ve been getting have been asking for a tour to the area known as the Gaza Envelope (Otef Aza in Hebrew), the area which bore the brunt of the Hamas attacks. Sometimes this is as part of a several-day tour, sometimes the request is just for one day specifically focused on that area.

For a long time I avoided going down to the area. I am still traumatised by the events of that terrible day and its aftermath, and I was afraid to go down to where it actually happened. I wasn’t sure how I would react. I was also torn about whether I should go down or not, for reasons I’ll discuss later in this post.

But given the clear demand for these tours, I didn’t want my first experience to be with someone I was guiding. For professional reasons, I had to go down, understand the lay of the land, and think about how I would guide. So a couple of weeks ago I travelled south with a tour guide friend and colleague, and we discussed exactly these questions.

There are a lot of opinions about tourism in the Gaza Envelope so in this post I will discuss some of the debate about whether or not people should go at all, share some of the main sites that people visit, and offer some suggestions for how to build an itinerary plan.

The key sites

The Nova memorial

The memorial to the Nova festival

The most common request I’ve been getting is to visit the site of the Nova festival. Located roughly 5km (3 miles) from the Gaza border, this music festival was the scene of some of the worst attacks by the Hamas terrorists.

Nearly 400 people were killed, including my friend’s cousin Sigal Levy (I interviewed her brother to learn more about her life, you can watch the video here). Many hundreds more were wounded and 44 people were taken hostage.

Today, the Nova site has been turned into a moving memorial by the bereaved families, some of whom take time regularly to go down to the site and talk to groups about the people they lost.

It’s developing all the time, with new installations and new information. It’s surreal…you’re close to the border, there’s still a war going on, and every now and again we’d hear huge explosions. Did that maybe bring it home a bit more? I certainly found the visit very moving, and incredibly, incredibly sad.

Protective shelters along Route 232

A protective shelter at a bus stop in the Gaza Envelope

Route 232 is the main road that runs along the border between Israel and Gaza, connecting the many small communities that are based in the area. In the aftermath of the October 7th massacres, many have started to call it the Highway of Death, a macabre moniker which I still find it hard to say (and I deliberated editing it out of this article, but I don’t think it can be avoided at this point).

The problems between Israel and Gaza didn’t begin on October 7th, Hamas have been firing rockets on and off at Israel since 2001. For those living close to the border, you have 15 seconds (or less) from hearing a warning siren to get to a safe space, so the bus stops along Route 232 all have a small protective shelter that you can go into if you’re caught with a siren while you’re waiting for a bus.

On October 7th, many people squeezed into these shelters as a place of refuge, because in addition to the Hamas infiltration (which for a long time people didn’t understand was happening), there was a huge amount of rocket fire. Unfortunately, they became death traps as the terrorists found the people hiding there and murdered them.

These shelters have now all been turned into makeshift memorials, covered in graffiti, stickers, poems, candles. Some of them are identified with stories of great heroism or some of the hostages who became particularly well known (such as Hersh Goldberg-Polin).

The burnt car memorial

Along Route 232, many people were caught by the terrorists in their cars, and murdered by gun fire or RPGs. The cars were burnt and their frames twisted beyond all recognition. Apparently disposing of these cars is an environmental hazard, and so they’ve all been collected into one area close to the highway, where they’re now on display as a testimony to Hamas’s barbarism.

Some of the cars have the stories of those who were in them, and the site has a general feeling of being more institutionalised, particularly compared to the Nova site, which feels more organic.

The Shuva Achim rest stop

One of the Trablisi brothers at the Shuva Achim rest stop

On October 7th, three brothers from a small community called Shuva, about 7km (4 miles) from Gaza, set up a simple coffee stand at the junction outside their village to support Israeli soldiers rushing to the front. As the war intensified, their simple gesture grew into a full-scale grassroots operation known as Shuva Achim (“Return of the Brothers”).

What began as coffee and comfort quickly expanded into a 24/7 rest station providing thousands of hot meals daily, clean clothing, toiletries, and anything else needed to IDF troops.

When we went there we met one of the brothers who insisted on showing us around and telling us the full story, and said that he really wants tourists to come and visit (and even volunteer by helping serve meals). It’s an amazing and inspiring story amongst all the tragedy of that terrible day.

Sderot

The memorial at the police station in Sderot

Sderot is the closest town to the Gaza strip, and suffered heavily when Hamas terrorists arrived on October 7th in pick-up trucks, armed with machine guns and RPGs. The terrorists took over the police station and hunted down citizens on the streets. It was some of the most terrifying imagery from that day.

The police station was destroyed as part of the attack and today a beautiful and touching memorial stands in its place. A short walk away, it’s possible to watch a short but powerful movie where people from the town talk about their experiences (and in many cases, heroics) on October 7th. There’s also a newly developed lookout on the edge of the town, called the Kobi Lookout, where you can see deep into Gaza (and get a sense of how close everything all is).

Visiting a kibbutz or local community

We didn’t go into a kibbutz on our trip but many people are keen to visit the places that saw some of the worst attacks, massacres and destruction, such as Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Netiv Ha’Asara, or Nir Am.

Before the war you could just drive into most of these places; now the gates are shut and visitors are only through prior arrangement. It is possible to have members of the kibbutzim take you around and share the details of that detail. For us, it felt a bit too much to handle.

Other sites

Before the war, when guiding in the Gaza Envelope, I often used to take people to the Black Arrow memorial as it offers a good view into Gaza and is a good place to discuss some of the geography and history of the area. On the day we visited, the military had closed it to the public.

There’s also a memorial to the (female) lookout soldiers, who suffered terribly on October 7th (despite having warned the army about what looked like an impending attack). This was also closed on the day we visited for military reasons.

Beyond October 7th in the Gaza Envelope

Netivot and the Tomb of the Baba Sali

A selection of souvenirs at the Baba Sali tomb in Netivot

During our day we went over to Netivot, a town that’s about 7km (4 miles) from Gaza. But…we didn’t go there to visit October 7th sites. Netivot has a couple of nice spots for lunch (we had a great sabich sandwich) and is most famous for hosting the tomb of the Jewish mystic known as the Baba Sali.

The Baba Sali was a beloved Moroccan-Israeli rabbi and kabbalist known for his deep spirituality, humility and reputed miracles. He died in 1984 but is loved and revered to this day, making his tomb a major site of pilgrimage, particularly (but not exclusively) for Jews of north African descent.

We visited the tomb and loved the positive energy, with many celebrations going on in parallel, and a general hustle and bustle. It was a big contrast to the vibe of the rest of our day and we thought it was nice to have that change of tone and remember that despite the horrendous attacks, life goes on, and joy is still possible.

The Salad Trail (Shvil HaSalat)

Before the war, this was often a place I’d love to stop at. The interactive agricultural tour explains how Israel was able to make the desert bloom through pioneering farming techniques, allowing you to pick and taste fresh produce from the fields. See more on The Salad Trail’s website.

The ancient synagogue at Maon

As discussed in my post from the tour guiding course, this is a beautiful mosaic from a 6th century synagogue with some unusual motifs; a testimony to the long history of Jewish settlement in the area.

Ethical considerations for touring the Gaza Envelope

Very soon after the war began, people (initially, mostly Israelis) began heading down to the area of the Gaza Envelope to see things for themselves, and immediately a debate began as to whether this was an ethical/appropriate thing to do.

In the guiding community, a debate erupted on social media and in WhatsApp groups, which has largely died down, but the arguments are still there. Let’s take a look at the considerations for and against, and then I’ll share my thoughts.

The importance of bearing witness

Almost as soon as the massacres happened, the denials began around the world. Despite the overwhelming evidence, much of it filmed by Hamas terrorists themselves, a huge disinformation campaign was unleashed on social media to minimise the horrors of the attacks and discredit what Israel was saying.

At a time where Holocaust denial is growing more prevalent, many make the argument that going and seeing these things with your own eyes, and even more so, sharing your experiences on social media, is an important contribution in the information war, now and in the years to come. Because in 10 years, 20 years, when the denial is still around, you’ll be able to say “I know it’s true as I saw it with my own eyes”.

Emotional and economic solidarity with local communities

As part of our day, we stopped just outside Kibbutz Beeri at a small rest stop they’ve built there, where amongst other things, they sell cheese from the kibbutz’s boutique cheese factory.

We asked the people there what they thought about tourists coming to visit the area and the October 7th sites. I was surprised to hear unanimous approval. They appreciated the solidarity, they saw a value in the economic impact (eating lunch in the area, or making donations to local causes etc), and also in people coming to bear witness.

This did come with caveats though. They said that some guides had been very insensitive, going into graphic descriptions of the events in full earshot of kibbutz members who had personally experienced the horrors. Honestly, I was shocked that anyone would do this, but it was an important takeaway about how to approach the guiding for a day like this.

And yet, what is the motivation?

How much of the trip is about going to bear witness and show solidarity, and how much is it about you? Are you going so that you can tell / post that you went, or are you going to really give of yourself and find ways to help? Are you a so-called ‘dark tourist’, seeking out gruesome stories for shock value?

Social media has made the world so narcissistic and there have been numerous stories of people taking inappropriate selfies in memorial sites or coming to visit with perhaps not the purest of motivations.

I’m sure this is a minority of people but it is a reason that there has been criticism of this tourism (and also a driving factor in the kibbutzim closing their gates to visitors without prior appointment and approval).

Is this a way to make a living?

Some guides feel deeply uncomfortable about “profiting” on the back of this disaster by leading tours to the area. And I share the discomfort. Because that’s not why we got into this. And also, frankly, these types of tours are emotionally very challenging.

Having said this, I want to be clear that this is not a judgement on those guides who are taking this work. Because travel to the Gaza Envelope is arguably very important for the reasons I outlined above. And with so little guiding work available, and families to support, you don’t always have the luxury of being able to make this choice.

But do be prepared for guides to turn this work down and react with sensitivity if they do. It’s not a reflection on you, or the value of the day, but it’s just not right for them. If it’s part of a bigger programme, it might be a different conversation, or they may help you find a replacement for that specific day.

How to approach a day in the Gaza Envelope: My thoughts

Overall, particularly given the clear support of the locals we met and spoke with, I think there is a value in putting a day like this into your Israel itinerary, but here are the things I would take into account.

Make it a part of a bigger itinerary

One of my tour guide colleagues who, like me, has a background in informal education, told me that he won’t take days like this by themselves, and he had a good rationale.

He said that you need to build time to prepare for, frame, and also process the trip, and I think he’s right.

When I was taking groups of Jewish youths to Yad Vashem, the Israeli national Holocaust memorial, we used to do a preparation session the night before and built in a good chunk of time for processing the visit afterwards.

And that was for a memorial about the Holocaust, a terrible terrible event, but one that happened well before they (or their parents) were born. Not one they lived through.

So if you’re planning a day like this, I recommend you make it part of a longer itinerary, and don’t put it at the beginning or the end, so you have the time to get ready for it properly and process it afterwards.

Go beyond October 7th

After our day together in the Gaza Envelope, as we processed it for ourselves, my friend and I both agreed that a day should include something not related to the massacres. A visit to the tomb of the Baba Sali example. An opportunity to see life being lived, to see these communities at their best and not just at their lowest moment. Consider how to build this in. There are a few suggestions earlier in this article.

Consider what to see, and what should remain unseen

The survivor and writer Primo Levi grappled with an idea that is still much debated when it comes to description of the Holocaust: the inadequacy of language to convey the horrors of what happened. This idea can also be extended to visual arts such as photography and film.

In fact, some argued that not clearly depicting or describing things was more appropriate; putting things into words or images, given that these media were inadequate, could have the effect of belittling what happened. Sometimes by not saying/showing, you empower people’s imaginations, and it helps them understand quite how awful things were.

Apologies for this philosophical aside, but it is relevant here, because how much do you want the gruesome details? Do you really want to see the burnt out cars? The bullet holes in the shelters by the bus stops?

I would suggest that hearing stories about the people we lost, rather than the details of their final moments, in many cases may be more meaningful and powerful, but that’s not to say it’s the right approach for every situation, every person, or even overall. Still, it is worth considering as you make your plans.

Be respectful of the people and the places

At all of these sites, you’re likely to encounter people who experienced terrible things on October 7th. Consider what questions you want to ask, where and how you want to ask them. Think about what if any photographs/videos you want to take, and if they include people, ask their permission.

If you go with a guide, bear in mind that it’s very challenging for many of us to relive these moments, and try to be sensitive and gentle.

Be flexible

It’s impossible to predict how you will react to these sites. You may feel nothing, you may be overcome with emotion. One of them may speak to you more than others. All these feelings, and more, are legitimate. But they may impact your day.

Don’t feel the need to do things just because they’re in your plan. Read the room, understand the people you’re traveling with, consider what your needs are; their needs are, and make adjustments accordingly.

Final thoughts

A trip to the Gaza Envelope can be a meaningful and powerful part of your trip to Israel. But make it a part of your trip; don’t make it the only tour you do. Consider what places you would like to visit, and think about how to experience the living communities in the area, and not just the terrible events of October 7th

I hope this post has been helpful and if you have any questions, you’re welcome to reach out.

Family Fun in the Desert Surroundings of Mitzpe Ramon

When we had an opportunity for a day off for all the family, we headed south for some desert scenery, flavours and wildlife.

I love the desert. Actually, I should probably refine that. I love the Israeli desert. I haven’t been in enough other deserts to compare.

Growing up in the UK, there were not really any opportunities to get to know desert scenery other than from TV. And because most deserts that I had seen on TV were of the Saharan variety, with huge sand dunes and not much else, I thought that’s what deserts were.

But it turns out that a lot of desert is not like that at all. Israel has two deserts, the Judean Desert in the east, the Negev in the south. And you’ll be hard pressed to find sand dunes in either. They do exist in the Negev, but you have to look pretty hard for them.

So instead, you have a rocky landscape, and a lot of it is spectacular, the results of millions of years of shifts in local tectonic plates and erosion from flash floods and other geological processes. It’s easy to disappear on hikes into this scenery where you won’t see another soul for hours and can enjoy the sound of absolute silence — apart from your own footsteps.

With tourism drying up, I hadn’t been to the desert for over a year, and my daughter had never been at all. I was excited to share this new landscape with her. Hiking with a 3 year old is challenging, so I opted to plan a day that she would love in and around Mitzpe Ramon.

Perched on the edge of the stunning Ramon Crater, Mitzpe Ramon is a small town that was originally founded with the idea that people would stay overnight on a drive to/from the Red Sea resort town of Eilat at Israel’s southernmost tip. That doesn’t happen so much these days (and I’m not sure it ever did), particularly as the most direct and quickest road to Eilat now bypasses the town, but there are a few fun things to do to grab the attention of passing tourists (and also one of Israel’s most luxurious hotels — Beresheet).

First things first though. On arrival, we wanted to get some food, and made a stop at Lasha Bakery. It’s a place with an interesting backstory, founded by someone who left the city to follow their passion in the desert, and everything we tried was absolutely delicious.

Bellies filled, we headed off to the local alpaca farm. Alpacas are native to South America, not the Middle East, but the owners of this farm have been tending them here for years. Our daughter loved feeding the alpacas and also seeing the other animals on the farm.

Stunning look out over the Ramon Crater

Next, we headed down into the Ramon Crater itself. This type of crater is technically known as a makhtesh and is only found in Israel, the Sinai and I believe one or two in North Africa. The Ramon Crater is the largest, at 40km (25 miles) in length. These craters weren’t formed by meteor impacts, but by complex geological processes over millions of years. One of the by-products is lots and lots of beautifully coloured sands.

We brought this bottle from home and filled it with layers of different coloured sands from the Ramon Crater, Israel

The crater is a nature reserve and you can’t just wander around taking the sand, but there is a specific area where it is allowed. Note: come prepared with your own bottle/jar and spoon/spade. We went around the different colours of sand and added different layers to our bottle. It was a huge hit with our daughter and a lovely souvenir to take home.

We came across these ibexes wandering in Mitzpe Ramon

It was time to scope out more wildlife. One of the most beautiful animals that can be found in the desert is the nubian ibex. And there’s normally a few of them hanging around Mitzpe Ramon. It’s not a big place, and after driving for a little while, we found some. We passed a good amount of time just observing these graceful, nimble creatures.

It seemed to be tortoise mating season at the Bio Ramon

For a final stop, we popped over to the Hai Ramon nature reserve. This little park contained a host of small desert creatures and critters and a nice movie about the surprisingly large amount of animals that do live in the desert. It’s not a place that you’d spend a huge amount of time in, but again our daughter loved it, and many of the animals were very cute. Nearby is the Ramon Visitors Centre, which was closed because of the current restrictions, but is well worth a visit when open.

It was time to head home. I was thrilled to have got back into the desert scenery, and a super time was had by all. A fabulous day out all round.

February 25, 2015

A Return to the Northern Judean Desert

The Judean Desert. A series of undulating hills that starts just next to Jerusalem. Beautifully tranquil, it contains some of my favourite parts of Israel. Avid followers of this blog will no doubt recall that our first field trip on my tour guide course was to the Northern Judean desert. A couple of years on, it was time to return, partly to refresh my memory on some of the sites that I had not seen for a while and partly to discover some new ones. Accompanied by my friend and fellow tour guide Ori, it was time for another adventure.

Byzantine period mosaic on display at the Inn of the Good Samaritan

We began our day at the site that marks the believed location of the story of the Good Samaritan. In addition to enjoying the mosaics and Byzantine ruins that we had seen on our last visit, we enjoyed the recently produced film that you can now watch while sitting in a cave that was a home to Jews in the Second Temple Period. The film was rather kitch, but still helps explain the story of the Good Samaritan fable.

While wondering around the site, we noticed some old ruins the other side of the road. The staff told us that it was ruins of a former Herodian palace. We decided to head over and take a closer look. After some rather tricky off-roading (Ori’s little Suzuki was not really built for this but it coped admirably) we passed the remains of a Crusader fortress which protected this ancient road. We then climbed a little further on foot to explore the Herodian ruins.

Remains of a Herodian bath house – in the background is Route 1 and the Inn of the Good Samaritan

The site seemed to be in the midst of excavations, although it was unclear by whom, and when the last time was that they had been there. Still, we were able to make out pieces of 2000 year old mosaics, and part of the hypocaust that made up the hot room in the bath house. It was rather remarkable that this site was just there, almost ignored among the other archaeological treasures in the area.

Mikve (Jewish ritual bath) at Qumran

We continued south, arriving at Qumran. After a spot of lunch we explored the ruins, and also saw the film (which is quite good) – we had unfortunately not been able to watch it during the course due to time pressures. The ruins at Qumran are a little underwhelming, given the sites importance, but the story of the Dead Sea scrolls discovered nearby is remarkable, and it is fun to see how to match what we understand about this ascetic community with the archaeological remains at the site.

Built into the cliff face of Wadi Kelt – St George’s Monastery

We returned north, and after a brief stop at Kalia beach, to see the facilities (it is a popular stop for Dead Sea bathers), we returned north. Our destination was the well hidden monastery of St George, built into the cliff face along Wadi Kelt and dating to the 5th century. This was certainly the highlight of the day, as we made our way along a deserted road we eventually found the cross that marked the first view of the monastery. It is a very special sight; you are in the middle of the desert but there is a burst of greenery in the wadi thanks to the year-round stream that comes from the nearby spring. And there, almost hidden in the cliff face, is the monastery. This is certainly a place that you would come for solitude.

Ancient olive tree in Wadi Kelt

Eventually we arrived at the monastery gate, but from there we faced a steep descent and then an even steeper climb to arrive at the actual structure. Along the way we noted the remains of a Hasmonean aqueduct that used to transport water from the spring to various cities in the area, and many beautiful, ancient trees. The monastery itself was closed (they only accept visitors in the morning) but it was enough for us to see it from the outside and marvel at its beauty. Truly one of my favourite places in Israel.

View over Jericho and its surroundings from the Dead Sea Balcony

We returned to our car and made a final stop in the nearby Jewish settlement of Mitzpe Yericho. Here is something called the Dead Sea Balcony, a viewpoint which offers a stunning vista over the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the northern part of the Dead Sea. It was a nice way to finish off the day, before returning back north.

December 6, 2014

Ein Avdat, Ben Gurion’s Hut and Mitzpe Revivim

Although the course may have finished, the exploring never stops – all I need is an excuse. My friend Ben happily provided that when he suggested we go on a trip down to the Negev desert, and I thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to check out a few places that I had been meaning to visit.

Hiking Ein Avdat

We began our day at the desert oasis of Ein Avdat. It is a popular hike, because it is quite easy, and utterly beautiful. the combination of the springs with the bleak desert scenery is really very special. Unfortunately, the only way to do the whole hike is by having a car/bus pick you up at the other side (there is a section which is only one way), so we missed out on the very final part of the hike, but we certainly got to enjoy the majority of it.

An ibex in the wild

As we were around at a quiet time, we also had the pleasure of seeing some of the local desert wildlife taking advantage of the oasis. There are many ibexes wandering the Negev and the ones we encountered were relatively unphased by our presence. It was wonderful to observe them.

Having stretched our legs, we headed up to the nearby Sde Boker Field School, which houses the graves of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, and his wife Paula. Nearby is the small hut to which Ben Gurion retired, famously choosing to live a life of relative simplicity on a kibbutz as part of his socialist ideology, instead of occupying a grand house which many felt he was due. He also chose specifically to live in the Negev, an area which he saw as the future of Israel; vital that it be developed in terms of agriculture and settlement for the state’s survival.

David Ben Gurion’s Hut

His hut is quaint, kept as it was when he lived there. It is particularly interesting to see the gifts he received from other statesman (having just returned from a trip to Burma where we saw photographs of his visit there, it was touching to see the Buddah he received in a prominent position). The library is also quite amazing, giving you a scope of quite how well read Ben Gurion was, and how many languages he commanded. There is no doubt that he was a very impressive man.

Leaving Sde Boker, we popped in to a couple of small farms that were not too far away, both of which specialise in the manufacture of Goat’s Cheese. We particularly enjoyed the Naot Farm which also has options to stay, should you wish to get away from it all.

Mitzpe Revivim

We then headed west as I was keen to check out Mitzpe Revivim, one of the first Jewish settlements in the Negev, in the modern period. This small agricultural settlement had a significant impact on the Negev being awarded to Israel as part of the partition plan; the stories that accompany it are perhaps more impressive than the buildings which remain (the modern kibbutz has moved slightly away from the original site).

We had a bit of time before heading home, so we briefly stopped off at the Besor Hanging Bridge, the Maon ancient Synagogue, and the Black Arrow memorial (read more about these in my previous blog post), before returning to Tel Aviv. It is amazing how close we live to the desert, and it was wonderful to take advantage of it. Thanks, Ben!

Beer Sheva and the Southern Coastal Plain

Today’s tour was dedicated to various sites along the southern coastal plain, culminating in a jump into the capital of the Negev desert, Beersheva. A long day, as we move forward in a final push towards the final exams and ensure that we fit in all the necessary sites in the time we have remaining.

Mazkeret Batya Cemetery

Our day began at the quaint town of Mazkeret Batya, founded in the late 19th century by Baron Rothschild and named for his mother. We began our visit in the cemetery which also houses the reinterred remains of the great Rabbi Shmuel Mohilever, one of the forerunners of the Zionist movement (and who pre-dates Herzl in his work for a Jewish state).

We continued into the centre of the old town, stopping at the museum, viewing some of the old buildings and hearing the stories of their residents, culminating at a visit to the Shmuel Mohilever museum. The museum is small but does a good job of recounting the story of a very impressive man, and was the highlight of our trip to Mazkeret Batya.

Philistine altar found at Tel Tzafit, believed to be biblical Gath

We then headed south to the coast, and to the city of Ashdod. Here we began our visit at the ironically named Museum of Philistine Culture. But we quickly discovered that the modern association with the word Philistine is most inappropriate – these were a most cultured people who brought many interesting customs and craftwork to the region, with Ashdod being one of their biggest cities.

The museum is small but extremely well done. We enjoyed the opportunity to reenact Samson’s destruction of the Philistine temple, and various other interactive exhibits. We concluded the visit with some tasting of ‘Philistine food’ and dressing up in ‘Philistine costumes’. The latter activities are targeted at children but I can assure you that adults are equally able to enjoy themselves!

Ummayid fortress of Ashdod Yam

We headed further out towards the coast, to the impressive remains of the Ashdod Yam fortress. Dated to the Ummayid period in the 7th century, it seems that it was constructed to help protect local residents from sea pirates who would launch raids in order to kidnap people for the slave trade.

Ashdod Port

Our final stop in Ashdod was at the visitors’ centre at the port. Built in the 60s, and rendering the ports at Tel Aviv and Jaffa irrelevant, Ashdod port is now a key part of Israel’s economy. The visitors’ centre was quite fun with all sorts of interactive quizzes, and we were then driven around the port area to marvel at the huge ships and their accompanying machinery.

Rutenberg Power Station, Ashkelon

We drove south to Asheklon, and a visit to the Rutenberg Power Station. This huge facility provides about 20% of the electricity for Israel and the Palestinian territories. We drove around the site and learned also about the history of electricity in Israel – Rutenberg (after whom the site is named) had the vision to electrify the country and succeeded in doing so – a hugely impressive feat that helped drag the area into the 20th century.

Abraham’s Well (?), Beer Sheva

We then traveled south to Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev desert and actually the geographical centre of the country. We first visited the relatively recently opened Abraham’s Well site, where a 3D film that tells the story of Abraham (who first settled in the area of Beer Sheva, according to the Bible); on the film’s completion it is possible to visit an ancient well which may perhaps be connected to the one Abraham dug on arrival.

British Military Cemetery, Beer Sheva

We continued with a wonder through the historical centre of the city (although it is not so old – the city was only reestablished in 1900 under the Ottomans). We heard the stories of the difficult battle for the city between the British and the Turks in 1917, and visited both the British military cemetery and the memorial for the Turkish fallen, together with a quite magnificent mosque which was constructed early in the 20th century.

Monument to the Negev Brigade

With the setting sun, we finished the day at the Monument to the Negev Brigade, a unit of the Palmach who were instrumental in protecting the vital water pipeline that supplied the southern Jewish settlements in the 1940s, and also in securing the Negev all the way down to Eilat in 1948.

The monument commands an impressive view over the Negev and the southern parts of the Shfela, and Mt Hebron. The symbolism employed is both impressive and meaningful, the brutalist architecture jutting out from the peaceful countryside as a reminder of the losses in the battles for this area. A moving conclusion to a long but as always fascinating day.

The Sea Peoples

The Sea Peoples are the term now used to refer to a grouping of peoples which the Bible seems to refer to collectively as the Philistines. Based largely around the southern coastal plain, these people, whose origins seem to be somewhere in the Aegean, were the perennial enemies of the Israelites in the biblical narrative.

Philistine ruins at Tel Qasile

Evidence of their presence exists around the country and today’s trip was largely based on following their footsteps. We began close to home in Tel Aviv, inside the grounds of the Land of Israel museum, on what is known as Tel Qasile. Situated along the Yarkon river, this seems to have been a Philistine city dating back to the 12th century BCE. Of even more interest, next to the Philistine settlement are a set of buildings with clear characteristics of the Israelite culture. It seems that these two cultures lived in very close proximity, if not together, for a brief period of time although the reasons for this remain a mystery.

View from Izbet Sartah

We drove north east to the area of Rosh Haayin, and the archaeological ruins of Izbet Sartah. There is not a huge amount to see at the site, but here was found a piece of pottery containing an ancient Hebrew writing exercise – some of the earliest Hebrew script ever found. It is now in the Israeli museum. Izbet Zarta is identified as maybe being the site of biblical Even Haezer, site of a fateful battle between the Israelites and the Philistines as described in the book of Samuel. On defeating the Israelites, the Philistines capture the sacred Ark of the Covenant, causing a major existential crisis on the losing side. The location of the settlement near Tel Afek would seem to fit with the biblical description.

Ancient fortress of Migdal Tzedek

We continued onwards to the nearby fortress known as Migdal Tzedek. A large amount of the ruins are from the Ottoman period but its foundations are from Crusader times when it was known as Mirabel. The fortress is currently closed for repairs but should be reopened in the future for visits; meanwhile we enjoyed the commanding views of the area.

Canaanite ruins at Tel Afek

From here, it was a short journey to Tel Afek, also known as Antipatris. This beautiful national park houses the remains of a settlement dating back to the Canaanite period, occupying a key strategic position on the ancient Sea Road. We explored the ruins through the different periods of history, including a very nice set of roman ruins from the time it was established as Antipatris by Herod (who named it after his father, Antipater). We also learned about the plethora of springs in the area, which the British harnessed to supply Jerusalem with water, and the Israelis later extended to provide the first piped water into the Negev desert.

Stunning Roman sarcophagus in Ashkelon

From Tel Afek, it was time to journey south along the route of the ancient Sea Road (pointing out various ancient settlements on the way) before arriving at the southern coastal city of Ashkelon. After a brief stop to visit some really rather impressive sarcophagi discovered from the Roman period, we ventured towards ancient Ashkelon, in the form of the tel.

The ancient archway at Tel Ashkelon

The bible names Ashkelon as one of the main Philistine towns, and the remains of the fortifications from this time are very impressive, including the second most ancient archway in the world (after Tel Dan)! The Ashkelon national park also contains impressive ruins from the Roman and Crusader periods; it seems there is still a great deal of excavating to be done and no doubt more exciting finds are to come in the coming years.

View over the Ashdod port at Givat Yonah

We concluded the day slightly further north on a hill known as ‘Jonah’s Hill’, due to a tradition that the prophet Jonah had been buried there. We had a nice view over the twinkling lights of the Ashdod port, and heard the story of the nearby Tel Mor which seems to have been an industrial centre for the manufacture of clothing dye in the Hellenist period. As always, with the sun setting, it was time to return reluctantly to Tel Aviv. Next week our adventures shall resume!

Campus Negev Day 3: from Ovdat to Mamshit

Click here to read about Day 1 or Day 2 of the campus.

A slightly more relaxed day for me today – not every course does the sites in the same order and I had already covered a good chunk of today’s itinerary with my own group, meaning I could relax a little more than on the previous days of the campus.

View over the Ramon Crater / Makhtesh Ramon from our field school accomodation

First things first though, and we reluctantly took our leave from the Ramon Crater, enjoying the final views before it was time to head north and continue our journey.

Havarim Cistern

Our first stop of the day was at the ancient Nabbatean city of Ovdat. I had been there previously with my course but had not had time to visit the nearby Bor Chavarim, a Nabbatean cistern. These wily desert travelers were careful about hiding their water sources so that only they could navigate the arid landscape.

Hiking Ein Avdat

We then moved north to Ein Avdat. Located near Kibbutz Sde Boker, this series of three desert springs provides a remarkable oasis in the middle of the Negev desert. We hiked up the valley through which the water flows, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the freshness of the water, while learning about the geological formations before us.

Graves of David & Paula Ben Gurion at Sde Boker

On completing the hike, we ascended to the kibbutz and visited the grave of the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion. He always emphasised the importance of settling the Negev desert, and of making it bloom. To this end, he moved to Sde Boker on his retirement and requested to be buried there, next to his wife Paula.

View over the Zin valley from Sde Boker

The grave / memorial site has a stunning view over the Zin valley. The Israeli deserts already bloom considerably more than most and hopefully one day they will bloom in their entirety thanks to the ingenuity of Israeli engineering, thereby realising Ben-Gurion’s vision.

With this, there was time for a brief stop at Mamshit before heading back home to Tel Aviv. With all the campuses now complete it is time for the final strait as we head up to the exams!

Campus Negev Day 2: The Ramon Crater / Makhtesh Ramon

Click here to read about Day 1 or Day 3 of the campus.

An early rise to enjoy dawn breaking over the crater and a surprisingly good breakfast in the field school. Today’s tour was dedicated to the area of the Makhtesh Ramon, or Ramon Crater, the largest of these geological phenomena in Israel at a length of 40km.

View over the Ramon Crater / Makhtesh Ramon

We began our day at the newly refurbished visitors’ centre in Mitzpe Ramon. The refurb was funded by the family of Ilan and Asaf Ramon (the name being the same as that of the crater is purely coincidental) in memory of Israel’s first astronaut and his pilot son, who both died in separate tragic accidents.

Replica of Ilan Ramon’s spacesuit in the Ramon Crater Visitors’ Centre

As such, the beginning of the museum tells the story of Ilan Ramon, and a little about Asaf. It is not really connected to the crater but the tale is moving, and one cannot begrudge the family the desire to create a memorial to these two very impressive individuals, and it is done extremely well.

The rest of the centre has a fantastic film/moving presentation about the formation of the crater and another very good film about wildlife in the area. In short, if you plan to visit the area, I really think the visitors’ centre is a no miss.

Khan Saharonim in the Ramon Crater

It was now time to descend into the crater. We journeyed quite a way on dirt roads until we reached the area of Khan Saharonim. Here, next to a small spring, were the ruins of a Nabbatean khan (inn) along the famous spice route that they used to transport merchandise from the area of Yemen to the port at Gaza, sending it across the Roman Empire.

After exploring the area a little; learning about some of the local flora and fauna, we travelled a short distance to Nachal Ardon. It was possible to see the damp ground from the recent flash floods, and the plants that were newly blooming as a result of the rains.

Dykes in Nachal Ardon

We soon reached our goal during this short walk – the dykes that lined the walls of the river bed. These are formed by molten rock pushing into cracks in the existing rock; the magma cools and forms a different type of rock to that surrounding it, causing it to erode at a different pace.

The ‘Carpentry Shop’ in the Ramon Crater

We returned to the northern side of the crater, and the area known as the ‘Carpentry Shop’. Due to volcanic processes, this small hill has formed into a series of small pieces of rock that look similar to wood-chips, hence the name. We learned about the formation of the hill and enjoyed the view out over the landscape of the crater.

Porcupine in Bio Ramon

Our final stop was back in Mitzpe Ramon, at the Bio Ramon. A significant sample of the animals that live in the crater are kept here, and it is possible to see them up close and learn about their habits and lifestyles. Night was drawing in, and they were beginning to get active. For us, it was time to return to the field school and prepare for the final day of our campus which awaited us on the morrow.

Campus Negev Day 1: The Negev Mountains

Click here to read about Day 2 or Day 3 of the campus

Time for the final campus of the course, one which I unfortunately missed last year due to sickness, but was eager to attend now – three days of touring in the area of the Negev desert.

The Negev, in the south of the country, consists of around 55% of Israel’s territory, but due to its barren nature and its relative inaccessibility, it is much less frequently visited than the tourist hot spots of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Judean Desert & the Galilee.

Indeed, there is much less history here than in the north of the country, but there are a great deal of stunning landscapes, fascinating geological features, and also the odd archaeological site for the historians among us.

The Yerucham Dam

Our first day was dedicated to the area of the peaks of the Negev mountains in the north east of the region. Our first stop was in the Yerucham Park. We visited the ancient well and then the more modern dam and man-made lake, learning about the modern history of the area and the struggles of Yerucham to break away from its development-town status. Unemployment is a major problem in the Negev in general and the government actively encourages business to relocate to the area in the hope of encouraging more people to move and improve its status.

From Yerucham, we travelled east to the area of the ‘Large’ Makhtesh. A makhtesh is an unusual type of crater, formed through a lengthy process of erosion and weathering. There are only around 8 in the world and 5 of them are in the Negev (others are in the surrounding area – the Sinai and in Jordan) and their unique nature means the word Makhtesh has now entered international geological parlance as the word to describe this phenomena.

View over the Large Crater (HaMakhtesh HaGadol) from Mt Avnon

Enjoying a stunning view from Mt Avnon over the ‘Large’ Makhtesh (in Hebrew: HaMakhtesh HaGadol), we learned about the theories about how these craters developed.

Fossilised / Petrified trees in the Large Crater (HaMakhtesh HaGadol)

Descending into the makhtesh, we stopped to sit on some unusually shaped and coloured rocks, only to learn that these were in fact fossilised (or petrified) tree trunks. The huge size of these rocks are testament to a completely different climate in the area many tens of millions of years ago; indeed the large amount of the campus that was dedicated to geology helped put into perspective the tiny amount of time man has impacted the planet. One analogy was that if all of the earth’s history was represented by a calendar year, the time man has existed amounts to the final hour!

Ein Yorkeam oasis

We continued our journey through the crater, nothing the different coloured sand layers and the rugged scenery. Exiting the other side, we proceeded to the spring at Ein Yorkeam, a desert oasis with ruins from the Roman period and an accompanying story of a grand Palmach trek in the 1940s.

View from the top of the Scorpions’ Ascent

Our final stop for the day was a lookout over the Zin river bed and the twists and bends of the Scorpions’ Ascent which leads from the mountainous region of the Negev down towards the valley of the Dead Sea. Here we heard the tragic story of a terrorist attack on a tourist bus in the 1950s; this led to new roads being laid through the Negev down to the Red Sea at Eilat, meaning that today the area is almost deserted.

With the sun setting on our first day in the Negev, we travelled west to our hostel at Mitzpe Ramon to prepare for the following day’s adventures.

January 6, 2014

Masada

For today’s tour, we took a break in our current historical narrative (1948 and all that) to travel back 2000 years in history with a visit to the desert fortress and palace of Masada. One of Israel’s most famous destinations, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is certain to be a place we shall visit regularly in our future careers as tour guides.

As part of the course, we sometimes have to practice guiding ourselves, and the majority of the site was divided up between members of the class. At this relatively advanced stage in the course, everyone did a good job of relating their specified information or story, and it made for a varied and interesting day.

Vast cistern at Masada

I worked out that this was my seventh visit to Masada, but coming with the course really opened my eyes to parts of the site that I had never noticed before! We began on the western side of the mountain, and before ascending the Roman ramp, headed left to explore the network of cisterns. There are no natural water sources at Masada, but when Herod developed it into a major fortress, he constructed a huge network of channels and cisterns to capture the waters of the annual desert flash floods. This made the fortification even more secure – those above had up to two years’ water supply in storage; the nearest water supply for any besiegers (who anyway would have to deal with the strong desert sun and heat) was around 20km away.

After climbing the ramp, we heard the story of the last stand of the Jews who had begun the revolt against Roman rule some seven years previous. Numbering only around 500, they had to face the might of the Roman army’s troops (estimates around 10 000) with significantly superior training, armour and weaponry. A dramatic tale indeed!

Stunning Herodian mosaic in the Western Palace at Masada

We toured the mountain top, starting with the 5th century Byzantine church (which I must confess I never previously noticed!), containing a beautiful mosaic, moving south through the grand western palace (containing some of the oldest mosaics in Israel) and to the southern wall fortifications.

View from the southern wall of Masada

Along the way, we learned about life on Masada, both in the time of Herod and then later during the time of the revolt. Many remains were found on the site testifying particularly to the final days of the families who lived up there; their narrative is important for Israelis as they were the last independent Jews until Israel was established in 1948.

Masada Synagogue – one of the oldest in the world

After taking in the outstanding view from the Northern Palace, and hearing about its history (and the amazing archaeological finds there), we visited one of the world’s oldest synagogues and learned the final fate of the Jewish rebels. For those who have yet to visit the site, I shall not give the game away!

View north from Masada towards Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. Note the remains of the Roman camp on the left.

We concluded the visit with a stop in the Masada museum, which boasts fantastic displays of many of the artefacts found in the excavations, including everyday items of the Jewish rebels and the Roman soldiers. The dry desert air helped their preservation and it really is a remarkable collection.

If anything, this tour proved that even if you have been somewhere six times previously, there is always something new to see and learn. So, even if you have visited Masada many times before, perhaps the time has come for a repeat visit.