Dvora is a town from the time of the Mishnah and the Talmud. The archaeological name is Hurvat Dvora. The ruins of the settlement were discovered at the end of the nineteenth century by Gottlieb Schumacher during an archaeological survey of the Golan Heights. Many historians believe this place is the ruins of the ancient city of Slukia, mentioned during the Jewish War. However, Dvora or Daburia, was most likely one of the ancient settlements of the Issachar tribe in the Bashan area. In 1969, primary excavations were carried out on the site of the city, during which an inscription was found: "This is the beit midrash of Rabbi Elazar haKappar." This is one of the few Hebrew inscriptions found on the Golan Heights and the first evidence of the existence of the concept and name "Beit Midrash" during the period of the Mishna and the Talmud. In addition, before the discovery of this stone, there were no archaeological references to the sage Elazar haKappar. The settlement was quite large, and during the excavations, oil presses, and public and private buildings were found. Excavations carried out by the "Department for the Preservation of Historical Antiquities" - Reshut ha'atikot in 2002 unearthed a manger for feeding cattle, which was nothing more than a later use of burial systems from the time of the Mishnah and Talmud. The houses of the ancient city were built from raw basalt stones or from stones that had been processed only on the front side. There was a constant human presence on the site of the ancient settlement of Dvora, and the last inhabitants of the city were Bedouins from the tribe known today in settlement of Tuba Zangaria.
Gilbon, or Jelabun, is a nature reserve on the western slopes of the Gloan Plateau. Two streams, Gilbon and Eitan, flow on its territory. Gilbon Creek flows into the Jordan River south of the Pkak Bridge, near Highway 918. The entire walking route of the reserve runs from the Dvora Falls parking lot to the Pkak Bridge. There are two waterfalls on the territory of the reserve. The upper waterfall is called Dvora waterfall and is 10 meters high. The lower waterfall is called Gilbon Falls; its height is 42 meters. Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of the ancient Dvor settlement near the waterfall. This settlement belongs to the period of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Gilbon Falls has deep, swimmable pools. At Gilbon Falls, you can end your walk and climb up the blue path. You should plan your route. A country road leads to the beginning of the hike, suitable for all types of vehicles. The road passes through the territory of a reasonably large former Syrian military base. Damaged concrete buildings are visible along the road. The road will have a fork, indicating the start of the Jelabun Creek and Dvora Falls hiking trail (red marking). Traditionally, the route starts from the Dvora waterfall and ends at the Jelabun (Gilbon) waterfall. The length of this route is about four hours. You should leave one of the cars in the parking lot at the Gilbon waterfall and use the other one to return to the parking lot at the beginning of the route - the Dvora waterfall. The entire way involves the passage from the parking lot of the Gilbon waterfall to the Gesher Pkak bridge. This route will take 6-8 hours.
Don't be afraid to get lost in new places!
