Touring Israel with a tour guide

#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...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The Nile Perch (Lates niloticus)" Nile Fish played a starring role in both biblical judgment & prophecy. 1. The Plague of Blood (Exodus) When Moses turned the Nile to blood, the fish died, the river stank & the Egyptians couldn't drink from it (Exodus 7:18, 21). The impact was devastating: • Fish were a staple of the Egyptian diet • Some species were actually worshipped as sacred • A direct blow to Egypt's economy AND its religion 2. Prophetic Judgment (Isaiah & Ezekiel) The prophets later used Nile fish to symbolize Egypt's complete downfall: Isaiah 19:8 – "Those who fish will mourn... all who cast hooks in the Nile will lament." Ezekiel 29 – Pharaoh is compared to a great sea monster. When dragged out of the river, all the fish stuck to his scales & were cast into the desert - a vivid image of total defeat. The main spawning season runs from December - April, peaking in February & March. A s...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The Sea Daffodil "I am a flower of Sharon, a lily of the valley" - Song of Songs 2:1 Many scholars believe this poetic verse refers to the Pancratium maritimum - the Sea Daffodil (Havatzelet ha-Khof in Hebrew). Its name in Hebrew is closely related to Havatzelet ha-Sharon (Rose of Sharon) & it grows naturally along Israel's coastal plain - the very region mentioned in Scripture . Here's why this flower is so special: Blooms late summer to autumn (July–October), just when few other flowers are in season The flowers open toward evening & fade by late morning, pollinated by hawk-moths that visit during calm, windless nights It grows just above the high-tide mark on sandy beaches, with waxy leaves that protect against sea salt It has a subtle, intoxicating scent; a delicate lily fragrance that only becomes perceptible on still summer nights The Rose of Sharon appears twice in the bible: in Song of Songs AND Isaiah 35:...