Givat HaMoreh, Summit and hill location in northern Israel.
Givat HaMoreh is a hill in northern Israel that rises above the Jezreel Valley, offering views toward Mount Tabor and the Galilean plains on clear days. The area is a nature reserve with several marked trails that wind through different elevation zones.
The hill of Moreh is named in the Hebrew Bible three times: Genesis 12:6, Deuteronomy 11:30 and Judges 7:1, the last describing Gideon's camp before the battle against the Midianites. In the 3rd century BCE the name was rendered in Koine Greek as Gabaath Amora. Medieval Christian pilgrims, reading Psalm 89, called it Little Hermon because of its proximity to Mount Tabor. Its Arabic name, Jebel ed-Dahi, comes from the maqam of Dihyah al-Kalbi at the summit.
At the top of the hill stands a Muslim shrine with the tomb of a 7th-century saint, visited by pilgrims from across the region. The site remains an active place of devotion, and visitors who make the climb will find it in regular use today.
The summit is reached by road through the Givat HaMoreh neighbourhood of Afula, and a basalt-stone observation tower stands at the top, looking over the Jezreel Valley. A working recreation area with parking and leisure facilities occupies the hill. Snow on the peak is rare but has occurred, with over 50 cm accumulating in the winter of 1991–1992.
The Nazareth Iris is endemic to a small area of Israel, and a large concentration of it grows on this hill. About 530 dunams of Givat HaMoreh are a nature reserve created to protect the species.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,784 contributors worldwide.