Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
Most visitors to Ein Gedi only walk along Wadi David towards David’s Fall - but they are missing out on fantastic hikes, interesting sites such as the ancient synagogue of Ein Gedi, and exceptional views of the Dead Sea and Moabite mountains. The climb to Ein Gedi Spring from Wadi David is not currently operative, but it is still possible to visit the spring and chalcolithic temple via an alternative path.
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Directions and parking: Enter "Ein Gedi Reserve" into Waze. The entrance to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve is clearly marked from Route 90. There is free parking outside the entrance to Wadi David.
Admission: This is a park of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The reserve is open from 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM in the winter and 8.00 AM to 5.00 PM in the summer. It closes one hour earlier on Friday and holiday eves. A brochure is available in Hebrew or English and contains a clear map that can be used to follow the hike described. Especially in popular seasons it is advisable to book your visit in advance via the internet so that your admission is guaranteed. The admission fee includes admission to Wadi David, Wadi Arugot and the ancient synagogue, although you need to book each separately. Therefore, retain your ticket. In front of the entrance to the reserve is a large covered area with picnic benches. It is serviced by stores and restrooms. The reserve phone number is (08) 658-4285. This is their website:
Public transport: Enter "Ein Gedi " into Moovit and click on "Ein Gedi National Park.”
The beautiful David Waterfall
The walk along Wadi David to David’s Fall
Before entering the park, it is helpful to look at the pictures on the wall of the animals commonly seen in the reserve. At the very least, you might see an ibex:
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Follow the crowds towards the scenic waterfalls of Nahal David. The concrete pathway is stroller and wheelchair friendly. At the present time, it is not possible to proceed on the wet trail all the way to David’s Waterfall, although there is still a waterfall to view.
Look carefully at the lower slopes of the cliff and you will notice stone outlines of former terracing. Intensive agriculture was once carried out on the slopes, as well as on the flatter land by the stream. Plants were irrigated by aqueducts from the springs. There is no water in the stream, as it is now taken for bottling in the nearby factory.
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Return to the park entrance.
The luscious foliage walking through the wadi
This is a conglomerate rock made from sandstone and pebbles
Same-way there and back trail to the ancient synagogue, Ein Gedi Spring and Chalcolithic Temple
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Follow the sign on the concrete pathway, the Oasis Trail, to the synagogue. You can visit the synagogue, which is recommended, and/or proceed further along this path:
The ancient synagogue in the Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park. A Jewish community lived in Ein Gedi in the 3rd to 6th centuries BCE and they made a very good living from growing a secret — namely for a product that was highly desired in the Roman empire. Ein Gedi was famous in antiquity for balsam, which was an extremely valuable aromatic resin used in perfumes and medicines. Ancient writers describe it as one of the most precious products in the Roman world. An inscription on the synagogue mosaic floor pronounced a curse on anyone revealing the secret of this plant. This curse was obviously effective, since to this day it has not been identified, although not through lack of trying!
The synagogue and housing ruins you see are from the late Roman and Byzantine periods, i.e., from Mishnaic and Talmudic times. The synagogue follows a basilica model common in late antiquity for synagogues and churches with a rectangular hall, columns. and a central nave. The area for the Torah ark was on the northern wall facing Jerusalem.
The synagogue has a splendid mosaic. Unlike in some Galilean synagogues, this mosaic has geometric designs and inscriptions, but no human or animal figures other than birds. This is to be compared with mosaics in the synagogues at Beit Alpha and Hamat Tiberias that contain zodiac wheels and human imagery, and even a picture of the sun god. As in these other synagogues, it does contain Temple imagery such as menorahs. In all these synagogues, the building was regarded as a “miniature substitute” for the destroyed Temple.
Down the hill from the synagogue are the ruins of a settlement, although only a part of it has been revealed. It was eventually destroyed by fire. Coins were found in the ruins from the reign of the Emperor Justian the First, and the destruction may have been from persecution during his time. Beneath the ruins are the remains of an even earlier Second Temple Jewish settlement that extended to the foot of Tel Goren.
The impressive mosaic floor at the ancient Eiin Gedi synagogue
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Continue on this trail past Tel Goren. You will pass the Ein Gedi water bottling factory on your left. On the right is a memorial to six youth from the HaShomer HaTzair movement who were killed in 1946 when one of their own grenades blew up.
Tel Goren (Tell el-Jurn) is the site of ancient Ein Gedi and was one of the most important oasis settlement sites in the Judean Desert. There is evidence from several major periods, especially the Iron Age (First Temple period), but also the Persian, Hellenistic and Hasmonean, and Roman and Byzantine periods. Under the Hasmoneans, Ein Gedi became a royal estate associated with valuable agricultural production. The Romans also highly prized the oasis because of its balsam, dates, and strategic location near the Dead Sea.
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Take the path up the hill to Ein Gedi Spring.
If there are no crowds, you may be fortunate to see Nubian ibex drinking in the pool. Nubian ibex are wild goats that became almost extinct as a result of hunting. They were rescued by the Nature Protection movement and the Wild Animal Protection Law of 1955. Next to the spring is a flourmill from the Mamluke period.
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Continue up the hill to the Chalcolithic Temple:
The Chalcolithic Temple. This pagan temple is worth exploring. On its southern wall is an entrance with a gate house. Proceed through the courtyard to the main building adjacent to its northern wall and enter through an entrance on its southern wall. Facing you is a hoof-shaped niche surrounded by a stone fence. Within it were found animal bones, sherds, ashes, and a clay statuette of a bull. It may well have contained an altar. Notice the round piece of white limestone on the ground, which could have been the base for a statue of the deity. Stone benches are laid out along the walls. The temple may have served a number of Chalcolithic communities in the area. The temple shows no signs of destruction and seems to have been abandoned.
The temple was constructed during the Chalcolithic Period. This was a period between the Neolithic Stone Age and Early Bronze Age, and extended from about 4,300 BCE to 3,300 BCE. It was a time of transition between simple farming communities and more complex sociopolitical communities. The term is applied not just to one culture but to a mosaic of cultural entities. Chalcolithic means copper and a feature of this period was the widespread use of copper. Bronze was not yet in use.
Four hundred and thirty artifacts and cultic objects were found in a cave 11 km south of Ein Gedi, over 400 of which were made of copper, and it has been speculated that they were hidden in the cave when the temple was abandoned because of approaching danger.
Most Chalcolithic settlements were abandoned at the end of the Chalcolithic Period and new people moved into the country during the Early Bronze Age. The Middle Bronze Age, beginning in about 2100 BCE, is the time that the Canaanites and other tribes mentioned in the Bible settled in Canaan, and the time that the biblical patriarchs travelled throughout the country.
At this point you may wish to visit the Dodim Cave. It will add about three quarter of an hour to your hike. At the end of this trail, you will need to go down a short cliff face on metal rungs to reach the cave. After visiting the cave, return back to the intersection,
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Return the way you came back to your car.
An ibex at the Ein Gedi Spring
Nearby Places of Interest:
Highly recommended is a visit to the very beautiful Botanical Garden at Kibbutz Ein Gedi. It is only a few kilometers along Route 90. In actuality, the entire kibbutz is one large, impressive botanical garden! There is a kosher cafe for coffee or a dairy meal in the kosher kibbutz hotel.
Consider a water hike in nearby Nahal Arugot, which is part of the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.
A visit to Masada is also a must. It is a distance of 20 km and about an 18-minute drive from Ein Gedi along Route 90.