En Gedi National Park En (java)

The En Gedi Nature reserve is located on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, on the shore of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth (approximately 400 m. below sea level). The reserve contains vast differences in elevation over relatively short distances and as a result, one of its distinguishing features is its sheer cliffs. The reserve covers an area of 14,350 dunams (3,587.5 acres) and it was designated a protected Nature reserve in 1972.
Two valleys run through the reserve: Wadi David in the north and Wadi Arugot in the south. Four sweet-water springs flow in the reserve: David's Spring, flowing into Wadi David; Arugot Spring, flowing into Wadi Arugot; Shulamit and En Gedi Springs - flowing down the slopes between the two wadis. Altogether, the springs generate approximately 3 million cubic meters of water a year. They are fed by rain that falls in the Judean Mountains and seeps into the underground water table, flowing underground towards the east and finally welling up in the reserve. A significant amount of the reserve's spring water is "trapped" and used by Kibbutz En Gedi and its surroundings. During winters with heavy rainfall, powerful floods run through the reserve. Wadi David collects water from an area covering approximately 18km and only flows after rain has fallen over En Gedi itself, while Wadi Arugot, which is approximately 40 km long, collects water from an area covering approximately 200 Km inMount Hebron and flows when strong rain has fallen in that region.
The combination of the reserve's geographic location, topographic composition, warm temperatures and lack of cold days, coupled with the abundance and quality of the water, make it possible for a variety of flora and fauna, representing different geographic regions, to survive within the territory of the En Gedi reserve.

The Chalcolithic era
The earliest vestiges unearthed in En Gedi date back to the Chalcolithic era (approximately 5,000 years ago). It is during that period that copper began being used in the Land of Israel. At that time, a central temple was erected in Rn Gedi and pilgrims traveled from afar to worship there. The temple was erected above the En Gedi spring, on the crest of a cliff, overlooking the Dead Sea and the Moabite Mountains. There is evidence that a water-linked ceremony was held in the temple. 429 copper and ivory ceremonial vessels that had apparently been used in this temple were found in the Treasure Cave that is in Wadi Mishmar (south of En Gedi). These vessels are now on exhibit in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Between the Israelite and the Hellenistic periods
David reached En Gedi (1,000 BCE) and hid there during his wanderings in the desert after fleeing from King Saul.
"And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of En Gedi" (Samuel I 23:29). There are, however, no archeological findings to support this story. According to archeological findings, a permanent Jewish settlement existed in En Gedi for over a thousand years, dating back to the 7th century BCE, until it was destroyed in the middle of the 6th century CEo The kings of Judah - Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Hezekaya and Josiah - encouraged the settlement of the desert.
"And he built towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle" (Chronicles 11,26:10)
Remnants of this settlement can be found on the Goren Hillock. During that period in history, spring water was used for the first time to irrigate cultivated fields, presumably to grow dates. The words:
" 'Hazazon-tamar'- the name is En Gedi" (Chronicles II 20:2) could be an indication that En Gedi was already famous for its dates.
Industrial remains such as remnants of casks and ovens found in the courtyards of houses in the Goren Hillock indicate that they had apparently been used for the preparation of perfume from the persimmon. Josiah, King of Judah, stored anointing oil and from that time on, kings were anointed with persimmon oil. The En Gedi of the period of the Kings of Judah was destroyed at the end of the 6th century BCE by the Babylonians (the destruction of the First Temple). The colony was re-established with the return to Zion (the Persian era - 5th century BCE), abandoned and once again re-established during the Hellenistic period (2nd century BCE).

From the Hasmonean to the Byzantine periods
The development of Jewish settlement in En Gedi and its growth began in the Hasmonean period (152-37 BCE) and continued for 700 years, until the decline of the Byzantine Empire (550 CE). During that period, the settlement established in the En Gedi oasis flourished and grew through the intensive development of irrigated agriculture on the mountain slopes. Signs of preparations of the land - terraces, cisterns that were built and plastered as well as aqueducts - can still be seen today throughout the oasis. The Hasmonean kings - Yochanan Horkanus who founded the dynasty, Alexander Yanai and those that came after them - developed En Gedi ex1ensively and turned it into a main city and an estate for the royal house. Remnants of a citadel tower, built to protect the estate and ensure its safety, have been found on the top of the Goren Hillock. Members of the Essene sect may have settled above En Gedi as early as the first century CEo This sect is mentioned in the writings of the Roman historian, Pliny '1he Elder'. According to Pliny, the Essenes lived the life of ascetic monks above En Gedi. A pool and the remains of cells that served as the living quarters of the Essenes, or possibly as temporary dwellings for people from En Gedi, were discovered on the site on the elevation above the oasis.

The Destruction of the Second Temple
The destructioon of the Second Temple was a period of great suffering for the inhabitants in En Gedi. Aorging to Josephus Flavius, zealots inhabitants of Massada, invaded En Gedi during Passover in 68 CE in order to acquire agricultural supplies and they slaughtered 700 women and children, pillaging homes and stealing all of the crops before returning to Masada.
After the revolt, ownership of the settlement in En Gedi was transferred to the Roman Emperor and the settlement seemed to take on new life. From documents unearthed in Wadi Hever, we learned about the wealth and possessions of the Jews living in the area. A unit of 100 Roman soldiers (Centuria) was stationed in En Gedi, entrusted with the task of ensuring peace in the region. A Roman bathhouse was apparently built for use by this army and remnants of the bathhouse were discovered in the date groves located northwest of the ancient En Gedi settlement.

The Bar Kokhba Revolt
During the period of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (130-135 CE), the region of the Dead Sea was an important center that supplied salt and agricultural products to the rebels. Letters found in Wadi Hever, indicate that Bar Kokhba claimed that the people of En Gedi did not provide enough help for his warriors, evidenced by the fact that supplies did not always arrive. The Romans put down the rebellion by force, En Gedi was destroyed once again and its inhabitants fled. A new Jewish settlement was established in En Gedi as early as the third century CEo A synagogue was erected in the middle of the village and with the passage of years, it was modified, enlarged and renovated. During the last period of its existence, it was a large and magnificent edifice that represented the economic prosperity experienced by the inhabitants. In 1965, while a field was being plowed, remnants of the synagogue's mosaic floor were discovered. Archeological excavations carried out since then have uncovered a number of Hebrew and Aramaic inscriptions in the mosaic floor, one of which contains the genealogy from Adam to Japheth, another consists of a list of the months and the signs of the zodiac. Also uncovered were inscriptions dedicated to donors who contributed to the erection of the synagogue. A very interesting inscription contains threats and curses anyone who would be the cause of controversy, libel or reveal the secrets of '1he citY' to strangers. The secret might have been the cultivation and processing of the persimmon - the source of the region's wealth. Around the middle of the sixth century CE, the Jewish settlement of En Gedi was destroyed by fire and abandoned. During the fourth century CE, a garden tower was built on the slopes of the mountain above the Goren Hillock. This might have served as a guardtower for guarding the persimmon groves or the facilities used to manufacture perfume.

The Mameluke Period
During the Mameluke Period (13th-14th centuries CE) a small village existed in En Gedi and ~ contained a flourmill that was constructed next to the En Gedi spring. In time, this colony was also abandoned. From that time, until the Israeli War of Independence (1947), no permanent settlement existed in the region. However, from the 19th century until the War Flourml of Independence, bedouins from the Rashida tribe resided there in the winters and mostly cultivated vegetables in the oasis.

En Gedi During the 20th Century
On a rainy night on March 9th 1949, a company attached to the Alexandroni Division and commanded by Shmariya Gutman, a member of Kibbutz Na'an (and a part-time archeologist) sailed on the Dead Sea from Sodom, intending to settle En Gedi in an attempt to include this location within the borders of the State of Israel. In 1953, a Nachal company (an army division consisting of pioneering fighting youths) settled on the land. Three years later the settlement turned into a kibbutz. The members of the kibbutz proceeded to erect a youth hostel adjacent to the kibbutz and in 1959, the Nature Protection Authority established its first field school, located in En Gedi.

Reptiles, Amphibians
We shall mention only two species of poisonous snakes: the black viper/basilic (Tractaspic engaddinsis) (the En Gedi viper) and the adder (Echis coloratus) , and one non-poisonous species: the Coluber rhodorhachis. In addition, several species of lizards can be found in the reserve, such as the Desert and Sinai agama.
Amphibians are also represented in the reserve, it is possible to hear the loud croaking of male River frogs (Rama ridibunda) on the banks of the rivers, inviting the females to mate.
The Polyrhacis simplex stands out among the insects that inhabit the reserve. It is social insect that originated in India and Burma. This ant is particularly prevalent in Wadi Arugot, where it constructs its characteristic nests, mainly under rocks. The adult ant bears the larva, which secretes Polyrhacis simplex a silk thread from a special gland, and uses it to weave a web that covers the opening walls of the nest. The ants also feed on "honey dew", a sweet liquid secreted by many different species of aphids and cicadas, tended by the ants. In order to protect the aphids and cicadas from the sun, the ants secrete threads and weave coverings around the branches on which they lie.
Several species of black and yellow xylocopa (tree bees) are common in the reserve. The bees drill tunnels in tree trunks, in which the females lay their eggs.
Colotis fausta and Colotis phisadia are tropical butterflies that live in the reserve. The reserve is home to many different species of dragonflies - insects that thrive in a humid environment: it is easy to recognise adult dragonflies by their colours and large wings. The female lays her eggs in the water, where the larvae hatches and predates.
The river crab (Potamon potamios) and the river snail (melanopsis) inhabit the sweet water pools and rivers.

Agriculture
En Gedi has always been famous for its dates - "I rose like the C date palm in En Gedi" (Ben Sira 24:4) but it is particularly noted - for the cultivation of aromatic plants and medicinal herbs. The henna plant (/ausonia), which produces the yellowish-red aromatic dye used to colour hair, nails and teeth, was cultivated on the irrigated terraces located between the springs:
"a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En Gedi" (Song of Songs 1 :14)
Jericho and En Gedi became especially famous for the persimmon, as can be seen in the Sanhedrin writings: "...who, envious of the rich, would deposit persimmon with them ... and in the evenings, would come and like dogs, smell them (the persimmons) out (and thus know where the treasure was hidden) (Sanhedrin 109, 71)
The exact nature of this plant is not known (it should not be confused with the present day persimmon). It may have been the "balsam" that was called "perfume" in the Bible. Perfume was obtained by collecting the resin that flowed from the plant, after its stem had been cut. The following verse attests to the plant's scent: "...who would bring the crop of a chicken and fill it with persimmon, and then put it in her shoe, under the heel, and when she would see a group of boys, she would press the persimmon and its fragrance would stir them like, poison ... (Eicha Raba, Ch 4,18). When Marc Anthony wanted to bestow a generous gift to his lover, Cleopatra, he confiscated the persimmon groves in Jericho and En Gedi in her name, whereupon Herod hastened to lease them from her. The persimmon was so significant that Titus and Vespasian exhibited the fruit during their victory march in Rome after having put down the Great Revolt.
According to the Roman historian Pliny "the Elder", the Jews endeavored to uproot the persimmon groves during the fighting in En Gedi so that they would not fall into the hands of the Romans, but the latter were careful to protect them and fought for every plant.

Upper Wadi David - David's Waterfall, Shulamit's Spring, Dodim's Cave, the En Gedi Spring - a scenic trail from which one can see the desert oasis of En Gedi and overlook the Dead Sea. One can discover the natural flora of the reserve and reach its water source. Dodim's Cave is located above David's Waterfall. It is a karstic cave. The trail passes close to archaeological sites: the Chalcolite temple, the flourmill, ancient water reservoirs and terraces for irrigated cultivation.

Lookout path, the Dry Canyon, the En Gedi Spring, Lower Wadi David - a scenic trial along the "seam line" between the desert portion of the reserve and the oasis. It is possible to follow the northern bank of Wadi David, go down to its canyon-like, dry section 'Jntil the Dry Waterfall, and then return by following the southern bank of the river. From the Dry Waterfall one has a beautiful view of the descent of Wadi David, the Dead Sea and the Moabite Mountains in the east.
The three trails described below ascend to the top of the desert, overlooking the magnificent view of the Judean Desert to the west and towards the Dead Sea and the Moabite Mountains to the east. The ancient paths are the En Gedi (Flower Hill) and the Essenes Ascents. The trails are:
* Walk through the field school crossing to Mount Yishai, walk on the desert plain until reaching the En Gedi Lookout; descend via the En Gedi (Flower Hill) Ascent and along Lower Wadi David, exiting through the Wadi David ticket office.
* Climb from the Goren Hillock up the En Gedi (Flower Hill) Ascent to the En Gedi Lookout; descend through the Bene Hamoshavim Ascent to Wadi Arugot, exiting through the Wadi Arugot ticket office.
* Climb up the Zruya Ascent from Kibbutz En Gedi to the desert plain, descending via the Essenes Ascent to Wadi Arugot, exiting through the Wadi Arugot ticket oft ice.