In and around Jerusalem

 

 

Most of the terraces in the Judean Mountains within the Green Line are no longer used for agriculture, and many have been forested by the Jewish National Fund. Sataf is an exception. Its terraces have been restored by the JNF, vines and olive, fig, pomegranate and almond trees have been planted, and hiking trails laid out to create an outdoor "foots-on" museum of ancient agriculture. The views overlooking Nahal Sorek are also extremely impressive. Sataf is only a short distance from Jerusalem and is understandably a popular place for hiking. 

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Are you finding this website useful? You will also find my new book “In and Around Jerusalem for Everyone,” extremely valuable. It is a guide to the best walks, hikes and attractions in and around Jerusalem. For more details, incredible reviews and purchasing options see our Home page.

But before you do this, check out this short movie!

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Time: About 2¾ hours 

Distance:  About 5¾ Km 

Type of hike: Circular

Difficulty: Easy hiking. Fom Ein Bikura to the parking lot there is a 30-minute somewhat steep ascent on a rocky path.  

Starting point: Upper park lot in the Sataf Reserve. There is a WC in the adjacent building.

Driving directions and parking: Enter "Sataf" into Waze, click on "Sataf, Tzova" and "סטף -החניה העליונה" will apear. There is plenty of free parking here.

Public transportation: Bus 183 provides an infrequent service from Binyanei Ha'umah to Misaf Sataf, and from here it is a 6-minute walk (0.3 mile) to the Sataf upper parking lot. Enter "מסעף סטף" into Moovit.  

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OVERVIEW

"ANCIENT AGRICULTURE" IN ISRAEL

The term “ancient agriculture” is a relative one, since the type of agriculture used in these mountains for thousands of years is still being used by many Arab villagers throughout Judea and Samaria. A better term, therefore, might be non-modern agriculture. 

There are three components to this type of agriculture: 1. Trees and shrubs adapted to the Mediterrranean climate are grown on mountainside terraces; 2. Vegetables are grown below springs of water; and 3. Wheat and other grains are grown in the valleys. The first two components are on display in Sataf.

When the Israelites came to Canaan at the time of Joshua, the best agricultural land in the valleys and coastal plain was being used by the Canaanites and other tribes, and the Israelites were unable to completely dislodge them. They therefore settled in the mountains and their agriculture was on the mountainside terraces.

To build terraces is not as difficult as it might seem. Much of the ridging on the mountainsides is natural and is due to different rates of erosion of the underlying limestone. Therefore, all the farmer needed to do was to gather loose rocks to build walls behind which soil could accumulate. Soil from the valleys may also have been added for topsoil. Trees and shrubs able to survive the long rain-free summer, such as vines and olive, fig, pomegranate and almond trees, were planted on these terraces.

This type of agriculture is often called “Ba’al agriculture”, and you will be walking on the “Baal trail”.

Why this name?

Ba'al was a Canaanite god believed to control storms, agriculture and fertility. This name also means master or lord in Hebrew, and could refer to the Jewish God. Thus, early Israelites who used this term were covering both bases!

This hike overlooks the deep Nahal Sorek. The word "Sorek" means "special vine", and this area was once an important grape growing area. In Israelite, Roman and Byzantine times, these terraces would have been replete with vines. However, when the Muslims took over the country, the vines were uprooted and replaced with olive trees because of the Muslim restriction on drinking alcohol.

The springs in this area also permitted vegetables to be grown throughout the year. The erosion that created Nahal Sorek brought an aquifer close to the surface and there are many springs along the valley. There are two springs in Sataf - Ein Sataf and Ein Bikura. Homes were usually built above the spring so as not to waste good agricultural land, and vegetable gardens were planted below the spring. Water was brought to the vegetable gardens by channels. Look carefully and you will see the aqueducts that still bring spring water to the vegetables grown in this demonstration vegetable garden.

Irrigation has changed the way that agriculture is done in Israel, and irrigating terraces is not usually economical. But thanks to the Jewish National Fund, we can see close up how agriculture was practiced in this area for thousands of years.



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THE OLIVE TREE - A UNIQUELY ADAPTED MEDITERRANEAN TREE 

Which city receives more rain every year - Jerusalem or London?

The answer may surprise you, but the average annual rainfall in London is about the same as in Jerusalem, even though London is not usually considered to be a particularly dry city. How can this be? The answer is that rainfall in Israel occurs in strong downpours for 7 to 8 months of the year while its summers are without rain, giving the impression that Israel is a very dry country. A consequence of this rainfall pattern is that only bushes and trees able to survive the long and dry summers are able to flourish in this country. 

The olive tree is one of the "seven species" mentioned in the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8), some of which are uniquely adapted to survive the dry summers of the Mediterranean Basin. The success of the olive tree is due to its deep rooting system and its ability to use water with a high salt content. In addition, the upper surface of the olive leaf is green and the lower surface is silvery and felt-like, and this aspect of its lower surface reduces water loss. The leaves of the olive tree also turn in sunlight, thereby exposing the lighter-green undersurface of the leaf and giving the tree a glittering appearance in the sun. As for other plants, the olive tree benefits from summer dew. Hot summer air holds more moisture than winter air, and dew condenses on surfaces as the temperature cools at night. 

The olive tree thrives well on the calcareous soil of the limestone slopes and crags of Judea and Samaria. It is also a very hardy plant and is often able to survive drought, disease and fire. This is because it produces shoots from the base of the main trunk, and these can develop into new trunks if the main trunk is damaged. In this way, an olive tree can survive hundreds of years. Nowadays, most Jewish olive groves are irrigated to increase the quality and yield of olives, but this is not the case for Arab olive groves and was not the case in the past. 

Unripe olives are green and at the beginning of the rainy season they ripen to a black/brown/purple color and become juicier. In Biblical times, olives were harvested by beating the tree, and the Torah instructs that some of the produce from these beaten branches be left for the poor (Deuteronomy 24:20). However, such beating can damage the branches and subsequent yield of the tree, and in Mishnaic times olives were harvested by picking them. 

Olive oil was obtained by crushing the olive and its pit by a stone mill. The pit also contains oil and was included in the crushing. The crushed pieces were then placed in a hanging sack from which the oil dripped out, and in this way olive oil from the “first press” was obtained. 

Olive oil burns nicely without smoke and was used for cooking and lighting. This was important in ancient Israel since many people were literate, and this property of olive oil enabled reading and writing to continue when the agricultural day was over.

Olives are now one of the most extensively grown fruits globally. Spain is the biggest producer of olive oil in the world. Israel also has an olive oil industry, although it is not as competitive price-wise as Spanish olive oil.

Olive oil is an important ingredient of the Mediterranean diet and is an extremely healthy food because of its high content of anti-oxidant polyphenols that protect against "oxidative stress". Oxidative stress is the basis of many diseases, including heart disease. Raw olives also have a high content of polyphenols, as do olive leaves. 

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The Trail:

Before starting this hike, walk over to the observation area adjacent to the parking lot overlooking Nahal Sorek to orientate yourself. Its entrance has green railings. 

Nahal Sorek is a deep valley that begins close to Ramalla and winds its way for about 70 Km to the coast. Opposite you, on a lower hill on the other side of the valley is the moshav Even Sapir, founded by immigrants from Kurdistan. At the bottom of this hill and surrounded by a brick enclosure is the Franciscan Monastery of St. John in the Wilderness. This monastery commemorates John the Baptist living in the wilderness as an orphaned child and young adult. Originally, there was a Crusader church and convent here, although the present buildings date from the 1920's. At the top of the adjacent hill are the houses of the moshav Aminadav and to the left those of Orah. Both moshavim were formed by Yemenite Jews. On your far left, you can see the campus of Hadassah Medical Center. 

 

• Take the paved road that passes some run-down buildings and you will soon see on your right a sign with three green pointers. Follow the green trail down the steps. At the 3-way intersection, turn right onto the blue-marked  "שביל הבעל" (the Ba'al Path).

• After about 25-30 minutes, you will come to a picnic area with picnic benches, barbecue stands, and drinking water. Take the steps down to the paved road. 

• The continuation of the blue trail is on the other side of the road, a bit to your right. Therefore, cross the road and go down the steps. 

• This path soon touches the shoulder of a paved road. Before following the sign pointing you in the direction of the continuation of the blue-marked trail, walk over to the terrace above this to a large wooden sign. 

This sign informs you that following Biblical law you may help yourself to any produce that you pick on the terraces, although you are not permitted to take anything away. It also points out that the relevant Biblical verse is: "When you come into the vineyard of your fellow, you may eat grapes as is your desire, to your fill, but you may not put into your vessel" (Deuteronomy 23:25). Does this mean that the Bible permits any hungry hiker to help him or herself to produce from anyone's field? The answer is that one cannot interpret Torah verses such as this without the help of the Jewish oral tradition. The Talmud explains that this law refers to workers harvesting crops who have the Bible's permission to eat the owner's crops as long as the plant is still attached to the ground (Bava Metzia 87 a-b). Otherwise, going into anyone's field and helping oneself to the produce is theft. Nevertheless, you have the permission of Keren Kayemet to take a more lenient approach to the fruit growing here and to eat as much as you like! 

• Follow the blue-marked trail and you will pass through a terrace with fig trees . In the terrace below are vines, and there are olive trees on the far side of the valley opposite you. 

• You will soon come to a sign pointing to “Shomera (guard’s hut)" . It is possible to walk up to it, but it can be seen just as well walking along the path. (See the hike "Ein Hindeq and Ein Karem" for more information about these structures).

• The next stop is a large well-preserved Byzantine wine press  hewed into the bedrock labelled "גת עתיקה".

In the past, grapes were not sent to a winery for fermentation as they are today, as the fermentation process starts very soon after picking. They were therefore fermented close to the farmer's field in vats chiseled into bedrock. The Byzantine mosaic floor here reminds us that extracting juice from the grapes was a gentle process, usually done by foot. Unlike olives, the grape pits were not crushed, as this would impart a bitter taste to the wine. 

• You will soon come to the ruins of a Byzantine church and some large Kernes Oak trees  (אלון מצוי) close by. This is the most common oak species found in Israel. Unlike the two other oak species seen in this country, this oak is an evergreen. The large size of these trees is unusual for the Judean Mountains. They are usually shrub-like because of felling and grazing by goats. However, the sanctity associated with this area discouraged people from cutting them down.

• When the trail ends at a T-junction, turn left onto the green-marked trail that will take you to the Sataf pool . There is a functioning water tap on the way with drinking water.

Ein Sataf was the spring for the village of Sataf. A notice by the cave entrance describes how it was constructed. You can enter the cave to see the source of the spring at the end of the tunnel, although you will need a flashlight. In front of the cave is a shallow pool that children enjoy playing in. A small room built into the back wall of the pool is where women may have done their laundry, although its entrance is now closed. 

• The vegetable gardens  should be visited. Retrace your steps on the green-marked trail and just past its junction with the blue trail you will see on your left a sign pointing to "עין-ביכורה". The vegetable gardens are below you as you walk along the terrace. 

At first glance, these vegetable gardens look like any vegetable garden you would see in the West. But look closer and you will see that there are aqueducts and that the vegetables are grown on heaped up soil between channels. This is how vegetables were irrigated in ancient times - by controlled flooding of the plants with spring water.

• To visit the pool of Ein Bikura , descend on the steps that are just before the overhead vines. 

• Just beyond Ein Bikura ascend by the steps by the vines to a 3-way intersection. Turn right on the green-marked trail in the direction of "צומת סטף". Behind you, are the ruins of the village of Sataf.

• Ascending the green trail on the stone steps and rock, you will pass the Ophir Rest Area on your left. This is a memorial to a young lad who died from an accident. 

• Cross the paved road (which is actually a red-marked road), and continue up on the green trail to its junction with the blue trail. This is the junction from which you started this hike on the Ba'al Path. There are picnic benches in this area. Continue up the hill on the green trail until you come to the paved road. Turn left on this road to the parking lot. 

 

NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST:

There are a number of places of interest in Kibbutz Tzuba, which is just a 5-minute drive from here:

Galita Chocolate Factory: This is located on your left just after entering the kibbutz. The kids will enjoy working with chocolate molds, chocolate creams and dressings to make professional looking and great tasting chocolates. The chocolate is kosher lemehadrin. A video is shown on the origins of chocolate. The cost depends on what you make. The Factory is open 10.00 AM -6.00 PM and is closed on Shabbat and holidays. Reservations are required – call (02) 534-7650. 

Kiftzuba Amusement Park: This amusement park is also located by the kibbutz entrance on your left as you enter. Its activities include bumper cars, a “Jungle train,” large inflatables, electric bicycles, a playroom, game machines, and café for refreshments. It is open all week long in July and August, and on Fridays and Saturdays from December to March and in April. Their contact number is (02) 534-7952.

Tzuba Winery is located in the kibbutz. All wines are kosher mehadrin. The vineyards are cultivated by the kibbutz in an area that was historically a major wine-producing area in Biblical times. Wine tasting and guided tours of the winery,vineyards and ancient wine presses are available by calling (02) 534-7000.

  

The ancient terraces of Sataf have been restored by the Jewish National Fund and planted with fruit trees. 

 

The entrance to the underground tunnel to the spring of Ein Sataf. The tunnel can be entered and the spring explored.

 

The moshav of Even Sapir can be seen on the other side of Nahal Sorek. 

 

The vegetable gardens and ruins of the Arab village of Sataf.