Touring Israel with a tour guide

The Black Millipede (Ommatoiulus rutilans). Spotted during a tour of Megiddo last week - I generally see at least 2 or 3 when guiding here. This millipede is a common sight across Israel, especially in spring & after rain. It lives in leaf litter, rocky ground & shady areas where it can find moisture. Its main defence is curling into a tight coil & releasing a mild, harmless chemical that discourages predators. Millipedes play an important ecological role, breaking down dead plant material, helping to create healthy soil. Their natural predators include birds, beetles, toads, hedgehogs & small mammals. They move slowly, feed mainly on decaying vegetation & are completely harmless to people. #ImagineIsraelTours #IsraelNature #IsraelWildlife #Millipede #simonostertourguideisrael #EcoToursIsrael #DiscoverIsrael #NatureInIsrael #TravelIsrael #VisitIsrael #ExploreIsrael #FloraAndFauna #IsraelTours At Imagine Israel Tours we love to notice not just the big mom...

🕍✨ Ancient Mosaic at Hammath Tiberias – Faith, Art & the Roots of Worship ✨🕍 Just south of modern Tiberias, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, lies Hammath Tiberias , home to one of the oldest synagogues ever found in Israel . What you see here is part of its remarkable 4th-century mosaic floor; a masterpiece of faith & craftsmanship.  Close-up detail shows Greek / Hebrew inscriptions The synagogue stood at the heart of a thriving Jewish community that once lived beside the healing hot springs of Tiberias. Its mosaic blends Jewish symbolism - the menorah, shofar & incense shovel - with the artistic language of the Greco-Roman world . This meeting of cultures tells a powerful story: Jewish life in the Galilee continued to flourish long after the fall of the Second Temple, adapting yet holding fast to its faith. 🌿 For Christian visitors, standing here connects directly to the same Galilee that shaped so many moments in the Gospel story, a place where Jewish worship, da...

🦊✨ The Golden Jackal   Canis aureus . ✨🦊 Found from the Galilee woodlands to the Negev scrub, the golden jackal  is from the Canidae family, the same as wolves, foxes & dogs) It’s the most widespread wild canid in Israel , thriving in habitats from the coastal plains to the Galilee & Judean foothills, &  is one of Israel’s most adaptable wild mammals. Agile, intelligent & surprisingly social, it thrives everywhere from farmland edges to urban parks. 🌍 Living in open fields, coastal plains, pine forests & dry riverbeds, the jackal avoids true desert, but it’s common across much of northern & central Israel - often heard calling at dusk. 🥩 Omnivorous & opportunistic, it feasts on fruit, insects, small mammals, birds, carrion & even leftovers from picnics! This flexible diet has helped them flourish despite human expansion. 🐺 Jackals live in monogamous pairs & family groups. Pups are born in spring, emerging from dens in May or J...

🇮🇱  3 Things First-Time Visitors Never Expect in Israel!  🇮🇱 🌍 1. The sheer diversity! It’s one of the world’s smallest countries, yet every few kilometres feels like stepping into a new world. Jewish, Karaite, Samaritan, Christian, Muslim, Druze, Circassian, Armenian, Bedouin,  Baháʼí, Ahmadi Muslim & Black Hebrew communities,   plus  smaller Christian denominations , such as the Greek-Catholic Melkites, Russian Orthodox, Bet-El & Greek Orthodox.   Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, English, French Amharic, Spanish, Yiddish, Persian, German & Turkish spoken side by side; falafel stands next to high-end sushi bars. Israel is a living mosaic! ⚙️ 2. Ancient & ultra-modern side by side! Visitors expect Biblical ruins & desert views - but not glass skyscrapers, world-class research labs & cutting-edge tech. It’s the only place where you can walk through a 2,000-year-old marketplace in the morning & visit an AI start-up that afternoon. ?...

Lords-and-Ladies/ Wild Arum (Arum hygrophilum) One of Israel’s first signs winter is on the way, the Wild Arum can be seen poking through the dry stubble of summer fields. after the first rains. The single bright green, arrow-shaped leaf wraps protectively around a tall, finger-like spadix - the flowering part. 🌱 Habitat: Mediterranean hillsides, woodlands & open fields across Israel. Season: From November to February, depending on rainfall & temperature 🐝 Pollinators: Small flies, lured by the plant’s faint scent & ingenious design. They become briefly trapped inside & help transfer pollen. ⚠️ All parts of the plant are toxic if eaten, containing calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth & throat. #FloraAndFauna #WildIsrael #ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael #VisitIsrael #ExploreIsrael #NatureIsrael #IsraeliWildflowers #EcoTourismIsrael #DiscoverIsrael #israeltourism At Imagine Israel Tours we love to notice not just the big moment...

Simon says: "Let's Tour Magdala" Walking among the ancient stones of Magdala is like stepping straight into the world of the Gospels. This remarkable site, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, was uncovered by accident in 2009 during construction of a new hotel. Archaeologists soon realised they had discovered one of the most significant finds in recent years - a 1st-century Jewish village with a beautifully preserved synagogue from the time of Jesus. This is the larger of 2 synagogues discovered in the area, which provided archaeologists with new information, that communal Jewish worship was taking place BEFORE the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem! Within the synagogue, excavators found the famous Magdala Stone, carved with the earliest known depiction of the Temple menorah. This, together with ritual baths (mikva’ot), shops & fish ponds, reveals a thriving Jewish community deeply connected to faith & daily life on the shores of Galilee. Mag...