Touring Israel with a tour guide

#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...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuide The Brown-necked Raven High above the Negev, the Judean Desert & the cliffs of the Dead Sea, you may spot one of Israel's most impressive birds: the Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis). Large, intelligent & unmistakable, it's named for the brownish sheen on its head & neck. 📖 But could this be one of the ravens of the Bible? The Hebrew word עֹרֵב - orev appears several times in the Bible. Ravens were listed among the birds Israelites were forbidden to eat. Yet they also appear in one of the Bible's most memorable stories. During a drought, the prophet Elijah hid by the Wadi Cherith, where, according to the Book of Kings, ravens brought him bread & meat. “And the ravens brought him bread & meat in the morning, & bread & meat in the evening.” - 1 Kings 17:6 The Brown-necked Raven is a familiar resident of Israel's arid landscapes & a remarkably intelligent survivor, feeding on everything from ins...

#ImagineIsraelTours | #NostalgiaSeries Hashachar Ha'ole: Israel's Chocolate Spread For generations of Israelis, Hashachar Ha'ole isn't just chocolate spread, it's a childhood memory in a jar. Spread thickly on a slice of bread, tucked into a sandwich, or enjoyed straight from the spoon. But where did it all begin? The story starts in 1948, when five brothers from the Wideberg family founded a small factory called Shachar Wideberg Brothers. In its early years, the factory produced tahini, halva, waffles & jams. The brothers chose the name Hashachar Ha'ole - "The Rising Dawn" - simply because they thought the morning dawn was beautiful. In the early 1950s, the factory expanded when the Levkowich family joined the business. New production lines were introduced & modern machinery was imported. Then came the idea that would make Hashachar Ha'ole a household name. The company realised there were already plenty of sweets on the market. What was ...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The Olive The olive first appears in the Bible when a dove returns to Noah with an olive leaf, a sign that the floodwaters had receded & that life was beginning again. Today, an olive branch still appears on the emblem of the State of Israel, symbolising peace. The olive is one of the שבעת המינים — the Seven Species with which the Land of Israel is blessed: “A land of wheat & barley, of vines, figs & pomegranates, a land of olive trees & honey.” - Deuteronomy 8:8 Pure olive oil was used to light the menorah in the Tabernacle. Olive oil was also used to anoint kings & priests. giving us the word Messiah, meaning “the anointed one” The 10th-century BCE Gezer Calendar records the agricultural cycle of the Land of Israel, including the olive harvest. The Bible also commanded farmers not to strip their olive trees completely: “When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for...