Misgav Am: Kibbutz history and views of Lebanon

Misgav Am combines its high-altitude location on the Ramim Ridge with the history of a kibbutz founded in 1945 by Palmach fighters and young pioneers. The landscape and communal buildings offer different points of interest: views of the surrounding area and the development of the kibbutz.

Location and views

Misgav Am lies on the Ramim Ridge in the Galilee Panhandle, about 800 meters above sea level, and offers direct views of Lebanon. The Benaya Lookout is nearby. Beneath three pine trees are two benches overlooking the Hula Valley and Mount Hermon. An orientation board highlights prominent landscape features; additional inscriptions quote words by Benaya Rein. The board complements the expansive view with specific references to the landscape, while the inscriptions add a distinct textual note. The Benaya Lookout is also wheelchair accessible.

Kibbutz history in its buildings

In addition to serving meals, the dining hall at Misgav Am also served as the kibbutz’s central meeting and cultural space. It was substantially expanded in 1978. The founding year, 1945, and the later expansion of the dining hall mark two different points in the development of the kibbutz and its communal spaces.

The children’s houses, fortified after the 1980 attack, were later repurposed as public buildings. Unlike the dining hall, whose expansion dates to 1978, the focus here is on the later change in how the buildings were used.

Visiting

A visitor center and tours are available at Kibbutz Misgav Am. If you plan to visit the center or take a tour, check in advance for current visiting options.

Archaeological highlights in the Northern District

In the Northern District, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo complement the story of kibbutz history with archaeological themes from much earlier periods. Tel Hazor is a biblical tell with significant remains of a city associated with the Bible. The visit focuses on the Upper City. Among its notable structures is Solomon’s Gate, a six-chambered gate with 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 and is considered the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most significant in the Levant.

The water system also brings Tel Hazor’s archaeological history to life: it preserves significant remains of an underground water-collection system, an advanced engineering achievement adapted to the geography for water storage. The excavated shaft is 45 meters deep; steps three meters wide are cut into its vertical walls.

Tel Megiddo is one of three tells that preserve significant remains of cities associated with the Bible and are closely linked to biblical events. The orthogonal Iron Age city plan has few parallels in the Levant. The Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of its cultic activity, and the documented ritual practices. Thus, different archaeological highlights sit side by side in the Northern District: at Tel Hazor, the palace and waterworks, among other features; at Tel Megiddo, urban planning and cultic activity.

Discover more destinations: Netiv Hashayara, Peki'in HaHadasha, Karkom, Yiftaẖ, Majd al-Krum, Umm el Ghanam, Gilon, Kfar HaNassi.

Return to the broader travel overview: Northern District.