Mount Meron

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Mount Meron
Har Merón • Jábal al-Jármaq

Northern slopes of Mt. Meron
Elevation 1,208 m (3,963 ft)
Location
Mount Meron
Israel
Coordinates 33°00′N 35°25′E / 33.000°N 35.417°E / 33.000; 35.417Coordinates: 33°00′N 35°25′E / 33.000°N 35.417°E / 33.000; 35.417

Mount Meron (Hebrew: הר מירון‎, Har Meron; Arabic: جبل الجرمق‎, Jabal al-Jarmaq)[1] is a mountain in Israel. It has special significance in Jewish religious tradition and parts of it have been declared a nature reserve.

At 1,208 metres (3,963 ft) above sea level, Mount Meron is the highest peak in Israel,[2] though many peaks in the Golan Heights are higher.

Mount Meron nature reserve

In 1965, an 84000-dunam nature reserve was declared. An additional 1199 dunams were declared part of the reserve in 2005.[3] It is the largest and highest reserve in Israel, at an altitude of 1208 meters above sea level.[4]

Religious significance

Tomb of Shimon bar Yochai
The village of Meron and the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai are on Mount Meron. Leading up to the anniversary of his death on Lag B'Omer, thousands of people camp out along the slopes near the tomb, and on Lag B'Omer itself, hundreds of thousands make pilgrimages to celebrate the occasion.

Hiking paths

The mountain has a strong undergrowth and it cannot be walked up from every direction. The main path starts at the north west side of the Meron village. There is a gate next to the road, with a color-marked path of about 10 km. There is also a path on the west side of the mountain.

Climate

Snowfall on Mount Meron

Mt Meron has a Mediterranean climate (koppen Csa) with hot and dry summers and damp and cool winters. It snows briefly on Mt Meron a few times a year. There are 22 days a year with a temperature of 32 °C or higher and 28 days below freezing. Note: the chart is an average of 5 years so the record highs and lows may not be fully accurate.

Climate data for Mount Meron (2002–2007)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17
(63)		 22
(72)		 18
(64)		 26
(79)		 32
(90)		 32
(90)		 33
(91)		 36
(97)		 33
(91)		 28
(82)		 26
(79)		 20
(68)		 36
(97)
Average high °C (°F) 8
(46)		 9
(48)		 11
(52)		 18
(64)		 23
(73)		 27
(81)		 29
(84)		 30
(86)		 27
(81)		 26
(79)		 20
(68)		 12
(54)		 20
(68)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6
(43)		 6
(43)		 7
(45)		 13
(55)		 18
(64)		 21
(70)		 23
(73)		 24
(75)		 21
(70)		 20
(68)		 16
(61)		 9
(48)		 15.3
(59.6)
Average low °C (°F) 4
(39)		 3
(37)		 4
(39)		 8
(46)		 13
(55)		 15
(59)		 17
(63)		 18
(64)		 16
(61)		 15
(59)		 12
(54)		 6
(43)		 10.9
(51.6)
Record low °C (°F) −2
(28)		 −8
(18)		 — 3
(37)		 7
(45)		 11
(52)		 15
(59)		 13
(55)		 13
(55)		 11
(52)		 5
(41)		 — −8
(18)
Source: "Climate Information for Har Meron, Israel". Weather Base. 

References

  1. ↑ "Encyclopædia Britannica: Mount Meron". Retrieved 2008-11-24. 
  2. ↑ Federal Research Division (2004). Israel A Country Study (Paperback ed.). Kessinger Publishing, LLC. p. 8. ISBN 141912689X. 
  3. ↑ "List of National Parks and Nature Reserves" (in Hebrew). Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Retrieved 2010-09-27. 
  4. ↑ "Mount Meron reserve" (in Hebrew). Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Retrieved 2010-09-27. 
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Nature reserves of Israel
Northern District
Central District
Southern District
Eilat Region
† Located in the Israeli-occupied territories
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