Mitzpe Ramon is a small town in the Negev region of Israel, some 85 km south of Beer Sheva, overlooking the mighty Ramon Crater (Machtesh Ramon). The city was founded in the 1950's as a military outpost and then as a waypoint station for local miners and road workers, Mitzpe evolved into a small town when newly arrived Moroccan immigrants were unceremoniousl...

Avdat National Park in the Negev encompasses the remains of one of the famed ancient Nabatean cities along the Incense Route, the road over which costly incense, perfumes and spices were brought out of Arabia, across the Negev and to the Mediterranean ports.The city was named after the Nabatean king Oboda (30-9 BCE), who was buried there. Avdat flourished du...

The Ramon Crater in Israel’s Negev Desert is the world’s largest erosion crater, or makhtesh. A landform unique to Israel’s Negev and Egypt’s Sinai deserts’, a makhtesh is a large erosion cirque, created 220 million years ago when oceans covered the area. The Ramon Crater measures 40km in length and between 2 and 10km in width, shaped like a long heart, and ...

Kibbutz Sde Boker is the realization of the dream envisioned by David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and defense minister, who loved the Negev and its expanses and wanted to settle the desert and make it bloom. Paula and David Ben-Gurion's desert home remains exactly as Ben-Gurion left it when he passed away in 1973. This was his wish as left in ...

Water flowing from the En Avdat (the Avdat spring) in the heart of the Negev has cut a deep, narrow canyon through the soft white chalk. A waterfall tumbles from above and greenery flourishes around its pools where ibex and other animals come to quench their thirst. Euphrates poplars, common to oases and known for their variegated leaves, also grow in the s...

How far does one have to descend to reach the Dead Sea? About 400 meters below sea level. How deep is this salty lake? Almost the same (in the northern section). Fascinating? Absolutely! Every detail about the Dead Sea is fascinating. Here are a few more facts: The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth in any land mass (417 meters below sea level, to be exa...

Masada is not only important because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site or an ancient fortress occupying a breathtaking strategic location high on a flat plateau above the Dead Sea, but because of its symbolic importance as a symbol of determination and heroism which continues to this day with many Israeli soldiers sworn in here. Masada is one of the greates...

Ein Gedi is an oasis in the desert and a green Garden of Eden in the wilderness. It is situated on the shore of the Dead Sea – the lowest place on Earth - at the feet of majestic mountains and cliffs. One of the most exciting places in Israel, Ein Gedi combines a wild, natural setting with a primeval panorama, history and archaeology, tourist attractions, a...

The most well-known texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls are the ancient religious writings found in eleven caves near the site of Qumran. Discoveries from additional sites yielded mostly documents and letters, especially papyri that had been hidden in caves by refugees from wars. While some of these writings survived as nearly intact scrolls, most of the archiv...