Israel is not a land known for colorful fall foliage or crisp autumn temperatures. Here, the fall season is a tough one for hikers and nature lovers. As we wait for the winter rains to descend and replenish a dry landscape, we turn to hiking trails in forests, through caves, or on coastlines – places where the absence of lush greenery won’t make much difference.
Recently, I hiked along a coastal stretch of the Israel Trail. It’s absolutely beautiful here, despite the early fall heat. The view of aquamarine waters of the Mediterranean Sea from above sandstone cliffs makes up for the absence of winter flowers and spring greenery.
In the Iris Reserve, whose star flowers only blossom in late winter, my group stops for a moment next to a plain looking, oversized bush. It is growing out of the sand, tall and wiry, and it seems entirely uninteresting. It is called rotem in Hebrew; broom bush in English.
It is anything but boring. This plant has very deep roots, so much so that it would be incredibly difficult to pull it out of the ground. We found one wayward root several meters long, reaching across the sand instead of into the earth. The plant grows in the desert and on the coast, both environments where an insufficient fresh water supply means that deep roots are an advantage.
The plant does have flowers, just not at this season. They bloom white by the coast and yellow in the desert; the buds’ fragrant beauty is the reason that Rotem is a popular name for new babies in Israel. But perhaps the most interesting fact about the plant is that it is mentioned in the Bible on no less than three separate occasions.
Biblical reminders on the trail
The first biblical mention in the book of Kings, during an episode involving Elijah the prophet. Just before Elijah hears the “small, still voice” of God, he hides out under a broom bush in the desert.
On the Israel Trail, our group conjectured whether Elijah could have achieved relief from the sun under this wiry bush. Just down the trail, we noticed that two rotem plants have grown high over the pathway, forming a sort of shady arch. Elijah’s shade revealed.
I picked up a handful of fallen broom bush leaves; they look almost like pine needles, perfect for gathering together to build a bonfire. Our guide informed us that throughout history, the rotem leaves were, in fact, often used to build fires.
This shed light on the biblical reference to the rotem in the book of Psalms; there, the “hot coals of broom bush” are used as a metaphor. In ancient times, the rotem, whose burnt embers remain hot long after they turn black, was also sometimes used as a symbol of slander.
And then, of course, there are those noteworthy roots. In the book of Job, the roots of the broom bush are described as a most inferior food source, something that the lowest members of society might eat. Hidden deep underground, the plant’s roots remain available as food for wanderers when nothing of any value is left on land.
Insider's understanding of the Bible
The lesson in biblical flowers and plants didn’t end with the rotem. Just down the path, we encountered a special white flower that only blossoms on the coast, and only during the late summer and early fall months.
The havatzelet hahof, or coastal lily, blooms in upright, papery white bunches to the side of the trail, their delicate flowers out of character for this usually dry and lifeless season.
This flower, too, has its roots in biblical passages. In the Song of Songs, the beloved is compared to havatazelet hasharon, the Sharon lily, a strong flower that grows in tough conditions, and stands upright. It’s no coincidence that on today’s section of the Israel Trail, we traveled through the Sharon plains, just outside of Netanya. Thus, the coastal lily becomes the biblical Lily of Sharon.
The Song of Songs isn’t the only place where the coastal lily is mentioned in the Bible. In Isaiah, the prophet shares an inspiring image of the wilderness “blossoming like a havatzelet” during the time of redemption. Perhaps, the very fact that this flower seems to bloom out of nowhere, at a most unhospitable time of year, gave rise to this prophetical metaphor.
Before we had set out, I had thought I was going on a simple nature hike, to enjoy the beauty of the sea and a refreshing coastal breeze. But instead, I found myself walking through a guidebook to biblical understanding, as we followed the orange and blue signposts from one plant to the next on the Israel Trail.
For my Israel Trail hiking group, this day’s trek was part of a long journey made up of many beautiful segments, which began years ago in northern Israel and will, someday, end in Eilat.
Other gorgeous, long-distance trails exist all over the world. Fall colors are just starting to appear this month along America’s Appalachian Trail. But there’s something special about our very own Israel Trail: Here in the Holy Land, we gain an insider’s understanding of the Bible as we conquer the great outdoors.