The Pleasant Pastures of Israel
“I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.” (Deuteronomy 11:14)
This is the Bible verse that this week’s podcast guest quotes when speaking of a very special spot in the Holy Land of Israel.
Neot Kedumim, Hebrew for “pleasant pastures,” is a biblical nature reserve in Israel—open for all to come experience firsthand the nature and culture of the Bible. Efrat Meir-Groman is Tourism Director at Neot Kedumim, and graciously sat down with The Fellowship to bring our listeners with her to this “beautiful place.”
Full of wildlife and natural wonders from God’s Creation, Neot Kedumim brings the Bible to life. Efrat discusses the animals and nature one might find there, as well as such biblical activities such as shepherding and gathering water that people can experience today. And Neot Kedumim is a “hands-on” park, allowing visitors to see, smell, hear, taste, and touch the Bible with all five senses.
Learn more about Neot Kedumim and plan your visit today.
For more information on today’s episode visit mybiblicalroots.org.
Episode Notes:
Efrat Meir-Groman is Tourism Director at Neot Kedumim Biblical Nature Reserve, a true biblical experience for people of faith visiting Israel. Traveling to the U.S. from the Holy Land as part of a delegation with the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Efrat graciously sat down with The Fellowship to discuss Neot Kedumim, “the only Biblical Landscape Reserve in the world where you can see and experience the Land of the Bible.”
Neot Kedumim is the only Biblical Landscape Reserve in the world where you can see and experience the Land of the Bible.
Located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Neot Kedumim is on the ancient route that people of the Bible walked, from Jaffa to Jerusalem. Pilgrims traveling to the Holy Temple would have walked through this very landscape, stopping at the ancient water cisterns and buying produce from wine and olive presses on the way.
Neot Kedumim is 625 acres of ecologically restored land that originally flowed with milk and honey and then lay barren for thousands of years. Its reservoirs catch runoff rainwater and ancient terraces stand strong. It acts as a habitat for such varied species as cedars from the snow-covered mountains of Lebanon, date palms from Sinai desert oases, and varieties of biblical plants. Olive and wine presses, threshing floors, cisterns, and ritual baths bring the Bible to life in the land where it was lived and written.
Visitors to Neot Kedumim experience the Bible with all five of the senses. You walk trails lined with biblical plants that depict a land of milk and honey and show the Bible’s seven species. You learn the biblical significance of the date palm, the almond tree, and the hyssop. Ancient agricultural installations still stand: the cistern, the oil and wine presses, and the threshing floor. Hands-on activities like drawing water from the cistern, preparing hyssop seasoning, crushing olives, and grinding wheat allow you to live the Bible. And don’t forget sheep herding, tree planting, or biblical cooking!
Drawing on a variety of disciplines—Bible scholarship, botany, zoology, geography, history, and archaeology—Neot Kedumim brings the Bible to life. Join us now for this spiritually enlightening visit!
