Shoham Forest Park – Nature with Trails and Antiquities
Shoham Forest Park in central Israel offers places for picnics, nature trails (especially during blooming), Bacchus church, and more.
Map
Shoham Forest Park is located between Road #6 and Shoham. The easiest way to reach this spot is by entering “Shoham Forest Park” 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:
And here is a map of the park:
Note: you can click on the map to enlarge it.
Walking Paths
Here is an interactive map from israelhiking.osm.org.il where the most popular trails are marked:
There are two main routes. You can either hike the short or the long orchards loop trail.
| Name | Color of the Trail on the Map above | Description | Distance (km) | Total climb and descent (meters) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Short Orchards Trail | Blue | In both trails, you can add a stop at the top of Saflulim Hill (marked in green). This stop will add 200 meters. | 1.35 | 34 | |
| The Long Orchards Trail | Red | An extended version of the previous path. | 2.6 | 116 | In both trails, you can add a stop at the top of Saflulim hill (marked in green). This stop will add 200 meters. |
Cycling Routes
In Shoham Forest, there is a ten km loop cycling route. It is marked with blue color on the maps.
The main starting point of the cycling route is near Horbat Tinshemet (near the church). The secondary entrance point is in the south, at the intersection of the Israel National Trail and the road leading from Shoham.
It is a medium-level cycling route, and you should ride it clockwise.
Entrance Fee
Free.
Opening Hours
Always open. But staying in the forest after dark is prohibited.
Restrooms
None. We did not see restrooms during our visits, and the map has no markings. But, as I read, sometimes you can find chemical toilets near the picnic areas.
Blooming at Shoham Forest Park
You can find daffodils, saffron, cyclamen, anemones, buttercup, and other flowers in winter and spring.
There are three areas where you can see flowers.
- You can find flowers on the hill near the northern entrance (marked as #1 on the following map).
- Between October and February, you can find daffodils near the open class (marked as #2 on the following map).
- Saflulim Hill is a good viewpoint. Moreover, on this hill, you can find many cyclamen and butterflies during the season (marked as #3 on the following map).
Our latest visit was in February, and here are several photos from point #1:
Horvat Tinshemet and Church of Saint Bacchus
We got back to the car and drove from blooming point #1. We continued along the road (green marking) to the Church of Saint Bacchus parking.
While planting trees in 1986, this church was discovered. It was excavated and exposed by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 1995.
Besides the church, they also found an olive press (#2 on the map below), water pool (#3), graves (#4), lime kiln (#5), and a winepress (#6).
Church of Saint Bacchus
The structure combines a field church and an olive press. It was built c. 1,500 years ago, in the fifth century CE (Byzantine period).
What is a field church?
This is a church that is built outside of a settlement. This church was constructed between Horvat Tinshemet in the west (Kh. Sheikh’ Ali Malikina), which has been identified with Betomelgerzis (the King’s House) and appears on the Madaba map, and another contemporary settlement that was situated near where Shoham is located today.
Source: sign
The Mosaic Pavement
The floor of the church is a mosaic that combines geometric Otterns and floral motifs.
What do the patterns indicate?
ln the nave of the church is a carpet on which two circles are depicted: the center of the eastern circle is the exact center of the church. In the middle of the western circle is the Greek inscription which translated to English reads “This place belongs to the Lord and his only son”.
What is the jar in the corner?
An amphora in the corner of the carpet near the circle depicts a wine jar from which grapevines issue to either side.
Source: sign
Here are several additional photos of the church:
At the bottom of the stairs is the Greek inscription which translated to English reads “of Saint Bacchus”, evidence the church was dedicated to a saint with this name.
Who is Sain Bacchus?
He could have been a local saint or he might be Bacchus, one of the pair of Syrian martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, who were physicians in the Roman army, converted to Christianity in the third century CE and were tortured and executed at the order of the emperor Diocletian.
Source: sign
