IN the 1930s, Hannah and Ephraim Hareuveni founded and developed the Museum of Biblical and Talmudic Botany at Hebrew University on Mount Scopus (sadly destroyed during the War of Independence.) But their dream of creating a "Garden of the Prophets and the Sages" was not destroyed.
They died in the 1950s and didn't live to see this garden created, but they had instilled the dream in their son Nogah Hareuveni, and due to his drive and persistence, it was eventually planted. Though almost 80, he can still be found every day at the Reserve alongside the enthusiastic team who continue to invest time and energy in this still-developing project.
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Although all the plants you will see in Neot Kedumim are indigenous to Israel, they have been painstakingly transplanted here over the decades, transforming 625 acres of barren land in the Modi'in area into the flourishing reserve it is today. The very soil was returned to the slopes, bringing with it its hidden treasure of flower and plant seeds.
Features of ancient times have been restored or added, such as the terraces, olive presses, threshing floors, cisterns and watchtowers. You will come across domestic and wild animals as well as plants as you wander along the paths - bees in hives, doves in cotes and sheep in their folds. Graceful fallow deer have their place, too.
The reserve also offers a microcosm of Israel, with its desert area, Jordan River thickets and the Jericho Valley date palms.
Recommended for weddings and Sukkot outings.
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