Tag: Ein Avdat

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
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
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
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
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!

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
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
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
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
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
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!