We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on our web pages. We share images and information with Wikipedia. We also donate to Wikipedia, & would suggest that others do the same. The modern day site of Tel Dan rests on the ruins of the biblical city of Dan. Tel Dan is named for the tribe of Dan, which was described in the Book of Judges as the largest of the twelve Israelite tribes. The city of Dan was on the northern boundary of ancient Israel and considered a major trade & business center. Tel Dan's location on Israel's northern region close to the Lebanese border has also made it where many bitter battles took place � especially, the 1967 Six-Day War. Tel Dan has a unique combination of both nature and culture to offer the visitor. Not only does it have lush river plant life along the river, but there are rare archeological findings of its city life, dating back to the Neolithic or Stone Age. Tel Dan is thought to have been one of the key rest stops along the historic route from Egypt into Syria. The ancient name of Tel Dan was Leshem or Laish, before receiving the name Dan after being settled by the Israelites. Ancient Egyptian documents, dating back to the nineteenth century BCE, describe Leshem as a prominent and prosperous trading center. It wasn't until the eleventh century BCE, some eight hundred years later that Leshem was conquered by the Israelites of the Exodus story, & Leshem�s name was changed to Dan. If you visit the Tel Dan Archeological Site, you will get a very real glimpse, into those turbulent biblical times. When you visit Tel Dan there are two places to visit. One is the Tel Dan Archaeological Site. The other is the Tel Dan Nature Preserve. The Tel Dan Nature Preserve is south of the Tel Dan Nature Preserve. They adjoin each other. Speaking of the Tel Dan Nature Preserve and other natural features. The dense vegetation around the site is lovely. Cold-water springs gush up from the ground here, forming the Dan River, which is one of the three main sources of water for the Jordan River. Actually the Dan River is one of four tributaries that drain into the Jordan River. The Dan�s source is Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in Israel, where the abundant winter snow melts and flows down to the Dan River and the Jordan River. The Tel Dan Nature Reserve is about 120 acres large, it has four hiking trails, parts of which are wheelchair accessible. Some of the trees here are the laurel, alaternus, & Syrian ash trees. Speaking of the Tel Dan Archeological Site. Several excavations have been & still are taking place in the the Tel Dan archeological site. In 1993, an inscription bearing what is thought to be a reference to the "House of David" was found here. It is thought to be the first archaeological evidence of King David's royal family to be discovered. It is considered as number 3, of the top ten Biblical archaeology discoveries. It is called the Tel Dan (�David�) Stela. There is also a very impressive, City Gate from the Israelite period (9th c. B.C.), as well as an arched, Canaanite-era gate, at the site; which may be the earliest evidence of the use of an arch discovered by archaeologists. A cultic site where King Jeroboam set up a golden calf to rival the Jerusalem Temple can be seen. Just inside the city gate of Tel Dan is the platform for a throne, where the city's king pronounced judgment. There is also a 700-year-old Arabic stone flour mill at the site. It is near a 2,000-year-old pistachio tree. The nearby Beit Ussishkin Regional Museum of Nature and Archeology has a collection of artifacts, well as an exhibit of the flora and fauna of the surrounding region. Dan was a majestic city in biblical times. According to Genesis, Abraham came here to rescue his nephew Lot and, five centuries later, Joshua led the Israelites through the area to victory.

The easy way to get to Tel Dan Nature Preserve, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is at the junction of the Haifa, Jerusalem, Dan, and Tel Aviv metropolitan areas. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. There are several hotels in or near Jerusalem. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem, Israel and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Priceline.Com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem, Israel area.