Mother Earth Productions

Featuring: Wadi Tzin Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva

Co-starring: Wadi Ramon Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva

The raging rivers of the desert In a journey from Har Hanegev to the Arava

… It was a rainy day all over Israel. Pouring rains reached the dry Negev desert, and fell on the Makhtesh (Crater, or Erosion Cirque) Ramon area.

The bowl-shaped Makhtesh is drained by a single Wadi called Wadi Ramon, fed by numerous tiny creeks. And when the rain comes, the water celebration begins ! Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva

Our Makhtesh is a pretty old and colorful character. Years of erosion by water unfolded rock layers from a distant past…

And this is a closer look at Wadi Ramon – in its gushing river version, with Mount Ardon in the background

And in its calm version… Mt. Ardon Wadi Ramon Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva

And this is an extreme close-up of a washed river bed…

Different minerals create colorful rock formations, especially bright after the rains

This is the Moricandia. A dignified member of the Cruciferae family, decorating the creeks

Hey, you two ! What are you doing here on a rare lovely Wednesday afternoon ? Get back to work !

In the meantime, a bit north of Mahktesh Ramon, heavy rain clouds gathered to wet the drainage basin of Wadi Tzin. Hold it now ! Another flash flood is coming ! Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva

With all the clay in the water, this doesn’t seem to be the solution for cleaning the car. And if you ever wondered whether people really do use these water-level poles, here’s the answer ! Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva

And here, with the ancient town of Ovdat on the background.

Do you think that this Tamarisk tree has had enough to drink ?

And this is the best of Tzin ! The magnificent waterfall above Ein Maarif, in Ein Ovdat nature reserve. No words can describe the awesome feeling of standing in front of it.

Wanna take a closer look ?

With all due respect, people are getting hungry here… Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva Ein Ovdat

And the Tzin keeps flowing, turning the Ein Ovdat Canyon into a flowing river

The Tzin meanders under the cliff of Sde Boker into Tzin Valley, and just before getting to the Arava, it prepares another surprise… What’s going on over there ?

Beer Sheva Arad Dimona Yeruham Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon Neot Hakikar Hatzeva Another waterfall…

And here it flows further east …

To the Arava Valley…

Shot on location January 14 th 2004 Director of Photography: Guy Shachar

Hebrew version of the presentation is available for download from the site: