Ein Yizrael, by Mount Gilboa – Visitors Guide

Ein Yizrael is an ancient spring by Mount Gilboa. And the nearby Eucalyptus grove with a shady pool can be a great place for a picnic.

Map

Ein Yizrael is near kibbutz Yizre’el. Located in the Jezreel Valley near Afula. And the easiest way to reach it is by entering its name into Waze.

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

Interactive map of the area:

Parking

There is a big free dirt parking near the Eucalyptus grove.

Note: you can see a big garbage bin in the photo above.

Opening Hours

There are no gates and no fences. Thus you can reach this place at any time. But according to the following sign: “Staying in the forest after dark is prohibited unless the required safety measures are taken.”

Entrance Fee

Free.

Restrooms

None.

About Ein Yizrael

The pool under the shady Eucalyptus grove collects the water from En Yizre’el, a spring that flows west of the grove, from tunnels excavated in the water-carrying rock layers. The structure at the center of the pool is a pump house built by the early settlers of Kibbutz Yizre’el.

Source: sign

In the Bible

This is an ancient spring, and it is even mentioned in the Bible. For example, it was the gathering place of Israel before the war with the Philistines in Gilboa.

1 Samuel 29 (New International Version):

The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

King Saul and the army he led fighting the Philistines stopped “… by the fountain which is in Jezreel” (1 Samuel 29: 1) before going to battle. The Philistines defeated the Israelites, Saul fell on his sword, and his three sons, Jonathan, Avinadav, and Malkishua, were killed in the battle.

On the rock ledge west of the spring is Tel En Yizre’el, where remains of settlements dating from the Neolithic Period (about 7,000 years ago) to the Byzantine Period (7th century BC) have been found. At the top of the hill is Tel Yaresel, with remains of a large building from Biblical times, which is believed to be associated with the Kingdom of Israel. Yizre’el had great strategic value at the time, as it lay along the Sea Route, at a junction from which the road to Samaria, the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, branched off.

According to the Bible, Naboth the Yizre’elite had a vineyard in Yizre’el, which King Ahab coveted. Advised by his wife Jezebel, Ahab had Naboth killed under false pretenses and took possession of his vineyard. The prophet Elijah then prophesized a dire end for Ahab, repeating the Lord’s words: ” Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?” (1 Kings, 21).

Source: sign

The Tsvi Grove

This place is also called the Tsvi Grove.

On March 26, 1948, during Israel’s War of Independence, Tsvi Carmeli, a Palmach fighter, was killed in the Battle for Zar’in, a village on the hill overlooking En Yizre’el. About one year later, his family and friends placed a basalt rock and planted a eucalyptus grove near the spring at the site where he fell, which they named for him – the Tsvi Grove.

Source: sign

Barbeque

You are allowed to light the fire at installations designed for that purpose. And as you can see from the photos, on a Saturday in 2023, we had a barbeque there.

This looks like the perfect place for a picnic. There is a pool, picnic tables, and shade. There are no restrooms and water taps, but this place has potential. As you can see, I am hesitant to recommend this place, and it leads us to the next question.

Is Ein Yizrael Clean?

Unfortunately, this place is filthy. There is garbage everywhere, both on the ground and in the pool.

During our visit, there were strong winds. The wind blew things from tables, which may partly be the reason for the trash. But, as I mentioned, there are trash bins.

For that reason, we did not go to the pool when the kids wanted to enter the water. Instead, we went to the trench, leading the spring water to the pool.

Here are several photos:

Is there water all year round?

According to different sources online, yes, there is water all year round.

What is the water level?

The trench is shallow (10 – 20 cm), and the depth of the pool is about one meter.

Here are several additional photos of the compound:

Summary

Ein Yizrael is a place with good potential. But unfortunately, the lack of maintenance prevents me from recommending it to everybody. There are additional springs and pools in this area. You can find them using the interactive map at the top of this page.

Have you ever been to Ein Yizrael? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!

Stay Tuned!

Additional Resources

Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:

• Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
• What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
• Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
• Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
• If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.