Barak – Biblical Name Reference and Olive Business

Barak can be understood through two themes: the biblical name reference associated with the moshav and an olive business described in a 2020 report. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo form a distinct archaeological theme. For your travel planning, these offer different historical perspectives: the story behind Barak’s name and archaeological highlights in the Northern District.

Barak and its name reference

Moshav Barak is named after Barak ben Avinoam. The Book of Judges recounts that Barak defeated Sisera in this area. The moshav’s name therefore refers to a biblical story. This connection through the place name differs from the architectural and archaeological themes that define Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo in the Northern District.

Olive grove and shop

A 2020 report describes the business “בוטיק זית רענן” in Moshav Barak, with an extensive olive grove and a neighboring shop. According to the 2020 report, the shop offered olives, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, liqueurs, and imported delicacies, among other products. If you plan to visit, check in advance what is currently available on site.

Archaeological highlights in the Northern District

In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, a visit to Tel Hazor focuses on the Upper City. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, Solomon’s Gate at Tel Hazor is one of its architectural features; it dates to the 10th century BCE and has six chambers and two towers. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, the Canaanite palace at Tel Hazor was used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, a Late Bronze Age palace at Tel Hazor is considered the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most significant in the Levant. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor’s fortifications in the area from southern Turkey to the northern Negev are considered the best example of their kind.

Another highlight in the wider travel destination of the Northern District is the water system: Tel Hazor preserves significant remains of an underground water-collection system, an ingenious engineering achievement adapted to the geography for water storage. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, the excavated shaft at Tel Hazor is 45 meters deep; steps three meters wide are carved into the walls of the vertical shaft. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, palace and gate architecture at Tel Hazor stand alongside technical solutions for water storage. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor National Park can be reached from the north and south via Route 90 toward Ayelet Hashahar. Check your navigation before setting out.

In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, Tel Megiddo preserves significant remains of a city with biblical connections and is one of the three tells closely associated with events in the Bible. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, the Early Bronze Age temple complex at Tel Megiddo is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of its cult activity, and its documented ritual practices. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, Tel Megiddo’s orthogonal Iron Age city plan has few parallels in the Levant. In the wider travel destination of the Northern District, the two features at Tel Megiddo draw attention to different aspects: the temple complex highlights continuity of cult activity and ritual, while the city plan highlights the layout of the city.

Discover more destinations: Karmi'el, Tel Adashim, H̱aluẕ, Gilon, Yiftaẖ, Harashim, Tirat Ẕevi, Tsipori.

For the wider travel overview: Northern District.