Mount Gilboa

Mount Gilboa (Hebrew: הר הגלבוע‎, Har haGilboa'; Arabic: جبال فقوعة‎ Jabal Faqu'a) is a ridge above the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. The formation extends from southeast to northwest, bordering the highlands of the West Bank and the Beit She'an valley. The Green Line between Israel and the West Bank runs south and west of the ridge. The Gilboa range is also the setting in the Books of Samuel portraying Saul, Jonathan and David.

Kibbutzim

The mountain has two religious kibbutzim, Ma'ale Gilboa and Meirav, named after one of Saul's daughters, as well as a drug rehabilitation centre called Malkishua, most likely after one of King Saul's sons, Malchi-shua. Ma'ale Gilboa has in it a yeshiva (Talmudical school), Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa. Municipal services are mainly administered by the Gilboa Regional Council, although two villages are part of the Beit She'an Valley Regional Council.^{[citation needed]}

The Israeli government had proposed a new community on the mountain: Mikhal, named after Saul's other daughter Michal. However, environmentalists and other residents had been vehement in their opposition to this project, fearing that Mikhal would destroy more green space and threaten certain irises which are unique to this area. Others in opposition questioned the need for an additional village, since the existing villages were themselves trying to attract new residents and expand.^{[citation needed]}

Vegetation

Every year, in early spring, the Iris haynei (Irus Ha-Gilboa) flower grows on the mountain, and visitors from all over Israel come to behold the purple flower.

Nature reserves

Two nature reserves have been declared on the Gilboa ridge; The Irus Ha-Gilboa nature reserve in 1970, covering 7,280 dunams (728 ha) and the eastern Gilboa reserve in 2005, covering 18,290 dunams (1,829 ha).

Panorama of the Harod Valley below, part of the Jezreel Valley

See also

• Kishon River
• List of battles between Israel and the Philistines