Israel part 2: The Shephelah and Zichron Ya'acov

The Shephelah is the region of foothills between the coastal plain on the west and the Judean mountains to the east. We drove up through the Shephelah on our way from the southern part of the country up to the northwestern corner near Haifa. The Israelites lived in the Judean mountains while the Philistines occupied the coastal plains so the Shephelah was the site of many Old Testament battles and stories. Here are some photos just to give a feel for the country...I believe this is part of the Valley of Elah where David killed Goliath:













This was the site of Beth Shemesh where the Israelites looked up and saw the ark of the covenant being sent back by the Philistines:


This lush country was about an hour's drive north of the barren Negev desert and we were struck by the stark differences on such a small scale. Then another hour and a half up the coast, we stayed at the small town of Zichron Ya'acov, founded by Baron Edmund de Rothschild in the late 1880s as part of the Zionist movement. We stayed in a renovated horse stable in a family's backyard...isn't it lovely??












































Zichron Ya'acov was a very cute town with a neat main street. Here's a photo of the pool Rothschild built in 1891 to provide water for the residents.

















Suzy and David sitting at breakfast in a local cafe and then one of the four of us. We're a happy bunch. :)