Israel
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Cranes Migrating Home To Europe On A Rainy Day
Yes, dear readers, we know that Spring is quickly approaching, even in some of the colder countries in Europe, as the twice-yearly crane migration is happening! This is one of our favorite things to witness, here in Northern Israel, and family members generally shout to one another “cranes!” and everyone comes running, as it is truly a sight not to be missed. Sometimes small groups of cranes fly close enough to even see their tiny feet with the naked eye, while most of the time the cranes are rather far away. Today, amidst the rain clouds I spotted several very large groups of cranes, and ran to grab my camera.…
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Cyclamen Blooms Non-Stop All Winter In Northern Israel
I bought two pots of cyclamen, a large white variety and a smaller variegated pink variety in October, and just as the nursery promised, they have been blooming non-stop! Cyclamen are native to Northern Israel, and I have seen them blooming out nature not far from our home, so they are especially beloved and a part of Israeli culture. Every year in the late fall the nurseries and flower shops put rows of cyclamen outside, and those who are in the know buy at least a few pots. I have had cyclamen in the past, but acquired them later in the season, so I wasn’t nearly as impressed as I’ve…
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Almond Trees In Bloom In Northern Israel, Just Like In Van Gogh’s Painting!
Here in Northern Israel where we are blessed to be living close to nature, the yearly blooming of the almond trees is something that brings great joy! The almond tree is the first tree to bloom, and as fruit bearing tree it is one of the trees whose New Year we celebrate on the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat. Every year we await the first blooms, the kids arrive home with reports on the status of the trees, and it is something mentioned among friends and neighbors. Why? because it is truly a joyful sight, in the middle of the winter, when all the other plants are still sleeping, to…
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The Tomb Of The Son’s Of Hezir In Jerusalem
The Tomb of The Son’s of Hezir, located in the Kidron Valley adjacent to Jerusalem’s Old City, is actually historically correct (unlike the Tomb of Absalom and the Tomb of Zechariah that are neither tombs nor for those attributed!) and was teh burial cave for an important family of Kohanim, priests in the Holy Temple. This hewn (meaning carved from the hill) burial cave is dated to the Hasmonean period (the second century BCE), and above the opening is an inscription identifying the deceased which says: “This is the tomb and the nefesh of Eliezer, Haniah, Joezer, Judah, Simeon, Johanan, sons of Joseph son of Obed. Joseph and Eliezer sons…
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The Tomb Of Zechariah In Jerusalem
The Tomb of Zechariah, which is located in the Kidron Valley at the foot of the Mount of Olives is truly a stunning site. But please don’t be disappointed to learn that Zechariah is not buried here. It was constructed apparently for someone else, who for whatever reason did not merit to have their name associated with it thousands of years later. Such is life! Or rather such is history, things get mixed up a bit, sort of like the game of telephone, but over a long period of time. Will Americans understand in a thousand years why kleenex is called kleenex? Do you even know why is it called…
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The Tomb Of Absalom In Jerusalem
This past Passover holiday I finally had the chance to visit a spot previously only seen from the car, The Tomb of Absalom. Absolutely do include this in your next visit to Jerusalem’s Old City, it is truly interesting! Located in the Kidron Valley, or Valley of The Kings, at the bottom of the Mount of Olives Jewish cemetary, the Tomb of Absalom is not really a tomb as far as anyone knows, and if it it, not of Absalom, but so be it, history gets a bit mixed up sometimes over the course of thousands of years! Just as the Tower of David has nothing to do with David,…
