The Jezreel Valley: Rich in history, rich in beauty

We are entering peak season for exploring and experiencing one of Israel’s most happening tourist spots.

By MEITAL SHARABI
The Jezreel Valley (photo credit: MEITAL SHARABI)
The Jezreel Valley
(photo credit: MEITAL SHARABI)
Location: Jezreel Valley / Mount Gilboa
Length: 1.5 km.; one or two hours
Type of activity: Involves walking
Level of difficulty: Easy, appropriate for families
Season: All year Disabled access: partial
irections: From Megiddo Intersection, drive east on Road 65. Turn right onto Road 675 at Hasargel Junction. After 10 kilometers, turn left to Kibbutz Yizre’el and then take an immediate right towards Tel Yizre’el. Continue until you reach the parking area.
Now that winter has fully set in, we can focus on hikes around the country that are enjoyable on cool days. My favorite winter hiking spots are the Jezreel Valley and Mount Gilboa, which come to life and are carpeted in green after the first rains. If you love winter scenery as much as I do, you might already know how beautiful Tel Yizre’el and Ein Yizre’el are. If not, then keep reading – this column was written just for you. I’ll start at Tel Yizre’el.
The tel was a bustling center in ancient times, as well as a fantastic observation point from which you can look out over the entire area, including Mount Shaul and Mount Gilboa. In more recent history, this spot is where the battle of Zar’in during the War of Independence took place, in which a number of Palmah fighters lost their lives. In ancient times, King Ahab built a magnificent palace on this spot, and you can see the ruins by walking down an easy path that begins in the parking area and ends at Ein Yizre’el, which was located on land owned by Naboth the Jezreelite.
The story of the spring involves treachery and conspiracies, since Ahab coveted Naboth’s plot of land on which he wanted to plant a vineyard. The king and his wife, Jezebel, tried to come up with conniving ways to convince Naboth to sell them the land. The king’s obsession with this plot gives us a little bit of insight into how lovely it must have been, and I love to fantasize about this story and the historical characters when walking along the path toward the palace.
The path is not circular, so if you have two cars with you, I recommend leaving one down below near the spring. Otherwise, just walk back to your car when you have finished visiting the incredible pool and spring below.
If you have strollers with you, or a family member who’s in a wheelchair, you can still walk on the trail up to the observation point, from which there’s a wonderful view of the valleys around. Pay attention while you’re walking, because there are plaques along the way with verses from the Bible that are connected to the location.
While you’re walking down toward the spring, you’ll notice that there are a bunch of hidden caves and pits. Keep walking down, and when you reach a crossroads, continue straight towards the copse of eucalyptus trees. You’ll be about five minutes from the spring at this point. Soon you’ll see the gorgeous pool, which is about one meter deep. The pool used to be filled with spring water until it dried up, at which point the authorities drilled into the stone to pump up water from under the ground. But it doesn’t really matter what the source of the water is; the spring is still a wonderful place to visit.
If you’d like to see what the tunnel from which the spring flows looks like from the inside, you’ll need to bring a flashlight and slither through a relatively narrow passageway. But before you crawl inside, take a look at the pool. In the center of it there’s a building with bare walls – it’s an old pumping station that’s no longer in use. You can reach it by jumping from rock to rock. If you can reach it, you’ll be happy to have your camera with you since there’s an incredible 360° view from the top. You’ll be surrounded by so many eucalyptus trees that you’ll feel like you’re in a secret hideout. Around the pool there are picnic tables, making this a wonderful place for a meal. The trees help keep temperatures down (great for summer months), and protect visitors from strong winter winds.
If you’d like to venture into the cool spring before leaving the pool area, you’ll find it about 20 meters from the eucalyptus grove. You won’t be able to miss it, especially if there are other people at the pool. All you have to do is look around and find the spot where people keep disappearing into the earth. The tunnel is T-shaped, and I recommend that you enter from the left side, since the opening there is not so steep. Make sure you leave cellphones, wallets and cameras with someone who’s not going into the spring since you get pretty wet navigating your way inside the tunnel. But don’t worry about letting your kids go inside alone – there’s no spot inside where the water gets very deep.
Once you enter the tunnel, turn on your flashlight and keep your head down, since the roof is very low in places. Walk on until the tunnel splits into two directions.
Here you can continue straight and exit from the right entrance of the T, or alternatively you can turn right and reach the spot where the water flows into the pool. Of course, you can first turn to the right, look around, and then retrace your steps and go back out. It all depends on how much time you want to spend under the ground in 50-cm.-deep water. It only takes a few minutes to go all the way through, so it’s not a big ordeal. You will, however, have to crouch down on your knees at one point to get out.
After you come out of the tunnel, you can dry off for a few minutes and then be on your way. If you parked a second car in the vicinity, you can just get in your car and be off. Otherwise, you’ll begin your ascent back up to Tel Yizre’el at this point. The hike back up is not strenuous, but it is the perfect way to warm up on cold winter days.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.