Tel Hatzor nearby

On Monday of Chol Hamoed, we went to Tel Hatzor. I've been wanting to go for over a year. There was an article last summer in the Shmurat HaTeva publication "BaShvil HaAretz" about the dig which sounded very interesting. We went on a day when there were guided tours. Definitely made the day. The kids again really enjoyed hearing all about how the Israelites entered the Land, and see signs of our history from then until the times of King Ahab. Quite impressive water works, a palace, and other interesting remains. There was also a mud brick making activity for the kids. Weather was great, with a fierce wind picking up on the late afternoon. I used my Photoshop Elements to try out some panoramic pastes. Since I didn't use a tripod, the fits aren't exact. But you get the "picture" of how lovely the views are.

This is a view from the western prominent citadel north towards part of the "lower city" which has not been much excavated. To the right of the hill is a major "dent" in the slope, part of a temple.





I just had to share this picture of the most amazing looking beetle we saw while there. I took pictures of three bugs while we were there. One is this green and gold cousin of the cockroach. Another was a water beetle we saw on the descent to the water works (9 stories deep in the earth). The other was a nasty spider that the Nature Reserve volunteer said sucked blood and was only mildly poisonous.



This is the view from "area G" when you first go up on the Tel. The view at the left most is looking north and a little west to the Naftali mountains. My the right most, you are looking toward the Golan Heights.