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'Mount Tabor' (, Greek: ) 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.
Three Arab villages are located at its base: Shibli (east), Umm Al-Ghanam (south east) and Daburiyya (west).

Contents

Geology

Accessibility

Mountain Tabor and the Monotheistic beliefs

Vegetation

Activities in Mount Tabor

References

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.

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.

Mountain Tabor and the Monotheistic beliefs

The mountain is mentioned for the first time in the Bible, in , 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. "Go and to mountain of Tabor and take with you ten thousand men of the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes". From the peaks of 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 CE 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.
On the mountaintop there are two Christian churches. 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 , 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 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. A modest Greek Orthodox church named after the Prophet Elijah is located below the large Roman Catholic church. 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).

Vegetation

Mount Tabor was entirely covered with typical Israeli vegetation until the days the Ottoman Turks occupied the region when most of the trees were cut down. As part of the efforts of the Jewish National Fund to recreate the landscapes of the country, new trees were planted on the mountain which are similar to its original vegetation.

Activities in Mount Tabor

★ Every year, in the April months 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 independence of the State of Israel.

★ According to special permits given by the Ministry of the Interior, in certain appropriate seasons, hunting of small animals would be allowed in the mountain.

★ The churches located on the mountain allow visits on steady hours (in decent clothing).

★ Approximately by the three quarters of the mountain's height there is a path circling the mountain entirety and is accessible for private vehicles as well (preferable terrian vehicles).

★ The mountain serves as one of the most preferred places in Israel for Hang gliding.

References

1.