South
Southern Israel covers the Negev, the Arava valley down to Eilat, the northern Judean Desert, and the southern coastal plain around Ashkelon. The posts here range from desert hikes around Mitzpe Ramon and Ein Avdat through Sea Peoples-era archaeology along the coast, to Ben Gurion’s hut and the Negev’s modern settlement story.
23 articles
23 articles
The South in 1948
A field trip along the 1948 southern front: the Ad Halom Bridge that stopped the Egyptian advance, Kibbutz Nitzanim and the Women of Valour Centre, Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, and Kibbutz Negba where Operation Yoav broke through into the Negev.
Campus Eilat Day Four: Timna
The final day of Campus Eilat at Timna Park (King Solomon's Mines): the Arches, an ancient copper mine, the Mushroom, an Egyptian hunting-scene inscription, the Midianite temple and King Solomon's Pillars.
Campus Eilat Day Three: Southern Arava
Day three of Campus Eilat: heading up the Southern Arava — the Eilat Bird Park, the Avrona farms and fugarot tunnels, the Doum Palms, Shechoret Canyon, the Chai Bar and a desert kite, ending with a Chanukah candle lighting back in Eilat.
Campus Eilat Day Two: Eilat and the Eilat Mountains
Day two of Campus Eilat: starting at Umm Rash Rash and the story of the Ink Flag, hiking the Red Canyon and ascending Mt Tzefachot for the four-countries view, before ending at the Eilat Underwater Observatory.
Campus Eilat Day One: Northern Arava and Ovda Valley
Day one of Campus Eilat: heading south through the northern Arava and into the Ovda valley, taking in Ein Hatzeva, the Peace Route lookouts, Shacharut, the Leopards Temple and the Kasui sand dunes.
Settlement of the Negev in the Modern Period
A field trip through the north-western Negev and Gaza Envelope: water and security at Nir Am, the Black Arrow memorial, the RAF and ANZAC memorials in the Beeri Forest, the Maon Synagogue mosaic, Mitzpe Gvulot, the Nachal Besor bridge and Kibbutz Ruchama.
Shivta and Nitzana
Nabatean Cities in the Negev
A field-trip to two of the Nabatean cities of the Negev, Mamshit and Avdat, now a UNESCO world heritage site: the ingenious cisterns, the spice and wine trade, the assimilation into Roman and then Byzantine Christian culture.
Archaeology of the Biblical Negev
A field-trip day through the biblical Negev — the Joe Alon Centre for Bedouin culture, then south to the UNESCO-listed Tel Beer Sheva and the early-Canaanite ruins of Tel Arad.
The Jordan Valley
A field trip down the Jordan Valley: the Byzantine monasteries of Martyrius, St Euthymius and St Gerassimos; the baptism site at Qasr el Yahud; the Jordan Valley Monument; and an evening sing-song at the Mabua spring.
If you are going to Israel, you would be mad not to give him a call.
Amol Rajan, BBC presenter and broadcaster
Having been on trips in Israel with seven different tour guides, Samuel stood above all the rest.
Seasoned Israel traveller
Samuel is one part walking encyclopedia, one part storyteller, one part stand-up comedian.
Berkeley Haas Business School student