Prev                                                                                                       9 of 14                                                                                                               Next

gallery pages:  1  2  >  
< Prev 10 of 20 Next >
Arieh Sharon > WINDINGS OF THE JORDAN The Jordan valley with its wealth of flora spreads between desiccated and desolate white hills. Photo by Zoltan Kluger
Arieh Sharon > THE GULF OF EILAT The Gulf of Eilat is part of the great tectonic rift commencing at the northern end of the Jordan Valley and continuing to the Red Sea. The mountain ranges on either side are mostly composed of crystalline granite formations and are rich in minerals. The Gulf is the north-eastern tongue of the Red Sea and is rich in fishes, corals and other varieties of Indian Ocean fauna. It has a hot dry climate with prevalent dry northerly winds. Precipitation is almost non-existent. The historical Eilat, in the vicinity of contemporary Akaba, is mentioned in the Bible together with Etzion Gaber. The Etzion Gaber of the Solomonic period was discovered rather more than a decade ago in the excavations at Tel El Kheleifi, where blast furnaces for the smelting of ore from the Southern Negev were found, dating from the time of King Solomon. Ancient Eilat was an important station on the desert trade route between Arabia and Egypt, known as the Kings Highway, and was a terminal point for caravans crossing the Southern Negev and passing through the Arava Valley.
Arieh Sharon > THE PARAN WATER COURSE (Wadi Gerafi). The largest dry water course of the Southern Negev, running into the Sinai desert. Its slopes are composed of limestone. On its way to the Arava Valley it cuts through a chain of hills, rising 500 metres above sea level, and composed of Tertiary, Nummulite sandstone. Water is found only during the few rainy days of the year. The basin and mountain slopes are covered with gravel and hamada stones, resulting from desintegration. Flora is sparse and very poor. Successful boring experiments have recently been made in the valley. The drainage basin of the water course is called "The Desert of Paran" in the Pentateuch. Recent discoveries indicate that it was used by the children of Israel in the course of their wanderings in the wilderness.
Arieh Sharon > LANDSCAPES AMID THE NEGEV MOUNTAINS In the heart of the Negev, south of the Great Ramon Crater (Wadi Ramon). Limestone of the Cretonian Epoch, with remains of volcanic eruptions in the form of basalt hills. The Ramon crater itself contains sharply eroded formations due to sudden rains and considerable daily fluctuations of temperature. The valleys are covered with crumbling formations and rains are followed by a thin herbage. The region is on the border between the desert and the grazing areas occasionally visited by a few bedouins.
Arieh Sharon > SDOM - EN HASBA (Ein Husb) An ancient caravan route, 42 kilometres long, rising from Sdom on the southern shore of the Dead Sea (395 metres below sea level). Recent investigations go to show that in ancient times the Arava was covered with trees, so that agricultural development is possible following amelioration and irrigation of the soil. The marks of sharp erosion on the while hills along the route show the effect of water, wind and fluctuations in daily temperature.
Arieh Sharon > THE NORTHERN NEGEV
Arieh Sharon > THE NORTHERN NEGEV The loess region of the Northern Negev without appreciable variations in height, apart from the many dry and sharply eroded water courses. The soil, an alluvial loess of Aeolian origin clumps together in the early rains and drying with an impermeable surface facilitating the rapid flow of subsequent rainfall into the water courses. Effective cultivation of the soil counteracts erosion and ensures fertility. The rainfall of 250-300 milimetres per annum is scarcely sufficient for raising barley without irrigation. Irrigation can transform this area into one of the richest agricultural zones of the country. The climate is healthy, the relative humidity is not particularly high. The city of Beersheba is the natural centre for this area.
Arieh Sharon > THE MOUNTAINS OF JUDEA Limestone hills which in the Bible period were covered with forests and had a dense population with a high level of farming culture. The mountains were terraced in ancient times, and were cultivated until the Middle Ages. The climate has an average annual temperature of 16 C, a precipitation of 665 mm. and a relative humidity of 60%. It is healthy and pleasant. Neglect of the terraces during recent centuries resulted in increased erosion, the top-soil being washed down from the slopes, thus leading to a decline in agriculture. Extensive mountain areas amid the approaches of Jerusalem now consist of bare rocks with only traces of the ancient terracing system. The function of the many new settlements in this zone is to safeguard the fertility of the soil by restoring the terraces and engaging in large scale afforestation. The wooded mountains should also provide a suitable background for rest and tourist amenities.
Arieh Sharon > ESHTAOL VILLAGE On the site of the ancient Eshtaol, the birthplace of Samson, is a work-village on the way to Jerusalem. Founded in 1950, it is inhabited by 500 Yemenite immigrants. The purpose of the work-villages which were initially subsidized by the Jewish National Fund, is to repair the terraces and clear the soil, thus preparing areas for agricultural settlement. Work on the afforestation of the neighbouring hills is also provided.
Arieh Sharon > THE DEAD SEA 85 kms. long with an average width of 14 kms. It is part of the great tectonic rift running from the north of the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot of the earth, its surface level being 395 metres below sea level. The waters are exceedingly rich in minerals. The salts (up to 33%) are composed of chlorides, bromides, and potash. These salts constitute the most important single mineral resource of the country and were exploited by the Palestine Potash Company. No form of organic life is possible in these saline waters which have therefore acquired the name of the Dead Sea. The climate is marked by sharp fluctuations of temperature from day to night. In summer the temperature may be as much as 45-50 C. The powerful evaporation causes a high humidity and the climate is exceedingly difficult during the greater part of the year. In Hebrew it is known as the Salt Sea and the Arabic name of Bahr Lut, i.e. the Sea of Lot is based on the Biblical story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha. In the days of the Romans the Dead Sea was known as the Asphalt Lake.
Arieh Sharon > THE PLAIN OF SHARON
Arieh Sharon > THE PLAIN OF SHARON Extends along the coast from Jaffa-Tel Aviv to the Carmel range. It is composed of late Tertiary and Quaternary sedimentation deposits. Wandering sand-dunes mixed in part with chalk have produced a calcareous sandstone (kurkar) and in particular great strata of clay reddish sand, known as hamra, constitute the characteristic mark of the Sharon Plain. The climate is typically Mediterranean, the average annual temperature being 18-20 C, with only slight fluctuations in daily temperature. The average annual precipitation is some 500-600 mm., while the relative humidity is high, being as much as 70%. The plain is rich in underground water, which is utilised for irrigation through wells. The area was once covered with oak woods. More recently it has been a fruitful agricultural zone, and only after the expulsion of the Crusaders was it abandoned and neglected, marshes covering its lower levels. During recent decades it has again become a well developed and densely populated agricultural area thanks to Jewish pioneering. Half the Jewish population of Israel are to be found in the Sharon Plain including Tel Aviv. The red hamra soil constitutes the citrus zone of the country, producing the Shamouti varieties which are world-renowned as Jaffa oranges. Citrus trees, planted in regular rows running for kilometers on end, are characteristic of this landscape. The Sharon Plain has always served as a route for the passage of armies. The kings of Egypt used to send their hosts northward along it from Gaza; it was traversed from the North by the Assyrian and Babylonian conquerors. Since Ancient times it has been the coastal route from Egypt to Syria and was of major importance, known as the Sea Road in Bible times and the Via Maris of the Romans. Caesarea in the northern Sharon with its large port was the centre of Roman rule, and put Jerusalem in the shade as the residence of the Roman Procurator.
Arieh Sharon > THE CARMEL RANGE The soil is hard limestone and Dolomites of the Cretonian Epoch, and its folds are the outcome of tectonic action which raised the area above the surroundings. Its southern part shows signs of volcanic eruptions with basalt strata. The climate is pleasant. The average annual temperature is 17-19 C. Annual precipitation is 750-800 mm. and average relative humidity is 70%. The highest peak is Qambu'at-E-Duruzea east of the Carmel forest, 547 metres above sea level. There are vestiges of woods and forests, as well as newly afforestated areas. Prehistoric and Roman-age remains have been found. The numerous caves contain traces of prehistoric epochs, particularly in Wadi Falakh, where the remains of "Homo Palestinensis", the ancient Palestine man, were discovered.
Arieh Sharon > HAROSHET HAGOYIM The spurs of the Haroshet Hagoyim hills are covered with the remains of ancient forests. In the vicinity of the historic Tiv'on which was a seat of the Sages in Second Temple and Talmudic days, settlements of Kiryat Amal and Tiv'on have been established. Their development is envisaged as that of a small town which will be a centre for the Western Emek region.
Arieh Sharon > THE JEZREEL VALLEY
THE DEAD SEA
85 kms. long with an average width of 14 kms. It is part of the great tectonic rift running from the north of the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot of the earth, its surface level being 395 metres below sea level. The waters are exceedingly rich in minerals. The salts (up to 33%) are composed of chlorides, bromides, and potash. These salts constitute the most important single mineral resource of the country and were exploited by the Palestine Potash Company. No form of organic life is possible in these saline waters which have therefore acquired the name of the Dead Sea. The climate is marked by sharp fluctuations of temperature from day to night. In summer the temperature may be as much as 45-50 C. The powerful evaporation causes a high humidity and the climate is exceedingly difficult during the greater part of the year. In Hebrew it is known as the Salt Sea and the Arabic name of Bahr Lut, i.e. the Sea of Lot is based on the Biblical story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha. In the days of the Romans the Dead Sea was known as the Asphalt Lake.
Arieh Sharon > THE DEAD SEA 85 kms. long with an average width of 14 kms. It is part of the great tectonic rift running from the north of the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot of the earth, its surface level being 395 metres below sea level. The waters are exceedingly rich in minerals. The salts (up to 33%) are composed of chlorides, bromides, and potash. These salts constitute the most important single mineral resource of the country and were exploited by the Palestine Potash Company. No form of organic life is possible in these saline waters which have therefore acquired the name of the Dead Sea. The climate is marked by sharp fluctuations of temperature from day to night. In summer the temperature may be as much as 45-50 C. The powerful evaporation causes a high humidity and the climate is exceedingly difficult during the greater part of the year. In Hebrew it is known as the Salt Sea and the Arabic name of Bahr Lut, i.e. the Sea of Lot is based on the Biblical story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha. In the days of the Romans the Dead Sea was known as the Asphalt Lake.
THE DEAD SEA
85 kms. long with an average width of 14 kms. It is part of the great tectonic rift running from the north of the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot of the earth, its surface level being 395 metres below sea level. The waters are exceedingly rich in minerals. The salts (up to 33%) are composed of chlorides, bromides, and potash. These salts constitute the most important single mineral resource of the country and were exploited by the Palestine Potash Company. No form of organic life is possible in these saline waters which have therefore acquired the name of the Dead Sea. The climate is marked by sharp fluctuations of temperature from day to night. In summer the temperature may be as much as 45-50 C. The powerful evaporation causes a high humidity and the climate is exceedingly difficult during the greater part of the year. In Hebrew it is known as the Salt Sea and the Arabic name of Bahr Lut, i.e. the Sea of Lot is based on the Biblical story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha. In the days of the Romans the Dead Sea was known as the Asphalt Lake.
gallery pages:  1  2  >  
< Prev 10 of 20 Next >