Hike in Sataf Nature Reserve

• Take the paved road that passes the visitor center and you will soon see on your right a sign with three green pointers. Follow the green trail down the steps. At the 3-way intersection, turn right onto the blue-marked "שביל הבעל" (the Ba'al Path).

 

• After about 25-30 minutes, you will come to a picnic area with picnic benches, barbecue stands, and drinking water. Take the steps down to the paved road. 

 

• The continuation of the blue trail is on the other side of the road, a bit to your right. Therefore, cross the road and go down the steps. 

 

• This path soon touches the shoulder of a paved road. Before following the sign pointing you in the direction of the continuation of the blue-marked trail, walk over to the terrace above this to a large wooden sign. 

 

This sign informs you that following Biblical law you may help yourself to any produce that you pick on the terraces, although you are not permitted to take anything away. It also points out that the relevant Biblical verse is: "When you come into the vineyard of your fellow, you may eat grapes as is your desire, to your fill, but you may not put into your vessel" (Deuteronomy 23:25). Does this mean that the Bible permits any hungry hiker to help him or herself to produce from anyone's field? The answer is that one cannot interpret Torah verses such as this without the help of the Jewish oral tradition. The Talmud explains that this law refers to workers harvesting crops who have the Bible's permission to eat the owner's crops as long as the plant is still attached to the ground (Bava Metzia 87 a-b). Otherwise, going into anyone's field and helping oneself to the produce is theft. Nevertheless, you have the permission of Keren Kayemet to take a more lenient approach to the fruit growing here and to eat as much as you like! 

 

• Follow the blue-marked trail and you will pass through a terrace with fig trees. In the terrace below are vines, and there are olive trees on the far side of the valley opposite you. 

 

• You will soon come to a sign pointing to “Shomera (guard’s hut)" . It is possible to walk up to it, but it can be seen just as well walking along the path.

 

• The next stop is a large well-preserved Byzantine wine press hewed into the bedrock labelled "גת עתיקה".

 

• You will soon come to the ruins of a Byzantine church and some large Kernes Oak trees  (אלון מצוי) close by. This is the most common oak species found in Israel. Unlike the two other oak species seen in this country, this oak is an evergreen. The large size of these trees is unusual for the Judean Mountains. They are usually shrub-like because of felling and grazing by goats. However, the sanctity associated with this area discouraged people from cutting them down.

 

• When the trail ends at a T-junction, turn left onto the green-marked trail that will take you to the Sataf pool. There is a functioning water tap on the way with drinking water.

 

• The vegetable gardens are worthwhile visiting. Retrace your steps on the green-marked trail and just past its junction with the blue trail you will see on your left a sign pointing to "עין-ביכורה". The vegetable gardens are below you as you walk along the terrace.  

 

At first glance, these vegetable gardens look like any vegetable garden you would see in the West. But look closer and you will see that there are aqueducts and that the vegetables are grown on heaped up soil between channels. This is how vegetables were irrigated in ancient times - by controlled flooding of the plants with spring water.

 

• To visit the pool of Ein Bikura, descend on the steps that are just before the overhead vines. 

 

• Just beyond Ein Bikura ascend by the steps by the vines to a 3-way intersection. Turn right on the green-marked trail in the direction of "צומת סטף". Behind you, are the ruins of the village of Sataf.

 

• [If you would like to lengthen this hike a bit, you can make a delightful loop on the red trail on the right just before the three-way intersection. It will add about 20 minutes to your hike. A black-marked trail to Ein Handak joins this path - do not descend into the valley on this black trail as it will take you far from your car. The red trail eventually joins up with the green trail closer to the upper parking lot.] 

 

• Ascending the green trail on the stone steps and rock, you will pass the Ophir Rest Area on your left. This is a memorial to a young lad who died from an accident. 

 

• Cross the paved road (which is actually a red-marked road), and continue up on the green trail to its junction with the blue trail. This is the junction from which you started this hike on the Ba'al Path. There are picnic benches in this area. Continue up the hill on the green trail until you come to the paved road. Turn left on this road to the parking lot.