Interesting Sites in the Park
The Ein Mashpa Spring
This is a beautiful spring that flows from the foot of Tel Bet Tzaida. Near the spring, a shallow pool was formed; from here a rivulet flows down and into the Jordan River.
Here you’ll find a lot of papyrus – a plant from which the ancient Egyptians made paper. In the spring you’ll find plenty of swamp turtles, and if you quietly approach the porch above the spring, you’ll be able to see the turtles in clear water (when the turtles are scared, they bury themselves in the mud and disappear). Along the stream, picnic tables have been placed; this is a perfect spot for a family tent.
The Aqueduct
This aqueduct was built by local Syrian villagers to take some of the Jordan River waters and use them for powering the flour mills.
An aqueduct is a built waterway that takes naturally-flowing waters and uses them for human purposes, such as drinking water, farming irrigation, and powering various installations such as flour mills and wool-production mills for the garment industry. In the Park HaYarden area, the mills were used for grinding wheat into flour, and for agricultural use.
The Sycomore Tree
This ancient tree (not the American sycamore) loves to grow near flowing water or high groundwater. In its native Africa, it is pollinated by a specific wasp; here in Israel it has to be processed by humans.
The sycomore grows quickly with long and straight branches which were used in ancient times for construction. The sycomore has a juicy fruit that ripens in the summer. In order to help the tree produce quality fruit, one needs to slice a part of the young fruit. The Biblical prophet Amos writes that this was one of his professions (“I raise cattle and I slice sycomore fruit” – Amos 7, 14).
The Rujum
The huge circular pile of stones in the park is an ancient prehistoric archaeological site known as a Rujum (an Arabic word that signifies a pile of stones). In the southern Golan, there is a larger “twin” Rujum known as Rujum el-Hiri, adjacent to the Daliyot Reservoir. Rujum el-Hiri is a three-walled circular structure with a tomb in its center, dated to be approximately 5,000 years old. It is similar in structure to the famous Stonehenge site in England. According to researchers, it could have been used for worship (with the grave of the tribal leader in the center), or it could have been an astronomical center to mark the solstices and the equinox. The latter option was important for the marking of holidays and for agricultural seasons (planting, sowing, harvesting, etc.).
Our smaller Rujum here in the park has yet to be excavated, but its similar structure to Rujum el-Hiri hints that it was built and used for the same purpose
The Jordan River Lookout
This scenic viewpoint offers an excellent view of the Jordan River as it splits into several channels. From 1948 until 1967, the northern part of the Jordan River was an international boundary between Israel and Syria. This spot used to be under Syrian rule, and if you look closely, you’ll notice the walls of Syrian bunkers nearby. Because the border area was a closed military area, the natural surroundings were well-preserved. The Jordan River and its estuary into Lake Kinneret are part of the Beteikha Nature Reserve.
Opposite us, on the horizon, you can see Moshav Almagor. At the entrance to the moshav is a memorial for the fallen soldiers in the Battle for Tel Mutilla. This battle took place between the Israeli and Syrian armies in 1951, after a disagreement over demilitarized zones. Wearing civilian clothes, Syrian soldiers entered the Korazim area and took control of three hills that overlooked the Tiberias-Metulla road (Road 90). After a few days of heavy fighting, IDF forces regained control over the hills. In this terrible battle, 41 soldiers fell, mainly from the Golani Brigade. After the battle, a number of decisions were made: The IDF must have quality attack forces, junior commanders must be better trained, and the commando force known as “Unit 101” was founded.
In Hebrew, “Al-Magor” means “Don”t Fear”. This was the only spot on the Syrian border until 1967 in which Israel had a high topographical advantage versus the Syrian army. Therefore, in the 1960’s, an IDF Nachal unit founded this village opposite the Syrian border. As David Ben-Gurion was fond of saying: “Wherever the plow turns the soil, that’s where the border will be”.
