Page 125 - Advanced Bible Geography ebook

The Crusaders arrived in the Galilee
in 1099. This frontier city, located on
the trade road to Damascus, was a
strategic asset. The Crusaders hoped
to win the war against the Arabs by
conquering Damascus, and
the fortified city at Banias and its
mountain fortress were the keys for
this strategy. However, until 1129
the Crusaders could not advance
from the hills across the Huleh lake.

Due to internal Arab feuds the city
and the fortress were given to the
Crusaders under treaty in 1129. The
Crusaders fortified the Arab fortress
of Kil’at Subeiba (“Large cliff”),
located 6KM above the city, calling it
by the Biblical name – Nimrod Fortress. The Crusader reconstruction in Nimrod was in the years 1129-
1130.

The Crusaders advance on the eastern front, narrowing their distance from Damascus, alarmed the Arabs.
They focused on recapturing the fortress and succeeded to drive out the Crusaders in 1132. The Crusaders
regained the city and fortress in 1140 and held it until 1164. During this time the fortress was sacked in
1151 by Turkmen soldiers.

The present fortress, as seen today, is based on a series of construction which were conducted by the
Arab rulers who feared the Crusaders will return to attempt a renewed attack on Damascus.

If you get the opportunity to travel to Israel, while the fortress does not have any biblical significance, it
is an amazing structure located only a couple miles from Banias. For a pictorial tour of the fortress, go
to https://www.biblewalks.com/nimrod.

Mt. Bental Observation Site

The Mount Bental overlook is beautiful and provides stunning views of Mount Hermon and the Golan.
Located in the Golan Heights, Mount Bental is 1,170 meters above sea level. The road to the top has
recently been repaved and tourist facilities have been renovated and rebuilt. In a region where much is
inaccessible to tourists due to restrictions on non-military traffic and poor roads, Mount Bental offers a
rare and rewarding sight. The overlook is managed by Kibbutz Merom Golan, the
first Kibbutz established in this region after the 1967 war. From the overlook one can see Mount
Hermon (3,000 meters above sea level), several Druze villages as well as a network of old bunkers and
trenches. Just to the east of Mount Bental is Syria, with Damascus lying just 60km away.

In the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Mount Bental was the site of one of the largest tank battles in history.
Mount Bental is a key strategic point for Israel due to its advantageous observation point. Israel knew it

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