Tel Dan
Nature Reserve
About Tel Dan Nature Reserve
Tel Dan Nature Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary fed by year-round springs and home to Tel Dan, an important archaeological site. The reserve offers hikes, trails, vantage viewpoints over the Golan Heights and shady greenery, all year round. The Dan Stream, being the largest of the Jordan River’s three sources, surges through the park and lacy trees provide shade. The nature reserve is also rich in wildlife and water- and shade-loving species.
Biblical City of Dan
The city of Dan was originally named Laish before the tribe of Dan captured it, renaming it Dan, after their ancestor (Joshua 19:47). Dan was a major reference point in the unified kingdom, “from Dan to Beersheba”. After the kingdom was divided, King Jeroboam made Dan a centre of worship for the Northern Kingdom so that the people of Israel would not return to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. The city began to decline after nearby city of Banias began to prosper.
Archaeological Finds
The Canaanite-era “Abraham’s Gate” with a triple-arched entrance is the oldest surviving archway in the world. The Israelite city gate’s chambers may have served as guard stations, storage rooms or a place for merchants to sell goods. Uncovered is a broken 9th century BC victory stele with “House of David” inscription in Aramaic, proving that King David from the Bible was a genuine historical figure.
Interesting Facts
- Following the War of Independence, a military post was set up here to protect Kibbutz Dan and the Dan Springs until 1967.
- The raised platform inside the main Israelite gate may have been a place for the king or judge to sit to oversee the city business or it may have been a shrine where an idol was displayed.
- There are three different hiking trails, all begin next to the river and its rushing waters and pass the “Wading Pool”, the only place in the park where it is permitted to paddle in the shallow waters.
