Tour Guide Eitan Omer invites you on a tour leading up to Tisha B’Av: On the Abandonment of the Galilee & the Tearing of the Kingdom (First Temple Version) ― Destruction & Rebuilding in General and in Particular.
A trip between the Segev Forest and the Hilazon Valley and a particularly moving visit to the home of artist Hitam Hibbi.
Yodfat Ridge and its surroundings are historically linked to the events of the Great Revolt in the Galilee, which ultimately led to the destruction of the Second Temple and the loss of control over the land. But few know the importance of the area at the beginning of the First Temple period, and its connection to the loss of control over the Galilee, and later to the tearing of the Kingdom of Israel and its division.
The “Rosh Zayit” ruin, located in the northern Segev Forest, connects us to a somewhat forgotten but particularly dramatic event from the time of King Solomon, who made a somewhat strange deal with Hiram, King of Tyre ― “land in exchange for cedars.” In exchange for the cedars for building the Temple, Solomon granted Hiram 20 cities in Galilee. These are identified in the western area of Gush Misgav in the Lower Galilee, and were called “Eretz Kabul” by Hiram. The capital of this region was identified by archaeologist Dr. Zvika Gal at Horvat Rosh Zeit in the northern Segev Forest.
Why did Solomon choose to give up his hold on the Galilee in exchange for a few beams of wood? Was the preference for the economic-security-religious symbol of Jerusalem and the center of the country over the northern periphery already apparent at that time? How does this relate to the splitting of the Kingdom of Israel into two ― the northern state (Israel) and the southern state (Judah) immediately after his death? And what is the sharp message of all this for our day?
We will begin the tour at Horvat Rosh Zeit and its impressive remains ― houses of the “four spaces” typical of the period and remains of agricultural installations. From here we will descend on a comfortable path above the Nahal Neiel gorge (the border between the Asher and Naphtali territories in biblical times) to the valley of Nahal Hilazon and the forest of its magnificent ancient olive trees.
We will end with an exciting visit to the “House of the Mashrabiot” in the village of Sha’av (considered the most beautiful house in the Galilee) ― an exciting meeting with the artist Hitam Hibbi and her amazing life story, a story of growth, and building out of crisis and difficulty.
When? Thursday, July 16, 5:30 pm – 9 pm
Where? Between the Segev Forest & Hilazon Valley
Price: 110 NIS per person, 200 NIS per couple, including a trip and a fascinating meeting with an artist.
Phone: 072-3941112
Notes: Suitable for the whole family, a trip for those who love walking with a slight degree of difficulty.
A kippah-wearing tour guide who is an honorary member of every Arab village in the Galilee, an entrepreneur, activist, and a man of the land who studies the Daf Yomi.
Western Galilee Now is a registered non-profit grassroots organization (NGO) promoting awareness and appreciation for the region’s boutique wines, beers, food and produce, along with its cultural diversity, its historic traditions and the area’s scenic routes nestled between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea acting as a Chamber of Commerce to boutique tourism operators in the region.
We expose the visitors to the unique heritage and hospitality through workshops, culinary events, art, music, guides tours, festivals and also through our Tourist Information Center in Akko, owned by JNF USA which we were chosen to operate since Jan. 2016.
Our vision is to develop local and foreign tourism based on close cooperation between all the interested parties in the region.
Come and Taste Experience Discover – the Westen Galilee is NOW!
עברית
