Israel tourism and travel guide 

Eden springs, also known as Einot Salukia is a collection of springs, originating about 1km north east of Katzrin Junction in the center of Golan Heights, on road 87.

Einot Salukia is named after an ancient settlement that existed during the Second Temple Period. In all likelihood, there was a parallel Jewish settlement to the settlement Gamla, which also prepared for defense during the revolt period against the Roman rule. The name Salukia is probably named after the Seleucid Empire that ruled over many lands in the Middle East for hundreds of years, up until about 2500 years ago.

Nowadays, most of the spring water is pumped by the mineral water company Eden Springs (Mey Eden), but some of it flows to the park located south of the springs. During our visit at the Einot Salukia Park, we’ll hike along a short circular walking path a few hundreds of meters long, between clear water pools, cool streams, little waterfalls and pastoral seating areas.

The park is sheltered under the shade of Eucalyptus trees and river vegetation typical to this area: raspberry, common reed, willow and Nerium oleander. Between the trees, we’ll notice the remains of the abandoned Syrian village houses, Katsaviya El-Jadidah (New Katsaviya) – as opposed to Ancient Katsaviya located south west of the park. The name of the village is derived from the word “kasab”, which in Arabic means Common reed. Between the houses of ancient Katsaviya, old relics of an ancient synagogue were found, on it a stone lintel with an embossment of a short-toed snake-eagle holding a snake in its beak, and a candelabra with 11 arms carved in the stone. The location of the synagogue is unknown. It was one of dozens of Jewish settlements established in the Golan Heights after the forced exile of the Jews by the Romans from Judea to Galilee and the Golan Heights following the great revolt that ended in 70 AD and the severe defeat of the Jewish settlement.

Both villages, New Katsaviya and Ancient Katsaviya, were abandoned during Israel’s military occupation of Golan Heights during the Six-Day War in June 1967, in order to vanquish the Syrian threat on the northern Israel region.

After we exit the park, we’ll be able to visit the Sa’ar Formation Monument, established for the memory of the fallen 7th Armored Brigade soldiers of the Israeli Armored Corps, located south west of the park. Many of the brigade’s soldiers fell in the difficult battles that took place in the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War on October 1973.