Touring Israel with a tour guide

Prehistoric handaxes dating between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago Fallow deer tooth Archaeologists at the site A Time Capsule in the Carmel: The Fureidis Cave Just 10 minutes from where I live, a cave in northern Israel that was sealed for hundreds of thousands of years has revealed a treasure trove of remains from a mysterious prehistoric era – the period just before Neanderthals & modern humans emerged. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the findings this week & I wanted to share why this matters. The site is located near Fureidis, south of Haifa. Its occupation dates to between 400,000 & 250,000 years ago, when groups of hominids gathered in larger, more active communities than in earlier times. Experts refer to this period in the Levant as the Acheulo-Yabrudian culture. Dr. Kobi Vardi, head of the IAA Prehistory Branch & co-director of excavations, put it perfectly: "This is probably the last culture of a very long continuum. Between 250,000 years...

The Mount Tabor Oak (Quercus ithaburensis) The Mount Tabor Oak ( Quercus ithaburensis ) – Israel's ancient giant of the lowlands. 🌳 Also known as the Tabor Oak this tree is a living landmark of the Holy Land's natural heritage. If you've driven through the Galilee, Golan or coastal plain you've likely passed one without realising you were looking at a centuries-old witness to history. Fast facts: 🔹 Habitat Mediterranean woodlands & savanna-like parklands – from the Jezreel Valley up to the Golan Heights. The Tabor oak prefers deep rich soils & can grow into a true giant with a massive spreading canopy. 🔹 Identification Deciduous (loses leaves in winter). Large deeply lobed leaves. Acorns are huge – among the largest of any oak in Israel. The bark is dark & deeply cracked. Mature trees can reach 15–18 metres tall with a crown just as wide. 🔹 Ecological role A keystone species. Its acorns feed wild boar, squirrels & many birds. The tree's broa...

The Chukar, (Alectoris chukar) If you've hiked in the Judean Desert, Ein Gedi or the Golan Heights, you've almost certainly heard one before you saw it. Their sharp, chattering "chuk-chuk-chuk-chukar" call echoes off canyon walls - hence the name. 🔹 Habitat Rocky slopes, dry scrubland & cliff edges, the Chukar thrives where few other birds do, often far from water. 🔹 Diet Seeds, leaves, insects & small invertebrates. In summer, they'll dig for bulbs & tubers. They run first, fly only as a last resort. 🔹 Mating & family life Monogamous during breeding season (spring to early summer). Nests are simple scrapes on the ground, hidden under a rock or bush. Clutch size: 10–20 eggs (!). Chicks are relatively mature within hours of hatching; able to feed themselves & run almost immediately! 🔹 Fun fact The Chukar is Israel's unofficial national bird of rugged places. It's also a prized game bird worldwide. 👉 Spotting tip: Look for them at s...

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) 🚫 Uninvited guest alert! This is one of the most common & persistent household pests worldwide, including in Israel. While Israel is home to incredible wildlife, ancient history & breathtaking landscapes, this little guy is not the souvenir you want. 🏨🚽🍽️ 🏠 Habitat Warm, humid & close to food & water. Think kitchens, bathrooms, behind refrigerators, inside electronics. 🍕 Diet Omnivorous scavengers. They’ll eat crumbs, grease, soap, glue, book bindings...& even each other’s shed skins. If it’s organic (or close enough), it’s on the menu. 💞 Mating Females produce a pheromone called blattellaquinone to attract males. After mating, she carries an egg case (ootheca) for ~28 days, then drops it in a hidden spot. Each case holds 30–40 eggs, and one female can produce 4–8 cases in her lifetime. Yes, they multiply fast. 🚫 At Imagine Israel Tours, we want you to enjoy Israel’s real wonders - not these uninvited guests. We onl...

Did you know that the oldest map of the Holy Land is actually a magnificent mosaic? I've always been fascinated by maps, & this is one of my favourites. Unveiling the Marvels of the Madaba Mosaic...... Crafted by anonymous artists, likely for the Christian community of Madaba, this magnificent mosaic depicts part of the Middle East during the height of the Byzantine period & is the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land - & especially Jerusalem. It is comprised of thousands of coloured stones, & portrays a vast expanse of land, stretching from Lebanon in the north to Egypt in the south, & from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Arabian Desert in the east. Madaba, an ancient town of the Jordanian Plateau, is mentioned in the bible as a Moabite city (Numbers 21:30 & Joshua 13:9) but in the bible it was known as Medeba. Today, Madaba (Arabic: مادبا; Biblical Hebrew: מֵידְבָא‎ Mēḏəḇāʾ; Ancient Greek: Μήδαβα) is the capital city o...

Nomad jellyfish (Rhopilema nomadica) Come summer, Israel's Mediterranean coast becomes a hotspot for these drifters. Love them or avoid them, they're fascinating. 🌿 HABITAT The most infamous is the Nomad jellyfish (Rhopilema nomadica) - an invasive species from the Indian & Pacific Oceans. It entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal & has thrived here since the 1970s. Its body is light blue, with a rounded bell commonly 40–60cm in diameter, but it can reach up to 90cm & weigh 10kg! You'll also spot the Fried Egg Jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) – harmless & beautiful - plus moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) . 🥚 BREEDING Jellyfish have a 2-stage life cycle. Adults release sperm & eggs into the water. Fertilised eggs grow into larvae that settle on the seabed, becoming polyps. These polyps then bud off tiny baby jellyfish (ephyrae) when water temperatures drop. In Israel, we are already seeing massive swarms which will be here through September. 🍽️...