Geo 1: Geography as a shaper of culture
Where: Mitzpe Ramon & Nabatian.
Duration: 1 days
What to bring: High-topped shoes, hat, sunscreen, water
Language: The tour is originally in English.
The region called the Land of Israel contains a significant part of the geological formations on Earth. The question is, how and whether this unique and complex geography shaped a unique culture, and how it affected the inhabitants of the desert, the mountains, the coastal areas, etc.
Our tour will follow the amazing geology, the African Rift Valley and its impact, the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the Craters of the Negev, the Mountain Spine, the Golan Heights and more. We'll see the ancient roads, the incense trade route, the sea route (Via Maris), we'll talk about the King's Highway, the postal route, and more.
Possibility to purchase another night to continue a trip in the area for Geo 2
Activities
We'll begin with a tour of the Ramon Crater (the largest erosion cirque in the world), and we'll discuss the creation of soil formations, the structure of the earth, terrestrial plates, animals and flora in the crater, people in the area, and the hints and signs that remain from the powerful forces which formed the crater.
We will continue on to a Nabataean city, among the wealthiest of the ancient world. Moving on southward we will see signs of human phenomena from the Neolithic period, the Leopard Temple, we will visit a Bedouin tent and learn about Bedouin life in the desert. We'll end the day at a modern Jewish settlement, one that is turning the desert green.
Generally, we stay overnight in one of the settlements in the desert; the tour of the surrounding area is comprehensive and includes additional areas, so it will take another day. In the evening, after a meal and shower, we will sit and talk freely about a variety of topics related to this area such as ecology and conservation, the development of new communities in the desert, employment, desert art, master plans for the region for the next 100 years. If we still have energy, I will talk about two Israeli songs created in this region, and the story behind the songs.
Jeremiah - Chapter 2 - "Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: so said the Lord: I remember to you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown. Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His grain; all who eat him shall be guilty, evil shall befall them, says the Lord."