At Kibbutz Ma‘yan Barukh, the Upper Galilee Museum of Prehistory displays a selection from a large prehistoric collection. Nearby, the Nahal Snir (Hatzbani) Nature Reserve currently offers an accessible nature experience. This gives you different options to consider when planning your trip: the early history of the Hula Valley at the museum, and nature in the surrounding area.
The Museum of Prehistory
The museum is located at Kibbutz Ma‘yan Barukh. Amnon Assaf designed its cave-like building, which was constructed in the 1980s. Inside, there is a prehistoric section and an ethnographic section. A visit includes a guided tour suitable for all ages. This combines a look at the collection with a guided introduction to the museum.
On display is a selection from a large prehistoric collection that Amnon Assaf and members of the kibbutz assembled over many years in the Hula Valley. The collection includes finds from the early settlement of the Hula Valley, dating from about 780,000 to approximately 6,000 years ago. This timespan extends far beyond a single era and gives the collection its broad prehistoric scope.
Finds from Ma‘yan Barukh
Another archaeological point of interest is the Ma‘yan Barukh site. Thousands of symmetrical, exceptionally aesthetically refined hand axes were found there. Their advanced manufacturing technique points to the great skill of prehistoric flintknappers. The subject therefore extends beyond the museum collection to the finds associated with Ma‘yan Barukh.
Nature in the surrounding area
The Nahal Snir (Hatzbani) Nature Reserve lies in the northern Hula Valley between Kibbutz Hagoshrim and Kibbutz Ma‘yan Barukh. It is therefore a nearby destination, not the location of the museum. The reserve currently offers an accessible nature experience. When choosing a focus for your trip, you can distinguish between a guided museum visit and a nature experience in the surrounding area.
Archaeology in the broader destination of the Northern District
In the broader destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo offer further archaeological highlights. Both are biblical tells with significant remains of cities associated with the Bible. At Tel Hazor, the visit focuses on the upper city. This includes Solomon’s Gate from the 10th century BCE, a gate with six chambers and two towers. The excavated shaft at Tel Hazor is 45 meters deep, with three-meter-wide steps cut into its walls. The underground water-collection system is an ingenious feat of engineering, adapted to the geography, for storing water.
Tel Megiddo also offers a distinctive perspective on the history of the Northern District. Its Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of cultic activity, and its documented ritual practices. The orthogonal city plan of Iron Age Tel Megiddo has few parallels in the Levant. The themes of the broader destination can thus be distinguished: Ma‘yan Barukh focuses on prehistoric finds, while Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo preserve significant evidence of cities and places of worship.
Discover more destinations: Kfar Saba, Ein Kinya, Kfar Bin Nun, Ya'ara, Kahal, Rosh Pinna, Nes Ammim, Adi.
For the broader travel overview: Israel.
