Views from Gilboa

This photo was taken on February 5th while we were hiking down Mount Gilboa. On the mountain we took a few stops. The first stop we took was before we began the actual hike where we learned about the Israelites’ need for a King, and Gideon’s attempt at uniting them. We then learned about the stories of Shmuel and Shaul. It was incredible actually getting to hike down the same path that Shaul had walked through. The second stop we made was halfway down the mountain where we actually got to see the wine press that Gideon used to save some of the wheat. We continued learning about and reliving the Tanakh through other adventures on our Tiyul. For example, today when we hiked down Sataf, we learned about the agricultural laws of the Torah and saw what following those rules would have actually looked like. Then once we got the the western wall, we learned about King David and got to see how he approached the struggle with accessing water when the Israelites were under attack. It was mind-blowing getting to actually see the water tunnels that the soldiers built for David in person; it felt like we were reliving history by walking in their footsteps. It was amazing actually being able to see the chisel marks on the walls, just in the way the Aubrey described. Climbing down Mount Gilboa left me with a similar feeling. If I was struggling to get down that mountain with only a small backpack on, I can only imagine what it would have been like for Shaul to climb that same mountain probably carrying much more, or at least climbing up! It not only gives me a new perspective on what life must have been like for the Israelites in the ages of our ancestors, seeing these sights gives me a new appreciation for the hardships and perseverance that our ancestors endured in order for me to be alive on this day. It’s crazy to think that while all of my friends back at home are sitting behind a desk learning about history, I get to be in Israel with such incredible people having the best time AND learning at the same time! - Netanya