There are several good reasons to tour in the Golan Heights and the Banias Nature Reserve is one of them. This spot is the perfect place to take in nature, history and archeology- Greek, Roman and Jewish. Panias is a spring flowing down from Mount Hermon. It is named for the Greek god Arcadian Pan, a goat-footed god of victory in battle, isolated rural areas, music, goat herds, hunting, herding, and of sexual and spiritual possession. In Arabic, there is no “P” sound so a “B” was substituted. The name Panias became Banias. Modern Hebrew uses the Arabic word. In pre-Hellenic times a deity associated with the site was called Ba'al-gad or Ba'al-Hermon. It was here where goats were sacrificed to
When people who live outside of Israel think of the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, they think of a strong army which protects the country from its many adversaries – and this is true. However, as many residents of Israel know, the army is so much more than that. The army serves many purposes in Israel. It provides education, social services, helps immigrants and brings together people from many diverse communities who would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet or work together. I myself served in the army in the capacity of casualty identification. In addition, I served in the reserves for many years either guarding bases and settlements or practicing for my role if a conflict broke ou
