24- 27 April 2017, Masar Ibrahim, Spring- Southern Part
The Masar Ibrahim al Khalil offers travelers the rare opportunity to go beyond the headlines and the stereotypes, to get away from the ordinary Holy Land tours, and to explore for themselves the remarkable landscape, hospitable people and compelling historical sites of Palestine. The Masar (‘The Path’) provides a chance for visitors to be welcomed into ordinary Palestinian homes; to share traditional homemade meals and listen to stories of traditions and customs; and to learn about the daily lives, concerns, and hopes of the people. Palestine is an extraordinary land. Take the first step to walk the Masar, and you are guaranteed to be rewarded with a life-enhancing experience.
More information: http://masaribrahim.ps/en/
Itinerary:
Day One:
From Artas to Tequa
Start from Solomon’s Pools and walk down to the village of Artas. Continue walking south from Artas to the village of Tequa.
Overnight with local families in the village.
Total walking time: 5 hours
Terrain: footpaths and dirt roads
Overnight: homestay in Tequa
Day Two:
Down Wadi Jihar to the deserts of Rashaydeh
Leave the village on foot, descending into the spectacular Wadi Jihar. Emerge from the valley at the village of Rashaydeh, and spend the night with a Bedouin family.
Total walking time: 6 hours
Terrain: rocky desert path
Overnight: homestay with Bedouin family in Rashaydeh
Day Three:
Desert sunrise in Rashaydeh and hike to Bani Naim
Hike up to Bani Naim. Reach the orchards and fields of Bani Naim in the evening and be welcomed as guests of local families.
Total walking time: 7 hours
Terrain: rocky desert path, some asphalt; mostly uphill
Overnight: homestay with local family in Masafer Bani Naim
Day Four:
Bani Naim and Hebron (Al Khalil)
Hike to Beni Naim, an ancient sanctuary in the southern hills of Palestine. From here, walk the final few kilometers to Hebron (known in Arabic as Al Khalil).
Transfer by vehicle to Bethlehem.
Total walking time: 5 hours
Terrain: paths through orchards and fields, some asphalt when entering Hebron
Day One Highlights:
- Visit the convent built to commemorate the ‘closed garden’ mentioned in the Biblical Song of Songs
- Visit an ancient village believed to be the birthplace of the prophet Amos, and explore the ruins of an early Byzantine church built over the prophet’s tomb
- Visit the Tequa’ Women’s Society to enjoy herbal tea, and learn about the traditional embroidery and hand woven carpets made by their cooperative
Day Two Highlights:
- Hike through a deep limeston canyon that winds down into the desert towards the Dead Sea.
- Listen to the grandfather of the Bedouin family, Ali, a wonderful storyteller, recall the old ways and traditions of the Bedouins.
Day Three Highlights:
- Watch the sun rise over the desert
- During the walk, pass the ruins of an early Byzantine monastic community founded at the very beginning of the sixth century.
- Enjoy spectacular views across the Rift Valley.
Day Four Highlights:
- Walk to the sacred site of Beni Naim, an ancient sanctuary in the southern hills of Palestine that is said to be the mountain from which Abraham watched the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Visit the burial place of Abraham in the heart of the old town of Hebron/Al Khalil, the focus of our pilgrimage across Palestine and the end of our journey.
- Meet with representatives of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, who are working to restore the old town as the centre of civic and commercial life in Hebron.
Route
- Jerusalem