Discover Gidona

Gidona lies at the foot of Mount Gilboa; Ma‘ayan Harod National Park is nearby. Two areas are important for getting your bearings: the settlement itself and a neighboring park with a spring, cave and streams. This combination of a location in the mountains and a distinct natural and historical site sets the scene for a stay in Gidona.

The Spring and Gideon’s Cave in the National Park

In Ma‘ayan Harod National Park, a spring emerges from a cave on the slope of Mount Gilboa. The cave is called Gideon’s Cave, after the biblical judge Gideon, who gathered his fighters there to battle the Midianites. At the spring, a specific connection to the landscape thus meets a biblical story.

The spring water flows into a large wading pool and then onward into other streams in the national park. The spring, cave, pool and streams describe different aspects of the same park area: the spring’s location on the slope, the story behind the cave’s name and the course of the water. The park is near Gidona and is a distinct point of interest alongside the settlement’s location at Mount Gilboa.

Gidona at the Edge of the Settlement

Gidona’s cemetery is on the edge of the settlement, next to the old cemetery of Ein Harod. This location places the cemetery at the transition to the edge of the settlement.

A youth group hike also provides a specific route reference: the route led from Mount Shaul along a dirt road toward Gidona, and from there to Gideon’s Grove. On a youth outing to Gideon’s Grove, participants waded in Gideon Spring (Gid‘ona Pool) and heard a story about Gideon and his connection to this place.

Archaeological Sites in the Northern District

The wider travel destination of the Northern District also includes the archaeological sites of Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo. They form a distinct regional area of interest alongside Gidona and the nearby national park. Their findings highlight different aspects: at Tel Hazor, the upper city, palace and water system are among the main features; Tel Megiddo is distinguished by its temple complex and Iron Age city plan.

A visit to Tel Hazor focuses on the upper city. This includes Solomon’s Gate, a gate with six chambers and two towers dating to the 10th century BCE. The Canaanite palace was used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE. The Late Bronze Age palace is considered the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most significant in the Levant.

Another highlight at Tel Hazor is the underground water collection system. Its surviving remains represent sophisticated engineering adapted to the geography for water storage. The excavated shaft is 45 meters deep. In the water system, steps three meters wide are cut into the walls of a vertical shaft. The fortifications are also notable: they are considered the finest example of their kind in the area from southern Turkey to the northern Negev.

Tel Megiddo offers a different archaeological perspective. It is one of three tells that preserve significant remains of cities with biblical associations and are closely linked to events in the Bible. The Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of its cult practices and its documented ritual activities. The orthogonal Iron Age city plan has few parallels in the Levant.

For a thematic comparison, Tel Hazor is particularly associated with its palace, fortifications and water engineering, while Tel Megiddo brings together temple remains and the city plan. This makes it possible to distinguish the archaeological highlights of the Northern District without equating them with Gidona’s local features.

Discover more destinations: Kibbutz Snir, Shivta, Beit Alfa, Sha'al, Kiryat Ono, Gonen, Chorazin, Liman

View the broader travel overview: Israel.