Ein Kobi and the Seadim Ruins

After another month of lockdown I was anxious to go out and explore once again. This time Mister Handmade in Israel and I visited the spring at Ein Kobi and hiked down through the ravine of Nahal Kobi in the Begin Forest.

Kobi was a Jewish village in Roman times and Ein Kobi was its water source. The Arab village of Al Qabu was also located here. The 2,000 year old remains of the spring are situated in a valley with gorgeous vineyards and orchard trees. The water of the Ein Kobi spring has been used over the years by the farmers of the surrounding villages. 

The KKL-JNF (Jewish National Fund) have prepared Ein Kobi for hikers and have provided tables and benches. It is a lovely place for a picnic and for overnight camping. Sadly not that much is left of the village above ground except for one building, above, which dates back to the Ottoman period. It contains a prayer niche that faces Mecca, evidence that is was once a house of prayer. The prayer structure was built on the remains of an ancient building from the Roman-Byzantine period.

The highlight of the site is the spring, above. The spring flows into an underground arched chamber, which serves as an ancient collecting system. The purpose of the site was to store water for drinking and to transport the rest of the water to agricultural crops, through a tunnel to an external water reservoir, and from there to the ditches. Nowadays they are usually dry.

You can reach the spring by walking down a few steps to a structure, Beit Hama'ayan, which is enclosed by green railings. In its roof there is an opening that lets the light in during the day. Adventurous types can take a dip in the underground cistern or climb through the water tunnel. I considered it for a moment then decided against it! A 17 metre long shaft emerges from the underground pool.

After visiting the spring it was time for a hike. We passed the ruins of the mosque and found the red trail that leads to the ravine of Nahal Kobi. The descent through the ravine was somewhat steep, but there were numerous wooden or stone steps, making it quite easy. Towards the end we enjoyed wonderful views of the forested Valley of Rephaim, below, where the Philistines once encamped. The Tel Aviv – Jerusalem railway, originally known as the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway, uses the entire length of the Valley of the Rephaim from Jerusalem to its junction with Nahal Sorek.

Eventually we came to a gravel road, at which point we turned right onto the green trail which is signposted to Ein Kobi. The road took us back to our car parked at Ein Kobi.

Our next stop was at the Seadim Ruins, Horvat Saadim, in the Aminadav Forest. We followed a short path to the Byzantine agricultural farm house, olive press, and an ancient mosque that was built later on top of the ruins of the Byzantine buildings. 

Horvat Saadim is a very small nature reserve and the main reason for its recognition as such is the presence of the exceptionally large specimens of the Israeli common oak (Quercus calliprinos) that grow there - an unusual sight where this variety of oak is concerned. These oak trees may have attained their unusual proportions because of the nearby presence of the remnants of a maqam - a shrine dedicated to the memory of a Muslim saint - in this case Sheikh Ahmad. This is due to the belief that trees near a mosque should not be cut down due to the sanctity of the place. An impressively ancient carob tree can also be seen in the vicinity.

All that now remains of the mosque are two walls two metres high, one of which still retains an arch in its entirety. Sheikh Ahmad was renowned for his ability to induce fertility in barren women and this may be the source of the Arabic name of the site, Khirbet Sa'ida, which means "Fortunate Woman Ruins". 

Near the maqam, in open ground, stands a heavy stone column, below, that once supported the beam of an oil press. The basin stone of the press (the lower stone, in which the olives were crushed before the oil was extracted from them) was found in a nearby cave, which would appear to have been its original site.

Picnic tables have been placed at the foot of the ruins, among the pine trees. It was the perfect place to stop for a sandwich before returning home. It was good to be out exploring once again.

 

* This post has been shared on Nature Notes, The Good. The Random. The Fun., Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Tuesday's Treasures, Pictorial Tuesday, Our World Tuesday and My Corner of the World.