Valley of the Monks
El-Habs, nicknamed Valley of the Monks is a site of a cave which served Christian monastic chambers, on the channel of the Gimzo Stream. It is situated at the foot of Horbat Zekhariya and together with Horbat Kelah form a complex of archaeological sites in the hills of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, in the territory of Ben Shemen Forest.- Type: Archaeological site
- Description: valley in Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, Israel
- Also known as: “El-Habs”, “Monks Valley”, and “Monks Valley in Modi’in”
Places of Interest Nearby
Highlights include Barfilya and Modi`im.
Barfilya
Peak
Photo: McKaby, Public domain.
Barfiliya was a Palestinian village located 10.5 kilometres east of Ramla that was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Located on a tell, excavations conducted there by Israeli archaeologists beginning in 1995 found artifacts dating back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A period. Barfilya is situated 2½ km southeast of Valley of the Monks.
Modi`im
Ruins
Modi’in, also Modi’im, and later, Moditha, was an ancient Jewish city located in Judea, near the modern city of Modi'in, Israel. First mentioned in the Books of Maccabees, it was the hometown of the priestly Hasmonean family, who assumed leadership over Judea following the victorious Maccabean uprising. Modi`im is situated 2 km east of Valley of the Monks.
Zaglembie Memorial
Memorial
Photo: YoavR, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Zaglembie Memorial is situated 1½ km northeast of Valley of the Monks.
Places in the Area
Nearby places include Mevo Modi’im and Gimzo.
Mevo Modi’im
Village
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Mevo Modi'im, officially Me'or Modi'im, is a moshav in central Israel. It is also known as the Carlebach Moshav. Located north-west of Modi'in on Highway 443, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council.
Gimzo
Village
Photo: Avi1111, Public domain.
Gimzo is a religious moshav in central Israel. Located between Lod and Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council. In 2024 it had a population of 1,150. Gimzo is situated 3 km west of Valley of the Monks.
Al-Midya
Village
Photo: יעקב, CC BY-SA 3.0.
al-Midya is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the western West Bank, located west of Ramallah. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of over 1,533 inhabitants in 2017. Al-Midya is situated 3 km east of Valley of the Monks.
Valley of the Monks
- Categories: valley, historic site, tourist attraction, and tourism
- Location: Central District, Israel, Middle East, Asia
- View on OpenStreetMap
Latitude
31.92723° or 31° 55′ 38″ northLongitude
34.9731° or 34° 58′ 23″ eastOpen location code
8G3PWXGF+V6OpenStreetMap ID
node 558877739OpenStreetMap feature
historic=archaeological_siteWikidata ID
Q6804015
This page is based on OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia.
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Satellite Map
Discover Valley of the Monks from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
In Other Languages
“Valley of the Monks” goes by many names.
- Hebrew: “בקעת הנזירים”
Notable Places Nearby
Highlights include Bir a-Shimi and מערת קבורה חצובה.
Nearby Places
Explore places such as HaReches Avenue/HaZricha and סככה.
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