El-Habs

El-Habs (احبس), nicknamed Valley of the Monks (בקעת הנזירים, Bik'at HaNezirim) 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. The site serves today as picnic point, with several hiking and bicycle trails passing by. Apart from the caves are other features. To the northwest is water reservoir, next to which the remains of a small settlement dating to the Byzantine period (330-636 CE). To the east a sculpted, rock-cut burial cave with five burials, dating to the Roman period (1st century BCE to 1st century CE). Most of the sites are related to Christian activity in the region. The site was explored by 19th century researchers from France and the United Kingdom, and by Israeli archaeologists in the 90s. The site was studied by the French explorers Victor Guérin in 1870 and Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau in 1871–74, and in 1874 by the British Palestine Exploration Fund as part of the PEF Survey of Palestine. Their discoveries were confirmed in 1892 by Paul M. Séjourné of the École Biblique in Jerusalem. In the 1990s, the site was surveyed as part of the Archaeological Survey of Israel by a team of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), headed by Alon Shavit. The Arabic name of the site, as it appears in all 19th century sources is el-Habs, which was explained in 1881 by Edward Henry Palmer of the PEF as meaning "The Religious Endowmen" or "Mosque Property" (similar to "waqf"). The Hebrew nickname Valley of the Monks or Monks' Valley was given by the historical geographer Zohar Bar'am, which was popularized by Israeli artist Oded Feingersh(he). The name has been adopted by the Jewish National Fund. The municipality of Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut has published an article on the site, proposing an alternative name: Cave Valley in Gamzo Stream (בקעת המערות בנחל גמזו, Bikat Ha'Nezirim BeNahal Gamzo).