Hi,
The Mukhraqa was where we headed this Saturday morning for a short hike. This time, Atzva joined us, and we left Xuxa at home.
Dier El-Mukhraqa means the monastery of the burning place, and the place believed to be the place where the prophet Elijah confronted 450 Baal priests during the drought, to a challenge.
You would expect the challenge to be who will be the god to bring water and rain down on earth: Baal or God. But the challenge was who the god to bring fire and lit the alter and the sacrifice on it. After the priests of Baal failed to make their god bring fire, God brought down fire on the altar and burned it down. After it, Elijah and the people slaughtered the priests of the Baal.
Now, there is a small monastery of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel on the location. . The roof the building gives a beautiful view over Jezrael valley and good starting point for hikes around it. It has a small garden in front of it, with a statue of Elijah with the head of one the dead Baal priests under its leg. The entrance costs 5 NIS for a head.
Take Care
Gad
Keren HaCarmel (Horn of Mount Carmel), on top of it is Dier El-Mukhraqa (Mukhraqa monastery)
The road up to the monastery
The sign and the opening hours
The parking lot for buses on top of the hill
The garden of the monastery
The statue of Elijah with the head of one the dead Baal priests under its leg (Jannaues first asked if it David and Goliath)
The monastery building
The view from the building on Jezreal valley
View from the roof top. The V shape on top of the picture is Ramat David Airbase. Aircraft kept taking off from it, although it is Sabbath morning and the cease fire in the north is kept
The entrance to a 3 km hike around the monastery
Hiking
Avery stiff way down from the hill
The red trail turns right around the hill, but we took the black trail back to the car