In and around Jerusalem

This circular walk visits the important sites on Mount Scopus, including its beautiful Botanical Garden and its two lookout points - one with views of the the Temple Mount and City of Jerusalem, and the other on the eastern side of the mountain of the Judean Desert. 

BACKGROUND

ACADEMIA ON MOUNT SCOPUS - A VISION BROUGHT TO REALITY

Jews have viewed their Zionism through different lenses. The vision of many Eastern European Jews was to discard the picture of the defenseless diaspora Jew and develop a normal country like all others based on socialist ideals. For many religious Jews it was to develop a religious state that would bring about the coming of the Messiah. For others, Israel was to be a place from where the academic talent of the Jewish people could shine and light up the rest of the world. The Hebrew University was the beginning of this vision and its dedication was a major event in the country. 

Mount Scopus is called in Hebrew “Har Hatzofim”, which means “Mountain of the Watchers”.  It is the highest point on the Mount of Olives mountain range and overlooks the Temple Mount. Because of this it has always been a strategically important point. The Roman general Titus organized the siege and destruction of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus following the Great Revolt of 66 CE.  The Crusaders also used it as a base when attacking Jerusalem, as did General Allenby during World War I. 

The notion of establishing a university in then Palestine had been the dream of a number of influential founding members of the Zionist movement, and the 11^th Zionist Congress in 1913 approved the concept. The vision got closer to fruition with purchase of land on Mount Scopus that year, and in 1925 the Hebrew University was dedicated with much accolade in the Hebrew University amphitheater in the presence of leading figures from Israel, representatives from foreign universities, General Allenby, and officials of the British government, including Lord Balfour.

The establishment of other academic and healing institutes on Mount Scopus would follow. The Botanical Garden was founded in 1931 on the Hebrew University grounds with the aim of displaying the indigenous vegetation of Palestine and its surroundings. The 300-bed Hadassah Hospital was opened next to the university in 1938 and included a Nursing School and research institute. 

During the War of Independence in 1948, a civilian convey bringing medical supplies, nurses and doctors to Hadassah Hospital was ambushed and 78 Jews were killed. The hospital was subsequently abandoned. Nevertheless, Jewish forces remained on Mount Scopus because of its strategic location, even though surrounded by Jordanian forces. In the Armistice Agreement following the war, Mount Scopus was demarcated as a demilitarized police position, although soldiers were brought in surreptitiously to fortify the position. For 19 years it remained a Jewish enclave within Arab East Jerusalem and was supplied by a convoy every 2 weeks. In the meantime, the Hebrew University opened a new branch in Givat Ram, and Hadassah University Medical School opened a new hospital in Ein Karem.

Following the 1967 Six Day War and reunification of the city, branches of the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital were reopened here. The Botanical Garden was also brought back to its former beauty and opened again to the public in 1988.

Almost 100 years later, Israel has 7 public universities offering degrees up to the doctorate level and many institutions of higher learning. In terms of world rankings, the Hebrew University was 145^th in 2018. This "start-up nation" is indeed putting its talent into providing light for the rest of the world.

Time: Depending on how much time you want to spend in the garden and lookouts, allow at least 2½ hours.

Distance: About 5½ Km.

Starting point: The walk starts at the corner of Aharon Katsir St. and Churchill Blvd. on Mount Scopus.

Difficulty: This is an easy walk and is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Because of the steps at the beginning of the Botanical Gardens, if you have a wheelchair, you will need to enter the gardens from the main university thoroughfare through the short tunnel to the Fern display closer to its far end.

Directions: Enter into Waze "אהרון קציר/שדרות צ׳רצ׳יל" 

Public transport: The University and University Hospital are well serviced by public transport, with bus stops on Mount Scopus or Sde HaUniversita Ha’Ivrit. The nearest light rail stop is Ammunition Hill, which is about a 10-15 minute walk. 

BACKGROUND

Botany on Mount Scopus

The plant display in the Botanical Garden on Mount Scopus is quite unique, with almost 1,000 plant species  arranged in groups according to their phyto-geographical distribution and representing over 40% of the wild plant species that can be seen in Israel.

Like all scientific fields, botany has its own technical terms, and since this garden was set up by botanists, technical terms are used in the signs by the displays.This background article will help you sort out the information. Almost all of it can be found in the garden, but it is not presented that systematically.

Much of this country was once covered by 3 types of forests  - Tabor Oak, Aleppo Pine and Kermes Oak forests. When Joshua told the tribes of Joseph to cut down trees in their tribal inheritance, he meant they should cut down some of these forests and use the land for agriculture (Joshua 17:18). A forest area of Tabor Oak is demonstrated in area 6.

As a result of the husbandry of sheep and goats, charcoal making, and agriculture, deforestation occurred from the Late Bronze Age on, and this led to erosion of much of the topsoil. Hence, the early Zionists came to a country in which much of the topsoil had been eroded. 

The first stage in the natural reclamation of the land is growth of what is called “batha,” which is low vegetation consisting of dwarf shrubs, herbaceous plants such as juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender, and geophytes, which are plants with bulbs and corms. The next stage in the return to scrub and forest is the growth of “garigue,” which is represented by taller plants - 1 to 2 meter high shrubs, and also dwarf shrubs and herbaceous plants. The stage after this is the growth of “maquis,” a dense thicket of low trees, shrubs, and climbers seen in a typical Mediterranean landscape.

Soil characteristics also affect plant life. In the semi-arid southern regions of the country which have an annual rainfall of only about 200–400 mm, one sees semi-shrubland rather than maquis, with sub-shrubs, herbs and geophytes. The sandstone ranges and sandy areas of the coastal plain resemble dry lands due to rapid rain infiltration and sea winds.

The vegetation in Israel is unique for such a small country because of its extreme bio-diversity. This is seen particularly in the southern areas. Israel is situated at the meeting point of three phyto-geographical regions - Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Arabian. Mediterranean species that are widely distributed over the entire Mediterranean climate region reach their southern limit of distribution in Israel; Saharan or Asian desert species reach their northern limits of distribution here; and Irano-Turanian species reach their western limit.

For those interested in Israeli wild plants, the following are interesting websites: Flora of Israel on Line. On this beautifully illustrated website, you can look up details and distribution in Israel of any plant you wish. Also Wild Flowers of Israel.

The walk:

• Walk along Churchill Blvd., and you will soon come to the British Military Cemetery  on your left. It is permitted to enter the cemetery, but much can be seen from its entrance.

This is one of 5 British military cemeteries laid out by the British in Palestine. The land for this particular cemetery was donated by the Jews of Palestine to the British Government in gratitude for their issuing of the Balfour Declaration. The cemetery contains the remains of 2,500 soldiers from Britain and the British Empire who died in battles in Palestine during World War I (1914-1918).  Its central avenue contains the Cross of Sacrifice and the Stone of Remembrance found in all British military cemeteries. The chapel at the far end is a memorial to the 3,300 personnel killed in Palestine and Egypt who have no identified grave. The statue guarding its entrance is Saint George, who has been a patron saint of England since the 13th century. There are also 24 Jewish graves in the western section of the cemetery. 

• After viewing the cemetery, consider turning into the next road on your left leading to Hadassah Hospital. As you do so, you will appreciate that this hospital, as are other hospitals in Israel, are the most integrated institutions in this country in terms of Jews and Arabs working together. The staff is Jewish and Arab, and in this hospital many of the patients are Arab.

Notice the large brown statue in front of you overlooking the Judean Desert. It is called the Tree of Life  and is meant to show the dynamism of the Jewish faith. It was commissioned by Hadassah’s Women’s Organization and designed by Jacques Lipchitz. It shows the branches of a tree with flames at their ends, like a menorah. The figures displayed are Moses holding the Ten Commandments, Noah, and Jacob struggling with the angel.  

• Continue along Churchill Blvd. to the entrance to the university . Enter Gate 1 and pass through the university security building. You will need an ID card. On exiting this building, ascend the steps immediately on your left to enter the Botanical Garden . Turn left at the top of the steps and then turn right up more steps. Before you is a sign with a plan of the garden. Identify the “central path” that leads through the garden.

This garden is laid out in “phyto-geographical” sections separated by paths - each section showing plants typically found in such areas. Each section has an explanatory sign that is well worth reading. After the “Batha and Garigue vegetation group” (area 9), there is a section on “Traditional Agriculture”. There are benches here on which to relax. You can also descend from here to the Visitor Center to obtain a map of the garden. The Visitor Center has a WC.  

• Shortly after the “Traditional Agriculture” area, a short tunnel on your right leads to an area of ferns (area 4 “Hydrophytes”). The continuation of this path, leads to Nicanor’s tomb .

Since burial was not permitted within the walls of Jerusalem, burial chambers were sought in the areas around the city, and Mount Scopus was an ideal location. The Cave of Nicanor is a burial cave from the Second Temple period. An inscription on an ossuary discovered here indicated that it contained “The bones of the family of Nicanor of Alexandria who made the doors”. We know from the Talmud (Yoma 38a) that Nicanor of Alexandria donated two elaborate copper gates for the Second Temple. (The ossuaries here are reconstructed and the originals are in the British Museum in London).

In the ossuary system used here, the body was first placed in a temporary grave and after some years the skeletal remains were removed and placed in an ossuary. This burial method was used for only a relatively short time and was no longer in use after the Second Temple period.

• Above the tunnel and also below it are two areas of dense Mediterranean marquis (area 5). Just beyond the burial caves is a small pool with aquatic vegetation. You can also descend by one of the paths to the left to another pool with vegetation. It also has benches and is a great place to relax with the sound of running water in the background.

• The central path leads to the exit of the garden. There are WC’s by the exit. Turn left at this point passing by the Mandel Institute. By the curve in the road, you will pass the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design  on your right.

This art institute was established in 1906 by the well-known and colorful painter, sculptor and teacher Boris Dov Schatz (1867-1932), who immigrated from Bulgaria with some art teachers and pupils. The idea of forming an art institute in then Palestine had already been presented to the Zionist Congress in 1903. The name Bezalel comes from Bezalel son of Uri, who was the chief craftsman for the Biblical sanctuary in the desert. Schatz developed his own distinctive school of art of - 'Biblical Zionist romanticism". His institute began in Jerusalem's Ethiopia St. and then moved to Shmuel HaNagid St. in the center of town. The Bezalel school closed down in 1929 due to financial difficulties and disagreements over its arististic direction. After a period in Tel Aviv, it was revitalized again in the 1960's under the name the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. This institute now has over 2,000 students in the fields of fine arts, screen based arts, architecture, ceramics and glass design, industrial design, jewelry and fashion design, photography and visual communication, and has established for itself a world-wide reputation.

• This road leads to an exit gate from the university. Turn right along Martin Buber to visit two observation areas in the Tabachnik Gardens, a National Park on the southern slopes of Mount Scopus. You will pass the university outdoor amphitheater  on your right within the university grounds. It was from here that the university was inaugurated in 1925. Just before the roundabout there is a look-out area  with a gravel surface which is definitely worth a visit. An audio in Hebrew, English and Arabic explains the view and how the Judean Desert results from a rain shadow.

Stretched out before you in an eastward direction is the Judean Desert. Below you is the Arab village of Az Zaayyem. Beyond this is the city of Ma’ale Adumim, and to its left the settlement of Kfar Adumim. Ahead of you in the Judean Desert, you can make out the villages of Anata and the settlement of Almon. To your right, the bell tower of the Augusta Victoria hostel can be seen.

• At the roundabout, take the exit on the right onto Binyamin Mazar. After a while you will come to another Observation Area  on your left opposite the Hecht Synagogue within the university. 

This is a popular observation area as it looks over the Temple Mount. Try to get past the crowds, listen to the recording, which is in Hebrew, English and Arabic, and view the sign that identifies the various locations you are viewing.  You should be able to make out the eastern wall of the Old City, the golden Dome of the Rock and the silver-domed Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, the white dome of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, and the two domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter.

• ·     The next main T-junction is the end of the walk. 

To return to the main entrance of the Hebrew University, turn right at the next T-junction onto Sederot Shirat Har Hatsofim and then right onto Martin Buber. The university entrance gate is a short distance on your right. To get to Yitzhak Hanadiv and the light rail, continue along Sederot Shirat Har Hatsofim.

This is area 9 in the Botanical Garden on Mount Scopus with a phyto-geographical collection of "Batha and Garigue vegetation". Batha is low vegetation, and garigue consists of 1 to 2 meter high shrubs, dwarf shrubs and herbaceous plants.

A very pretty collection of ferns and mosses can be seen in the area of hydrophytes (area 4) in the Botanical Garden.

This is an agricultural watch tower or "shomera". Ruins of such structure can be found throughout the agricultural areas of Israel. They were used for guarding produce, as temporary living quarters for the harvester, and for storing vintaged grapes and storage jars.

A view of the Judean Desert from the eastern lookout point. Ahead is the Arab village of Az Zaayyem. Beyond this is the Jewish city of Ma’ale Adumim, and to its left the settlement of Kfar Adumim. In the distance are the mountains of Moab.