Finjan is heading out for a beautiful, full moon hiking adventure culminating with a a morning swim in the Valley of the Springs. The night will be spent hiking upon the plateaus and heights of Issachar and the Beit Shean Valley as we explore one of Israel’s most historically important regions. In the morning, we will cool off in the Kibbutzim Stream before heading back to Tel Aviv.

The plateaus of Issachar are basalt heights that were formed as a result of volcanic runoff hundreds of thousands of years ago in the Golan Heights. Throughout history, these heights have overlooked one of the most important junctions that connected the empires of the east to the empires around the Nile in Egypt. Time and time again, this region, known for its fertile valleys, large concentration of springs and easy passage for caravans became a critical point of control for those looking to control the land set between the great empires of antiquity.

Along the way, we will strive to get a better understanding of the rich history and some of the historical characters that contributed to making this area one of the most continuously fought-over regions across the Levant and all the way through the founding of the State of Israel.

In the morning, we will swim through the Kibbutzim Stream before heading back to Tel Aviv.

Some of the highlights include:

• Night walk with a full moon over the Mountains of Gilad and the Jordan River Valley
• Harod Stream and the Mamluk-era Qantara Bridge
• Ottoman Flour Mills
• Tel Etztaba
• The old Ottoman Railway
• Visit to Ein Shokek, one of the most beautiful springs in Israel (walk through water)
• Swimming through Kibbutzim Stream

The total cost of the trip is 250 NIS per participant

There will be a pickup in Rehovot and Tel Aviv

(Photos courtesy of the one and only…Eli Katzoff of Stormport Productions)