About
The water for the spring comes from a nearby cave, called Gideon's Cave, which sits at the foot of Mount Gilboa.
The water is originally rain that seeps through the soft limestone rock of the Judean hills to the south and graduallly makes its way north to the spring.
Eventually it emptys in the Jordan river to the east.
The history
The spring is named after Herod, the king of Roman Judaea in the first century BCE (~2,100 years ago).
The name is first used in the book of Shoftim (Judges) in the Jewish Tanach (bible). It's debated if this is the exact location or another in the area, but it has a very similar description.
The name in Arabic - Ayn Jalut - means Spring of Goliath.
It's the site of the Battle of Ayn Jalut, fought between the Mamluks and Mongol empire, in the 13th century CE (~800 years ago). The Mongols lost the battle and stopped expanding west.
It's the site of numerous battles between Christian Crusaders and Arab Muslims, as well as the proposed site for several battles in Jewish history (Goliath, Gideon and Saul).
A Greek Orthodox Christian family from Beirut purchased the area from the Ottomans in 1872 and started a small village nearby.
In 1920 a couple from Rishon Lezion (which was established in 1882 by people from Kharkiv, Ukraine, who were fleeing to the Ottoman Empire due to the Russians) purchased the area from the British (who administered the area after the Ottomans) as part of larger land deals.
The next year (in 1921), two small villages were founded in the recently purchased land. They were abandoned after the Arab riots in 1929, and a new village was set up nearby.
In 1949 a village called Gid'ona was created for immigrants from Yemen to the newly-created State of Israel, which still exists today.
The site
There's lots of stories told about this spot, but very little to see in terms of archeology. Nonetheless, it's a beautiful spot (and one of the busiest places in Israel).
The entire site has been renovated and there is a beautiful garden to explore.
Many people like to come here with kids to do camping, BBQ and play in the water.
The tomb of the last two people to buy the land - Yehoshua Hankin and his wife Olga - can be found up the mountain in a Roman-style tomb.
They were buried there after his death in 1945.
Here's more photos from the day.
Commentaires