Tel Afek

My Dad is really quite familiar with Israel yet during his recent visit we did manage to find a new and fascinating place that he had not been to before - The Yarkon National Park, east of Tel Aviv. In the park you can find the remains of the biblical city Afek and the ancient city of Antipatris from the Roman and Byzantine era.
After a simple picnic in the park area and the obligatory dipping of feet - or if you are my youngest son, your whole clothed body - in the nearby streams, my boys' favourite place to visit in the park is the Ottoman Fortress, built in 1571 atop the ancient mound of Tel Afek. On the eastern slope of the mound is the British Mandate pumping station, from which Yarkon spring water was once channeled to Jerusalem.
The biblical city of Afek was clearly an important place. The Bible says that the Philistines gathered there before a decisive battle against the Israelites in the 11th century BCE. In the Roman era, Herod the Great built the city he called Antipatris. Remains of the Roman main street, with worn tracks from the cart wheels, can be seen in the area.
My youngest son had visited the park not long before with his school and took it upon himself to be our guide. He took his responsibilities very seriously and we were all impressed with what he knew about the place. And what he didn't know, he made up!
As is nearly always the case when we visit Israel's National Parks, a delightful afternoon was had by all. The mix of a picnic, water for paddling and a little history is almost always a great success.