| Eshkol National Park | |
|---|---|
| גן לאומי אשכול | |
 Blooming flowers & palm trees in the park | |
  Location in Israel | |
| Location | Southern District,Israel |
| Coordinates | 31°18′29.05″N34°29′22.19″E / 31.3080694°N 34.4894972°E /31.3080694; 34.4894972 |
| Eshkol National Park | |
Eshkol National Park (Hebrew:גן לאומי אשכול) is anational park located inNorthern Negev,Israel, nearGaza.[1]
The 875-acre park offers lawns and shaded picnic areas and boasts at its centre the largest spring in theNahal Besor/Wadi Ghazzeh basin, known inHebrew as Ein HaBesor and inArabic as Ein Shellal. The spring taps the near-surfaceaquifer, which is fed by the runoff of winter rains.[2]
East of the springs,[3] the mound of Khirbet Shellal dominates the landscape. At ShellalANZAC troops discovered during theWorld War ISecond Battle of Gaza an elaborate floor mosaic depicting a variety of animals,[4] part of the ruins of aByzantine church. The mosaic is now displayed in theAustralian War Memorial inCanberra.[2] Shellal is located some 3 km northeast, and across the valley of Nahal Besor/Wadi Ghazzeh, from the more famous biblical archaeological site ofTell el-Farah (South).[citation needed]
Authority control databases: National |
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