MT. TABOR

At 588 m. above sea level, Mt. Tabor towers above the Jezreel Valley and is similar in shape to Sugar Loaf Mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Scattered here and there are encrusted remnants of Crusader fortifications.

It was here that the prophetess Deborah assembled the tribes in the period of the Judges for the battle against Sisera the Canaanite (Judges 4:6). Here, too, Josephus Flavius raised fortifications before he deserted the Jews rebelling against the Romans in 66 CE. Mt. Tabor is sacred to Christians as the ``high mountain apart,'' upon which Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John (Matthew 17).

The miraculous event is the reason why several churches were built on the summit. The first one, at the end of the first turning left near the top, is supervised by Greek Orthodox monks. The date above the bell tower shows that it was built in 1911.

The Franciscans built the Church of the Transfiguration higher up, on the ruins of Byzantine and Crusader churches, in the 1920s. The Latin inscription above the entrance is taken from the account of the transfiguration, according to Matthew 17. A mural of the transfiguration is set behind the altar of this beautifully decorated church. Their monastery is close by. The basilica is open daily 8 a.m. - 12 noon and 3 p.m. - sunset. Pilgrims can stay at the hospice run by the Franciscans (see ``Accommodation'' for this route).

Descend to the main road (No. 65) and soon pass En Dor where, according to I Samuel 28:7-25, King Saul consulted a witch shortly before his death on nearby Mt. Gilboa. After En Dor, you will soon see a sign to the Bedouin centre in Galilee. Tel. (06)767875. Turn left at Moshav Kfar Tabor, founded in 1902. There are wheat fields and lucerne, then the Kadoorie Agricultural School on the left. At Kfar Tabor, stop at the Farmer's Yards Museum (tel. (06)765844), which features a reconstructed pioneer farm. Grouped around a stable, sheep pen and chicken yard are an authentic farmer's house, which gives a picture of the life of Israel's pioneer families and an exhibition hall and craftsmen's quarters, including a working smithy and harness-making operation. There is a pleasant dairy restaurant on the premises. Open 8.30 a.m.-6 p.m. every day. At the side of the road close by are the massive ruins of a traders' inn, built by the Turks in 1588. At Tzomet Golani (where there is a memorial and museum dedicated to the Golani Brigade) turn right to Road No. 77.

Kibbutz Lavi's Guest House is nearby. Descend the hilly region, avoiding the right fork to the Kinneret. The (upper) western suburbs of Tiberias begin to take form, and when you round a corner you come face to face with another of those superlatively beautiful views in Israel. There, below, to the left, is the northern part of the harp-shaped Sea of Galilee.

Turn right to the observation point for a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights framing the eastern bank. There is a giant telescope here for a closer look at sites below. Now take the road (No. 7717) leading left, directly opposite the Lake View Restaurant turn-off. You are in the Arbel Valley, wedged between the Horns of Hittin on your left and Mt. Arbel,with its sheer cliff face, on your right.

Pass the Moshav Shitufi of Kfar Hittin, then the wheat fields, vineyards and cow pastures of Moshav Arbel, where there is an ancient Synagogue and a Museum. Turn left up the hill. The road very shortly comes to a dead end before the Tomb of Jethro.