Ein Gedi Nature Reserve

Overview

Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, declared at the end of 1971 and expanded in 1988, is one of the most important reserves in Israel. It is situated on the eastern slopes of the Judean Desert, bordering to the east on the Dead Sea, and covers an area of 14000 dunams (3,500 acres or 14 km²).

The elevation ranges from the level of the Dead Sea at 423 meters (1,388 ft) below sea level, to the plateau of the Judean Desert at 200 meters above sea level. The nature reserve includes two streams flowing year-round and each fed by a perennial spring: Nahal David with Ein David ('David's Spring'), and Nahal Arugot with Ein Arugot ('Terraces Spring'). Two further springs, the Shulamit and Ein Gedi springs, also flow in the reserve. Together, the springs generate approximately three million cubic meters of water per year. Much of the water is used for agriculture or is bottled for consumption.

Flora and fauna

The reserve is a sanctuary for many types of plant, bird and animal species. The vegetation includes plants and trees from the tropical, desert, Mediterranean, and steppe regions, such as Sodom apple, acacia, jujube, and poplar. The many species of resident birds are supplemented by over 200 additional species during the migration periods in the spring and fall. Mammal species include the Nubian ibex and the rock hyrax.

Chalcolithic shrine and Iron Age remains

Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, administered separately from the Ein Gedi archaeology park (see above), features several archaeological sites including a rare Chalcolithic shrine, but also Tel Goren, an archaeological mound with Iron Age remains corresponding to Hazazon-tamar, a city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and inhabited on and off till the Byzantine period, two water-powered flour mills from the Mamluk period, etc.

Sinkholes

Ein Gedi has been subject to a large number of sinkholes appearing in the area, which have even damaged the highway built in 2010 which was supposedly built to a "sinkhole-proof" design. The sinkholes are due to the decline in the water level of the Dead Sea, as of 2021 at an annual rate of more than a metre, which is attributed to the battle for scarce water resources in the very arid region. The sinkholes form as a result of the receding shoreline (with the surface of the Sea having shrunk by about 33 per cent since the 1960s), where a thick layer of underground salt is left behind. When fresh water arrives in the form of heavy rains, it dissolves the salt as it sinks into the ground, forming an underground cavity, which eventually collapses under the weight of the surface ground layer.

Tourism has been affected by the receding shoreline and the sinkholes, and the amount of water from the rains reaching the sea has diminished since flash floods started pouring into the sinkholes. Huge cave systems called karsts convey water underground between the sinkholes. Scientists in the floodplain area south of Ein Gedi have been using cameras, water testing, videos using drones and satellite monitoring to map the area for safety.

Nearby sites

Antiquities National Park

The Late Roman- and Byzantine-period synagogue and the village remains around it is run as a separate, archaeological park, distinct from the nature reserve and the antiquities contained therein. The Antiquities National Park centered on the synagogue was declared in 2002 and covers an area of 8 dunams (2.0 acres or 8,000 m²).

A translation of the inscription from Aramaic on the floor is: "All the townspeople who gave their money to repair the synagogue are well remembered. Jonathan the cantor who gave his money to repair the synagogue is well remembered. Peace."

Iron Age remains dating to the 7th century BCE have been found at the site, when Ein Gedi was part of the kingdom of Judah. It is first mentioned in the Book of Joshua, written in the 7th century BCE. Later, the settlement is mentioned as the place where David fled from Saul. In Book of Chronicles 2, Ein Gedi is called Hazazon Tamar. The settlement was destroyed during the Babylonian exile. The Jewish settlement at the site was revived in the 5th century BCE and reached its peak during the Herodian period. It endured the Jewish–Roman wars and continued to exist as a smaller village until the 7th century CE, when it was ultimately destroyed by fire.

The Chalcolithic temple - remains of an ancient temple near the Ein Gedi spring. The temple is attributed to the Chalcolithic period (more than 5,000 years ago) and it attracted believers from the surrounding area.

Modern village

Kibbutz Ein Gedi, founded in 1953, is located about a kilometer from the oasis. It offers various tourist attractions and takes advantage of the local weather patterns and the abundance of natural water to cultivate out-of-season produce. Part of the kibbutz's inhabited area is landscaped as an internationally acclaimed botanical garden, covering an area of 100 dunams (10 ha, 24.7 acres) and holding more than 900 species of plants from all over the world. It is the only populated botanical garden in the world. The kibbutz is also home to the Ein Gedi Eco Park, which functions as both a zoo and an environmental education center, demonstrating sustainable technologies such as solar cookers, greywater systems, mud buildings, and compost toilets.