Ein Gedi National Park

Ein Gedi: One of several oases located on the Western shores of the Dead Sea. The place is famous for its caves, springs, waterfalls and rich diversity of flora and fauna. Ein Gedi is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible, for example according to Jewish tradition, David, before he became king, hid from King Saul in the caves of Ein Gedi: 1 Samuel 24:1 and in 1 Samuel Chapter 23:29. 2 Chronicles Chapter 20:2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying: ‘There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Aram; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’–the same is En-Gedi, and in the Song of Songs 1:14.

Kibbutz Ein Gedi, founded in 1956, is located about a kilometer from the oasis. It offers various tourist attractions, a beautiful hostel, a botanical garden and cultivate out-of-season agricultural produce such as tasty Majhoul dates.

Ein Gedi National Park: The Park was founded in 1972 and is one of the most important nature reserves in Israel. It includes two spring-fed streams with year-round flowing water. Most of the water is used for agriculture and some of it is bottled for consumption by Kibbutz Ein Gedi.

The park is a sanctuary for many unique indigenous type of plants, birds and animal species. The flora includes plants and trees from tropical, desert, African, Mediterranean, and mountainous regions, such as Sodom apple, acacia, jujube, and poplar. Many species of resident birds such as the Tristramit, discovered by Henry Baker Tristram during the 19^th C, are supplemented during the migration periods in the spring and fall by about 200 temporary species. Mammal species include: the ibex, hyrax, hyenas, fox, wolves and not long ago leopards.