Neot Kedumim Explained

Neot Kedumim
Alt Name:Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel
Native Name:נאות קדומים
Native Name Lang:he
Type:Biblical garden and nature preserve
Nearest City:Modi'in, Israel
Coordinates:31.9289°N 35.0244°W
Area:2500 dunam
Established:1964
Founder:Noga Hareuveni
Etymology:Pleasant pastures (or habitations) of old
Awards:Israel Prize, 1994
Website:www.neot-kedumim.org.il

Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel (Hebrew: נאות קדומים) is a Biblical garden and nature preserve located near Modi'in, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Etymology

Neot Kedumim means "pleasant pastures (or habitations) of old."[1]

Overview

Neot Kedumim is an attempt to re-create the physical setting of the Hebrew Bible. The park covers an area of about .[2] The idea of planting such a garden dates back to 1925. In 1964, land was allocated for the project with the help of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.[3]

Neot Kedumim comprises a series of natural and agricultural landscapes, among them the Forest of Milk and Honey, the Dale of the Song of Songs, Isaiah's Vineyard and the Fields of the Seven Species. Signs are posted throughout the garden quoting relevant Jewish texts in Hebrew and English.[4] Neot Kedumim offers pre-booked organized tours but is also accessible to individuals who can roam the site on their own with maps provided by the park.[5]

History

When Ephraim and Hannah Hareuveni immigrated from Russia to Ottoman Palestine in 1912, they dreamed of developing a biblical landscape reserve that "embodied the panorama and power of the landscapes that both shaped the values of the Bible and provided a rich vocabulary for expressing them". Their son, Noga, a physicist, dedicated his life to implementing his parents' dream. To build the park, thousands of tons of soil were trucked in, reservoirs were built to catch runoff rain water, ancient terraces, wine presses and ritual baths were restored, and hundreds of varieties of plants were cultivated.[5]

In 1994 Neot Kedumim and Noga Hareuveni, the driving spirit behind the garden, were awarded the Israel Prize for their special contribution to society and the State of Israel.[6]

Salvia and menorah

Plants in several species of the genus Salvia resemble the menorah.[7] [8]

See also

External links

31.9502°N 34.976°W

Notes and References

  1. BibleHub.com's translation: http://biblehub.com/strongs/hebrew/4999.htm (see "transliteration" of "naah" to "neot"). Grafted In Fellowship's translation: http://www.graftedinfellowship.org/uploads/5/7/3/3/5733440/biblical_hebrew.pdf For Kedumim meaning ancient/antique: http://translation.babylon.com/hebrew/to-english/%D7%A7%D7%93%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9D/ See also: affirming biblehub's above translation of neot, a search of the Hebrew Bible by mechon-mamre.org, by inputting "נְאוֹת", shows it refers to a pleasant or productive "pasture" or sometimes, but less often "a habitation": http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm and 'beautiful' instead of 'pleasant' is used both in http://andreaslloyd.dk/2011/05/welcome-to-neot-semadar & the Grafted In Fellowship link, above.
  2. Web site: Neot Kedumim-Who are we . official Neot Kdumim website . 2012-07-26.
  3. Web site: Neot Kdumim-History . official Neot Kedumim website . 2012-07-26.
  4. http://www.ou.org/life/israel/neot_kedumim/ About Neot Kedumim, Orthodox Union, ou.org
  5. News: Danna Harman . 24 February 2014 . Neot Kedumim: Israel's biblical landscape reserve . . 19 August 2014.
  6. Web site: Israel Prize . Recipients in 1994 . Hebrew .
  7. http://thekabbalahcoach.blogspot.com/2008/12/menorah-and-moriah.html The Kabbalah Coach: The Menorah and the Moriah, by Maida Silverman
  8. http://www.irenevirag.com/media/men_gw.pdf Menorahs growing wild, Irene Virag