Ein Harod

This one spot has been a place where armies gathered prior to battle and where great battles were fought.

The Spring of Harod flows from Gideon’s Cave. This is the place where Gideon gathered his men before fighting the Midianites and where he administered the “water test” as a way of choosing the warriors for the coming battle (Judges 7:4-7). Judges 7:1 describes the scene, “Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.”

Today it is a nature reserve with the second largest pool in Israel, beautiful lawns, a picnic area, and eucalyptus trees. Also visible are some remains of an ancient aqueduct and a memorial to soldiers who died fighting on Mt. Gilboa.