Special Sub-Topic: Touring The Golan Heights Authored by: dovbear Sub-topic of: Israel

This site is attributed to the Giant King Og. It consists of circles of rocks like Stonehenge, England. It was not excavated until after the Six Day War. This site was known in Arabic as Rujm el Hiri- "Cat's foot" but in Hebrew it's called_______________ meaning "Giant's Circles".

Galgal Refaim. For more information refer to Deuteronomy 3:11 :"(Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaites. His bed [c] was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. [d] It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)"

Here in this city in the Golan you can find the remains of this ancient synagogue that bears the city's name and the Talmudic Village.

Katzrin. Katzrin is also spelled Qatzrin on some signs and maps. The synagogue that is located here is believed to have been dismantled from a prior site, perhaps in the Golan, and moved to its present location

What was the name of the largest Syrian town in the Golan Heights until 1967- The Six Day War?

Kuneitra. Although Kuneitra was the largest Syrian town in the Golan Heights until 1967, the Israeli government decided not to attack it for fear of Soviet intervention on the Arab's behalf. Israelis were surprised, therefore, when, on the last day of fighting, Syrian radio announced that Israelis soldiers had moved in and conquered Kuneitra. Syrian authorities hoped the falsified broadcast would result in immediate Soviet intervention and thereby save the city. But the announcement had quite the opposite effect on the local residents, who fled in fear. Israel sent forces into the town as soon as the news became public, but when they arrived they found the town abandoned. At the war's end Kuneitra was in Israeli hands. The village since then has been returned to Syria and has been left abandoned as a propaganda site against Israel.

This Israeli National Park holds the remains of the largest Byzantine monastic complex in the north?

Kursi. The Byzantine church located on the Sea of Galilee, was built to commemorate the Gadarene Swine mentioned in the gospels. ref: Mark 5:5 The funny way it was discovered was in 1969, when Israel began building highway 92 around the eastern side of the Kinneret. Once it was found and assessed for what it was the road was rerouted.

This site, located in a national park, is known as 'The Masada of the North'?

Gamla. In 1968, Itzhak Gal was the first to suggest the location of Gamla recalling information from Josephus' "The Jewish Wars".Here was a young man who retained what he read, and fit the landscape into the historical record almost two thousands years later!

Mentioned only once in the New Testament as Caesarea-Phillipi, this place is more commonly known as ___________________________?

Banias. The name Banias is actually a bastardization of the given name Panias. Pan being the chief temple god located at this site. The "P" was unpronounceable to the Arabs and it came into being pronounced with a "B" in its place, hence Banias. The NT reference can be found in Matthew chapter 16.

This city was known by several names all identifying it with a horse. These names include Sussita in Aramaic, Kal'at el-Husn in Arabic and, probably the best known, the Greek ma,e ____________________?

Hippos. This most extraordinary site was once part of the Decapolis and was destroyed in 749 CE. It was never to be rebuilt again.

Not much is really known about this natural wonder, but it is thought to have been a volcanic crater that filled with water.

Ram Pool. Interestingly enough 2,000 years ago Herod's son Phillip claimed to have thrown chaff into the pool which later came to arrive in Banias further down the mountain. Scientists of modern times have tried duplicate this with isotopes with no success, discounting Phillip's observation of an under ground connection.

This castle gets its name from a biblical hunter, but he never spent a day in it!

Nimrod's Fortress. Although it looks like a Crusader castle in appearance, the lack of a church inside the fortress area, strongly suggests that the Crusaders did not build this compound. It is attributed to both Crusader and Muslim builders, and is well worth a visit.

This mountain is Israel's tallest and forms the border in the extreme north between Israel, Lebanon and Syria.

Mount Hermon. This mountain is actually many mountains with various peak elevations. There is a surrounding population of Druze people who inhabit this region.