Ma‘ayan Harod, the Harod Spring, emerges from a rocky cave on the slope of Mount Gilboa, and flows in a sparkling stream along the park’s broad lawns. The park also features a large swimming pool.
Biblical tradition says it was at Ma‘ayan Harod that Gideon chose his best soldiers to fight the Midianites, according to the way they drank from the stream. Only 300 of them lifted the water to their mouths, so they could remain on their guard while they drank. With this small band, Gideon brought victory to the Israelites.
On the slope above the spring is the Hankin Museum, where an audiovisual presentation tells the story of Yehoshua Hankin, who purchased land in the valley in the early days of the Zionist enterprise. Group visits to the museum may be reserved by phone. The museum courtyard reveals a beautiful view of the valley and the Lower Galilee. Hankin designated a nearby cave as a tomb for himself and his wife Olga. The two stone columns at the entrance recall talmudic-era burial caves.
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