Jump to content

Mount Carmel

Coordinates:32°44′N35°03′E/ 32.733°N 35.050°E/32.733; 35.050
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeMount Carmel (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withCarmel (biblical settlement).
"Mount St Elijah" redirects here. For similarly named topics, seeMonte Sant'Elia (disambiguation).
Mount Carmel
הר הכרמל(Hebrew)
جبل الكرمل/جبل مار إلياس(Arabic)
The southern tip of Mount Carmel at sunset, as seen from the entrance toKibbutzMa'agan Michael
Highest point
Elevation525.4 m (1,724 ft)
Dimensions
Length39 km (24 mi)
Width8 km (5.0 mi)
Geography
Mount Carmel is located in Haifa region of Israel
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel
CountryIsrael
DistrictHaifa
Range coordinates32°44′N35°03′E/ 32.733°N 35.050°E/32.733; 35.050
Geology
Type of rockLimestoneandflint
A view of Mount Carmel in 1894
Coloured postcard of "Haifa, Mount Carmel", byKarimeh Abbud,c. 1925

Mount Carmel(Hebrew:הַר הַכַּרְמֶל,romanized:Har haKarmel;Arabic:جبل الكرمل,romanized:Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic asMount Mar Elias(Arabic:جبل مار إلياس,romanized:Jabal Mār Ilyās,lit. 'Mount Saint Elias/Elijah'), is a coastalmountain rangein northernIsraelstretching from theMediterranean Seatowards the southeast. The range is aUNESCObiosphere reserve.A number of towns are situated there, most notablyHaifa,Israel's third largest city, located on the northern and western slopes.

Etymology[edit]

The wordkarmelhas been interpreted to mean: "garden-land"[1](of uncertain origin); "vineyard ofGod",as a compound ofkeremandel;or a clipping ofkar male,meaning "full kernel."[2]Martin Jan Mulder suggested a third etymology, that ofkerem + lwith a lamedsufformative,but this is considered unlikely as evidence for the existence of a lamed sufformative is weak.[3]

Geography and geology[edit]

The phrase "Mount Carmel" has been used in three distinct ways, referring to either one of the following three areas:[4]

  • The 39 km (24 mi) long mountain range all the way toJenin,including theManasseh Hill Countryand the heights southeast of it.
  • The northwestern 21 km (13 mi) of the mountain range.
  • Theheadlandat the northwestern end of the range.

The Carmel range is approximately 6.5 to 8 kilometres (4.0 to 5.0 miles) wide, sloping gradually towards the southwest, but forming a steep ridge on the northeastern face, 546 metres (1,791 feet) high. TheJezreel Valleylies to the immediate northeast. The range forms a natural barrier in the landscape, just as the Jezreel Valley forms a natural passageway, and consequently the mountain range and the valley have had a large impact on migration and invasions through the Levant over time.[4]

The mountain formation is an admixture oflimestoneandflint,containing many caves, and covered in several volcanic rocks.[4][5]While most of the sedimentary rock originates in thelate Cretaceous,some of the north east sediments are from theearly Cretaceous,and the edges also feature sediments from thepleistocen.

The sloped side of the mountain is covered with luxuriant vegetation, includingoak,pine,olive,andlaureltrees.[5]

Several modern towns are located on the range, includingYokneamon the eastern ridge;Zikhron Ya'akovon the southern slope; theDruzecommunities ofDaliyat al-KarmelandIsfiyaon the more central part of the ridge; and the towns ofNesher,Tirat Hakarmel,and the city ofHaifa,on the far northwesternpromontoryand its base. There is also a small kibbutz calledBeit Oren,which is located on one of the highest points in the range to the southeast of Haifa.Mount Carmel Naval Baseis also located just near the mountain and is the logistical hub ofIsraeli Navy.

History[edit]

Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic[edit]

Distribution of theNeanderthal,and main sites, includingTabun cave,500,000 to around 40,000 BP

As part of a 1929–1934 campaign,[6]between 1930 and 1932,Dorothy Garrodexcavated four caves, and a number of rock shelters, in the Carmel mountain range at el-Wad,el-Tabun,andEs Skhul.[7]Garrod discoveredNeanderthaland early modern human remains, including the skeleton of a Neanderthal female, named Tabun I, which is regarded as one of the most important human fossils ever found.[8]The excavation at el-Tabun produced the longeststratigraphic recordin the region, spanning 600,000 or more years of human activity.[9]

The four caves and rock-shelters, Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad, and Skhul, together yield results from theLower Paleolithicto the present day, representing roughly a million years ofhuman evolution.[10]There are also several well-preserved burials of Neanderthals andHomo sapiensand the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer groups to complex, sedentary agricultural societies is extensively documented at the site. Taken together, these emphasize the paramount significance of the Mount Carmel caves for the study of human cultural and biological evolution within the framework of palaeo-ecological changes. "[11]

In 2012, UNESCO'sWorld Heritage Committeeadded the sites of human evolution at Mount Carmel to theList of World Heritage Sites.[12][13][14]The World Heritage Site includes four caves (Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad, and Skhul) on the southern side of the Nahal Me'arot/Wadi El-Mughara Valley. The site fulfils criteria in two separate categories, "natural" and "cultural".[13]

Of great interest for theNear East EpipalaeolithicisKebara Cave.

TheUniversity of Haifaatop Mount Carmel

In December 2020, archaeologists from theUniversity of Haifaannounced the discovery of the oldest known tool used for grinding or scraping, dating back about 350,000 years at theTabun Caveat Mount Carmel site. According to researchers, thiscobblebelongs to theAcheulo-Yabrudian complexfrom the late LowerPaleolithicand was used byhominidsforabradingsurfaces.[15][16][17][18]

Ancient agriculture: olive oil and wine[edit]

Archaeologistshave discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mount Carmel.[4][5]

As a strategic location[edit]

Hebrew Bible[edit]

Promontory and convent of Mount Carmel

Due to the lush vegetation on the sloped hillside, and many caves on the steeper side, Carmel became the haunt of criminals.[4]Thickly-wooded Carmel was seen as a hiding place, as implied by theBook of Amos.[4][19]According to theBooks of Kings,Elishatravelled to Carmel straight after cursing a group of young men because they had mocked him and the ascension of Elijah by jeering, "Go on up, bald man!" After this, bears came out of the forest and mauled 42 of them.[20]This does not necessarily imply that Elisha had sought asylum there from any potential backlash,[4]although the description in the Book of Amos, of the location being a refuge, is dated by textual scholars to be earlier than the accounts of Elisha in the Books of Kings.[21][22]

Ottoman period[edit]

During theOttoman Period,Mount Carmel was part ofTurabayEmirate (1517–1683), which encompassed also theJezreel Valley,Haifa,Jenin,Beit She'an Valley,northernJabal Nablus,Bilad al-Ruha/Ramot Menashe,and the northern part of theSharon plain.[23][24]

TheDruzesettlement in the Carmel region is relatively recent, with the exact timing unclear. According to one tradition accepted by scholars, they settled in the ruins of ancientHuseife,nowIsfiyaafter the defeat of the Lebanon-centered House Ma'an.Daliyat al-Karmel's population consisted of refugees from Aleppo who arrived in the early 19th century. Despite facing attacks from neighboring villages, the largest towns, Isfiya and Daliyat al-Carmel, persevered, possibly following the withdrawal ofIbrahim Pasha's army.[25]

World War I[edit]

DuringWorld War I,Mount Carmel played a significant strategic role. TheBattle of Megiddotook place at the head ofa passthrough theCarmel Ridge,which overlooks theValley of Jezreelfrom the south.General Edmund Allenbyled the British in the battle, which was a turning point in the war against theOttoman Empire.The Jezreel Valley had played host to many battles before, including the historically very significantBattle of Megiddobetween the Egyptians and Canaanites in the 15th century BCE, but it was only in the 20th-century battle that the Carmel Ridge itself played a significant part, due to the development inartilleryandmunitions.[26]

As a sacred location[edit]

Canaanites[edit]

In ancientCanaaniteculture,high placeswere frequently considered to be sacred, and Mount Carmel appears to have been no exception; EgyptianpharaohThutmose IIIlists aholy headlandamong his Canaanite territories, and if this equates to Carmel, asEgyptologistssuch asMasperobelieve, then it would indicate that the mountain headland was considered sacred from at least the 15th century BCE.[4]

Israelites and Hebrew Bible[edit]

Altar to God[edit]

According to theBooks of Kings,there was an altar to God on the mountain, which had fallen into ruin by the time ofAhab,butElijahbuilt a new one (1 Kings 18:30–32).

Elijah[edit]

In mainstreamJewish,Christian,andIslamic[4]thought,Elijahis indelibly associated with the mountain, and he is regarded as having sometimes resided in agrottoon the mountain. Indeed, oneArabicname for Mount Carmel is جبل مار إلياس (Jabal Mar Elyas,lit. "Mount of Saint Elias" ). In theBooks of Kings,Elijah challenges 450 prophets ofBaalto a contest at the altar on Mount Carmel to determine whose deity was genuinely in control of theKingdom of Israel.The role of the mountain in this story reflects its status as sacred.[27]As the narrative is set during the rule ofAhaband his association with thePhoenicians,biblical scholarssuspect that theBaalin question was probablyMelqart.[28]

According tochapter 18of theBooks of Kingsin theHebrew Bible,the challenge was to see which deity could light a sacrifice by fire. After the prophets of Baal had failed, Elijah had water poured upon his sacrifice to saturate the altar. He then prayed. Fire fell and consumed the sacrifice, wood, stones, soil and water, which prompted theIsraelitewitnesses to proclaim, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" In the account, Elijah also announced the end to a long three-year drought, which had previously been sent as divine punishment for Israel'sidolatry.

Though there is no biblical reason to assume that the account of Elijah's victory refers to any particular part of Mount Carmel,[4]Islamic tradition places it at a point known asEl-Maharrakahor ratherEl-Muhraqa,meaningthe burning.[5]

Two areas have been hypothesized as the possible site for the story about the battle against the priests of Baal. The slaughter could have taken place near the riverKishon,at the mountain base, in an amphitheater-like flat area. The site where the offering took place is traditionally placed on the mountain aboveYokneam,on the road to theDruzevillage ofDaliyat el-Karmil,where there is a monastery, built in 1868, called El-Muhraqa ( "the burning", possibly related to the burnt sacrifice "). It is regarded as one of the must-visit tour sites in the area of Haifa.[29](See below under "Carmelites (12th c.–present): El-Muhraqa site"for more).

Although archaeological clues are absent, the site is favoured because it has a spring, from which water could have been drawn to wet Elijah's offering. There is also a sea view, where Elijah looked out to see the cloud announcing rain. However, the biblical text states that Elijah had to climb up to see the sea. There is an altar in the monastery which is claimed to be that which Elijah built in God's honour, but that is unlikely, as it is not made of the local limestone.[30]

Druzevenerate Elijah, and he is considered a central figure inDruzism,[31]and due to his importance inDruzism,the settlement of Druze on Mount Carmel had partly to do with Elijah's story and devotion. There are two large Druze towns on the eastern slopes of Mount Carmel:Daliyat al-KarmelandIsfiya.[31]

Hellenistic and Roman periods[edit]

IamblichusdescribesPythagorasvisiting the mountain on account of its reputation for sacredness, stating that it wasthe most holy of all mountains, and access was forbidden to many,whileSuetoniusstates that there was anoraclesituated there, whichVespasianvisited for a consultation;[32]Tacitus states that there was an altar there, but without any image upon it, and without a temple around it.[33]

The existence of a pagan temple on Mount Carmel is supported by thePeriplus of Pseudo-Scylax,a fourth centuryperiplusthat mentions Mount Carmel as the "mount and temple ofZeus".[34]

Carmelites (12th century – present)[edit]

Stella Maris Monasteryin Mount Carmel,Haifa

ACatholic religious orderwas founded on Mount Carmel in 1209, named theCarmelites,in reference to the mountain range; the founder of the Carmelites is still unknown (d.1265).[35]In the original Rule or 'Letter of Life' given by Albert, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who was resident in Acre, around the year 1210, this hermit is referred to simply as 'Brother B'; he probably died around the date 1210 and could have been either a pilgrim, someone serving out a penance or a crusader who had stayed in the Holy Land.[citation needed]

AlthoughLouis IX of Franceis sometimes named as the founder, he was not, and had merely visited it in 1252.[5]

Stella Maris site
According toCarmelitetradition, the crypt of theStella Maris Monastery,seen here on a 1913 photo, was originally the hiding cave of Elijah

The Order was founded at the site that it claimed had been the location of Elijah's cave, 1,700 feet (520 m)above sea levelat the northwestern end of the mountain range.[4]

Though there is no documentary evidence to support it, Carmelite tradition suggests that a community ofJewishhermitshad lived at the site from the time ofElijahuntil the Carmelites were founded there; prefixed to the Carmelite Constitution of 1281 was the claim that from the time when Elijah andElishahaddwelt devoutly on Mount Carmel,priests and prophets, Jewish and Christian, had lived "praiseworthy lives in holypenitence"adjacent to the site of the" fountain of Elisha "[dubious–discuss]in an uninterrupted succession.[dubious–discuss][citation needed]

A Carmelitemonasterywas founded at the site shortly after the Order itself was created, and was dedicated to theBlessed Virgin Maryunder the title of "Star of the Sea"(" stella maris "inLatin), a common medieval presentation of her.[4]

The Carmelite Order grew to be one of the major Catholicreligious ordersworldwide, although the monastery at Carmel has had a less successful history. During theCrusadesthe monastery often changed hands, frequently being converted into amosque.[5]In 1799 the building was finally converted into ahospital,byNapoleon,but in 1821 the surviving structure was destroyed by thepashaofDamascus.[5]A new monastery was later constructed directly over a nearby cave, after funds were collected by the Carmelite Order for restoration of the monastery.[5]The cave, which now forms thecryptof the monastic church, is termed "Elijah's grotto" by theDiscalced Carmelitefriars who have custody of the monastery.[5]

El-Muhraqa site
El-Mohraka, in the 1850s, as depicted byvan de Velde

UnderIslamiccontrol the location at the highest peak of the Carmel came to be known as "El-Maharrakah" or "El-Muhraqa", meaning "place of burning", in reference to the account of Elijah's challenge to the priests of Hadad.[5]This, perhaps not coincidentally, is also the highest natural point of the mountain range.[citation needed]

The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

One of the oldestscapularsis associated with Mount Carmel and the Carmelites. According to Carmelite tradition, theScapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmelwas first given toSt. Simon Stock,anEnglishCarmelite, by theBlessed Virgin Mary.The Carmelites refer to her under the title "Our Lady of Mount Carmel,"and celebrate 16 July as her feast day.[citation needed]

Baháʼí Faith[edit]

TheShrine of the Báband its Terraces on Mount Carmel, 2004

Mount Carmel is considered a sacred place for followers of theBaháʼí Faith,and is the location of theBaháʼí World Centreand theShrine of the Báb.The location of the Baháʼí holy places has its roots in the imprisonment of the religion's founder,Bahá'u'lláh,near Haifa by theOttoman Empireduring the Ottoman Empire's rule overPalestine.

The Shrine of the Báb is a structure where the remains of theBáb,the founder ofBábismand forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Baháʼí Faith, have been laid to rest. The shrine's precise location on Mount Carmel was designated by Bahá'u'lláh himself and the Báb's remains were laid to rest on March 21, 1909, in a six-room mausoleum made of local stone. The construction of the shrine with a golden dome was completed over the mausoleum in 1953,[36]and a series ofdecorative terracesaround the shrine were completed in 2001. The whitemarblesused were from the same ancient source that mostAthenianmasterpieces were using, thePenteliko Mountain.

Bahá'u'lláh,the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, writing in theTablet of Carmel,designated the area around the shrine as the location for theadministrative headquartersof the religion; the Baháʼí administrative buildings were constructed adjacent to the decorative terraces, and are referred to asthe Arc,on account of their physical arrangement.

Ahmadiyya Muslims[edit]

TheAhmadiyya Muslim Communityhas its largest Israeli mosque on Mount Carmel, in theKababirquarter of Haifa, known as theMahmood Mosque.It is a unique structure with two minarets.[37]The mosque was once visited by thepresident of Israel,Shimon Peres,for aniftardinner.[38]

Gallery[edit]

A panorama of the Carmel mountain range

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon".
  2. ^"Aviv Hadash: An Israeli youth encyclopedia".p. vol. 9 pg. 169.
  3. ^Paul, Jouon; Tamitsu, Muraoka (2006).A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew.Gregorian Biblical BookShop.ISBN978-88-7653-629-8.
  4. ^abcdefghijklCheyne and Black,Encyclopedia Biblica
  5. ^abcdefghijJewish encyclopedia
  6. ^Callander, Jane (2004)."Garrod, Dorothy Annie Elizabeth (1892–1968)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37443.Retrieved2011-02-14.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  7. ^"Timeline in the Understanding of Neanderthals".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-27.Retrieved2007-07-13.
  8. ^Christopher Stringer, custodian of Tabun I,Natural History Museum,quoted in an exhibition in honour of Garrod;Callander and Smith,1998
  9. ^"From 'small, dark and alive' to 'cripplingly shy': Dorothy Garrod as the first woman Professor at Cambridge".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-28.Retrieved2007-07-13.
  10. ^"Excavations and Surveys / Prehistory Division".The Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa.Retrieved2016-04-18.
  11. ^"The Zinman Institute of Archaeology – Excavations and Surveys".Arch.haifa.ac.il. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013.Retrieved2009-01-19.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^"Newest UNESCO World Heritage Site-Carmel Caves"(Press release). Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2012-07-02.Retrieved2016-04-19.
  13. ^abUdasin, Sharon (2012-06-29)."4 Mount Carmel Caves Nominated to Join UNESCO".The Jerusalem Post.Retrieved2016-04-19.
  14. ^"Twenty-six new sites inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List this year"(Press release). UNESCO. 2012-07-02.Retrieved2016-04-19.
  15. ^Winer, Stuart."Stone found in Israel is oldest known tool in world used for 'delicate' abrading".www.timesofisrael.com.Retrieved2021-06-26.
  16. ^"A 350,000-year-old turning point in human evolution found in Israel".Haaretz.Retrieved2021-06-26.
  17. ^"The oldest known abrading tool was used around 350,000 years ago".Science News.2021-01-21.Retrieved2021-06-26.
  18. ^"357,000-Year-Old Abrading Tool Unearthed in Israel | Archaeology | Sci-News.com".Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com.Retrieved2021-06-26.
  19. ^Amos 9:3
  20. ^2 Kings 2:25
  21. ^Jewish Encyclopedia,Books of Kings
  22. ^Jewish Encyclopedia,Book of Amos
  23. ^al-Bakhīt, Muḥammad ʻAdnān; al-Ḥamūd, Nūfān Rajā (1989)."Daftar mufaṣṣal nāḥiyat Marj Banī ʻĀmir wa-tawābiʻihā wa-lawāḥiqihā allatī kānat fī taṣarruf al-Amīr Ṭarah Bāy sanat 945 ah".www.worldcat.org.Amman: Jordanian University. pp. 1–35.Retrieved2023-05-15.
  24. ^Marom, Roy (2023)."Lajjun: Forgotten Provincial Capital in Ottoman Palestine".Levant.55(2): 218–241.doi:10.1080/00758914.2023.2202484.S2CID258602184.
  25. ^Grossman, David (2004).Arab Demography and Early Jewish Settlement in Palestine: Distribution and Population Density during the Late Ottoman and Early Mandate Periods(in Hebrew). Jerusalem: The Hebrew University Magness Press, Jerusalem. pp. 157–158.ISBN978-965-493-184-7.
  26. ^Mark, Joshua."Thutmose III at The Battle of Megiddo".worldhistory.org.Archived fromthe originalon 14 February 2023.Retrieved20 April2024.
  27. ^Lemche, Niels Peter (2004).Historical dictionary of ancient Israel.Historical dictionaries of ancient civilizations and historical eras. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 90.ISBN978-0-8108-4848-1.
  28. ^Peake's commentary on the Bible
  29. ^BI, Editor (2018-11-29)."Tour Haifa: 5 Must-Visit Sites in Haifa".Biz Israel.{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help)
  30. ^"Mount Carmel".The Jewish Magazine.Retrieved2016-01-30.
  31. ^abSwayd, Samy (2015).Historical Dictionary of the Druzes.Rowman & Littlefield. p. 77.ISBN9781442246171.
  32. ^SuetoniusVespasian5.6
  33. ^TacitusHistories2.78.
  34. ^Safrai, Ze'ev (2018). "Jewish and Christian Sacred Sites in the Holy Land".Seeking out the Land: Land of Israel Traditions in Ancient Jewish, Christian and Samaritan Literature (200 BCE - 400 CE).Boston: BRILL.ISBN978-90-04-33482-3.OCLC1045023033.
  35. ^James Hitchcock, History of the Catholic Church, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012, p.155.
  36. ^"Golden anniversary of the Queen of Carmel".Baháʼí World News Service. 2003-10-12.Retrieved2007-05-12.
  37. ^"Holy Sites in Haifa".Tour-Haifa.Retrieved18 November2010.
  38. ^"Shimon Peres visits Ahmadiyya Mosque in Kababir Israel".youtube.Retrieved4 December2010.[dead YouTube link]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMount Carmel.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_Carmel&oldid=1235000073"