Touring Israel with a tour guide

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The fig “They sewed fig leaves together & made themselves loincloths", Bereshit/Genesis 3:7. When Adam & Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge & realise they are naked! From the very beginning, the fig has had a special place in the biblical story of the Land of Israel. The fig is one of the Seven Species that blessed the Land of Israel Devarim/Deuteronomy 8:8. The prophet Hosea compared the young nation of Israel to "the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season" Hosea 9:10; a symbol of G-d's delight, promise & high expectation It is also a symbol of peace "Every man under his own vine & fig tree" 1 Kings 4:25, it became the ultimate symbol of dwelling safely in the Land. A symbol of judgement The prophets used the fig tree to represent destruction & desolation Sustenance & Healing: a fig compress was used to heal King Hezekiah, 2 Kings 20:7. The honey of figs was so prized that...

#ImagineIsraelTours #simonostertourguideisrael The Sardine While the Bible doesn't mention "sardines" specifically, the Hebrew word דג (dag) appears throughout Scripture as a general term for fish. The Torah distinguishes between clean fish (with fins & scales, like sardines) & unclean fish (Leviticus 11:9-12; Deuteronomy 14:9-10) Sardines, with their scales & fins, are perfectly kosher. Some scholars believe that the "two small fishes" used by Jesus to feed the 5,000 (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John 6) were likely salted or pickled sardines, a common staple food of the poor in Galilee at that time. They are still found in great quantities in the Sea of Galilee/Lake Kinneret, home to a unique freshwater sardine species known scientifically as Mirogrex terraesanctae (sometimes called the Galilee sardine) Pickling industries thrived in ancient Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene. Writers like Pliny the Elder & Strabo noted the high quality of fish cu...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The Cheetah of the Bible? Did you know that cheetahs once roamed the land of Israel? And they may even be hiding in the pages of the Bible. In Habakkuk 1:8, the prophet describes horses that are: “Swifter than leopards…” The Hebrew word used is נָמֵר - namer, traditionally translated as leopard. But some scholars believe that, in a passage emphasising extraordinary speed, the word may also have referred to the cheetah, the fastest land animal on Earth. 🐆 Cheetahs once lived in the Negev, the Arava & the Jordan Valley, but disappeared from the region during the 20th century. Today, they are gone from Israel, but perhaps not entirely from our ancient stories. Would you like to uncover more hidden stories of Israel's biblical wildlife? 🌿🐾 Join an 'Imagine Israel Tour' & walk the ancient paths where leopards once prowled & cheetahs once sprinted; from the sand to the scroll, we bring the Bible's creatures to life...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuide The Oriental hyacinth" When King Solomon wrote in Song of Songs, "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys" (2:1), what flower was he describing? The Hebrew term שׁוֹשַׁנַּת הָעֲמָקִים (Shoshannat Ha'Amakim) literally translates to "lily of the valleys" - but here's the twist: it wasn't a European lily at all. Botanists & biblical scholars now widely identify this sweet-scented flower with either the wild narcissus (Narcissus tazetta) or the oriental hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), native to the hills & valleys of ancient Israel The Oriental hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) is intensely fragrant, with bell-shaped blue or purple flowers blooming in February, matching the biblical description Today, the name lives on in Shoshanat HaAmakim, a community settlement in central Israel, established in 1951, carrying forward the ancient poetry of the land Would you like to discover the botanical secrets...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis)" - Pictured collecting nectar & pollinating a 'Drimia maritima' In Hebrew, as Tzir'ah (צִרְעָה), it appears in 3 key biblical passages: "I will send the hornet ahead of you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite & the Hittite from before you" Exodus 23:28 "Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them until even the survivors hiding from you have perished" Deuteronomy 7:20 "I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out the two Amorite kings before you - but it was not by your sword or bow" Joshua 24:12 The Hebrew word Tzir'ah comes from the root צָרַע (tsara') meaning "to sting" or "to wound". Some scholars take it literally as the Oriental Hornet, others as a metaphor for: *The fear of God that made Canaanites flee *The Pharaoh's "bee" symbol representing foreign invasion *A mi...

#ImagineIsraelTours #OnThisDayInJewishHistory #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael On this day, August 27 1892, the first passenger train rolled into Jerusalem from Jaffa, marking a pivotal moment in the history of the Holy Land. This 86-kilometer line was the result of Jewish initiative & determination against considerable odds. The driving force behind the project was a Jewish entrepreneur from Jerusalem, Yosef Navon from a distinguished Sephardic family. He began lobbying the Ottoman authorities in Constantinople in 1888, to secure the vital concession for the railway. His vision was supported by fellow Jewish pioneer Joseph Amzalak of Jaffa, & their relentless effort laid the groundwork for a line that reduced the arduous journey from the coast to the Holy City from a day by horse-drawn wagon to just a few hours. Just two days ago, I had the privilege of taking a group of tourists on a journey through time at the Israel Railway Museum, housed in the historic Haifa East Railway Statio...