The Negev and Judean deserts

Another Beduoin Camp

The Negev and the Judean deserts constitute much of the landmass of southern Israel.  And, they are not unoccupied.  Towns and cities are scattered throughout, especially near sources of water.  Where the Judean Desert ends, the Negev begins: a spectacular region of low sandstone hills, rocky peaks and fertile plains furrowed with narrow canyons.  We were elated when Ruthie and Hagai suggested we meet them outside Tel Aviv to drive south and hike in search of a small yellow flower that only blooms in the Negev for about two weeks in the fall.

Monument in the desert

On a windswept hill south of Tel Aviv, we stopped at a stark tribute to the Jewish soldiers killed while taking Be’er Sheva from the Egyptians in 1948.  We climbed in, on, and under a bunker and watchtower.

We continued south until reaching the area for our 2-3 mile hike and search for the dozen flowers hiding in the shadows of large boulders.

As we left the area of our hike, Hagai called a friend of his and invited us all to his home for lunch.  Yaeer and his wife, Layla, live in Kibbutz Se Boker.  When Ben Gurion resigned from the government in 1953 (he returned later), he and his wife moved to this isolated brand-new kibbutz.

Imagine our excitement when we pulled off the road into the kibbutz only to be faced with a large ibex staring at us.

Yaeer is a professor at the Sde Boker College, which specializes in environmental studies.  The National Solar Energy center here is a research program investigating new ideas for harnessing solar energy.  There is also a field school for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.  Their two nieces, who recently completed their military services, joined us for lunch.  We had a lively conversation and had to stay on our toes with two notable physicists in our midst.

When the sun started to go down, they hurried us out and on a short walk down the road (about a city block).  There is a commanding view of the Zin Valley Wadi – a vast, undulating drape of stone.  This white canyon has been carved out by the Zin River.  What a wonderful neighborhood view!

The Wadi in the Negev