Mount Tabor
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Mount Tabor (Hebrew: הר תבור, Greek: Όρος Θαβώρ) is located in Lower Galilee, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 17 kilometres (11 mi) west of the Sea of Galilee. Its elevation at the summit is 575 metres (1,843 ft) above sea level. It is believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of Christ and site for the battle between Barak and the army of Jabin, commanded by Sisera. It is also known as Har Tavor, Itabyrium, Jebel et-Tur, and the Mount of Transfiguration.
Two Arab towns are located at its base: Shibli-Umm al-Ghanam (east) and Daburiyya (west) as well as a Jewish community called Kfar Tavor.
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[edit] Geology
The mountain is a horst, and is not volcanic. In spite of its proximity to the Nazareth mountains, it constitutes a separate geological form.
[edit] Accessibility
Mount Tabor is located off of Highway 65, and its summit is accessible by personal vehicle via Shibli's access road. The peak itself is also traversed by the Israel National Trail.
[edit] Mountain Tabor in Israelite times
The mountain is mentioned for the first time in the Bible, in Joshua 19:22, as border of three tribes: Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali. The mountain's importance stems from its strategic control of the junction of the Galilee's north-south route with the east-west highway of the Jezreel Valley. Deborah the prophetess summoned Barak of the tribe of Naphtali and gave him God's command, "Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun" (Judges 4:6). Descending from the mountain, the Israelites attacked and vanquished Sisera and the Canaanites.
In the days of Second Temple, Mount Tabor was one of the mountain peaks on which it was the customed to light beacons in order to inform the northern villages of holidays and of beginnings of new months. In 66 AD during the First Jewish-Roman War, the Galilean Jews retrenched on the mountain under the command of Josephus Flavius, whence they defended against the Roman assault.
[edit] Place of Christian pilgrimage
According to Christian tradition, Mount Tabor is the site of the Transfiguration of Christ, during which Jesus began to radiate light and was seen conversing with Moses and Elijah. The scene is in the Synoptic Gospels, as well as alluded to in 2 Peter, but neither account identifies the "high mountain" of the scene by name. The earliest identification of the Mount of Transfiguration as Tabor is by Origen in the 3rd century. It is also mentioned by St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. Jerome in the 4th century.[1] It is later mentioned in the in the 5th century Transitus Beatae Mariae Virginis.
In 1101, when Crusaders controlled the area, the Benedictine monks rebuilt a ruined basilica and erected a fortified abbey.[2]
Currently, on the mountaintop there are two Christian monasteries. In 1924, an impressive Roman Catholic church of the Franciscan order was built on the peak of Mount Tabor, Church of the Transfiguration. The church was built upon the ruins of a Byzantine church from the fifth or sixth century and a Crusader church from the 12th century. The monastery's friars have lived near the church since the Ottoman control in 1873.
The Greek Orthodox church, sacred to the Transfiguration of Christ, is located nearby. An All-Night Vigil is held there every year on the Orthodox Feast of the Transfiguration (August 19, which is August 6 according to the Julian Calendar).
[edit] Vegetation
Mount Tabor was entirely covered with typical Israeli vegetation until the reign of the Ottoman Turks, during which period most of the trees were felled. As part of the Jewish National Fund's efforts to recreate the landscapes of the country, the area was reforested with trees which are similar to its original vegetation. Today, most of Mount Tabor is covered with pine trees.
[edit] Activities on Mount Tabor
- In April each year, the regional council of Lower Galilee holds a marathon race around Mount Tabor in memory of Yitzhak Sadeh, the first commander of the Palmach and one of the founders of the Israel Defense Forces at the time of the State of Israel's independence.
- By obtaining a game permit issued by the Ministry of the Interior, hunting of small animals is allowed in certain designated seasons.
- The churches located on the mountain allow visits at specific hours. (Modest attire required).
- Approximately three quarters of the way up the mountain, a path circles it entirely and is accessible for private vehicles as well (four-wheel drive advised).
- The mountain serves as one of Israel's preferred locales for hang gliding.
[edit] References
- ^ Meistermann, Barnabas (1912), “Transfiguration”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. XV, New York: Robert Appleton Company, <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15019a.htm>. Retrieved on 15 August 2007
- ^
"Mount Thabor". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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