By: Ayelet Bar-Meir, Qualified Tour-Guide
Habis Stream is in fact part of the Kziv River with its many springs. Habis Stream is located south of the picturesque village of Hurfeish sprawled at the foot of Mount Meron. It is a centuries-old village, inhabited by a large Druze community and a Christian minority. The route can be reached in two ways: through the Village of Hurfeish or through Nebi Sabalan located at the top of Mount Zevul near Hurfeish.
וואדי חביז - נחל כזיב עליון, גליל מערבי
Activity times
Weekdays
Allways open
Contact and address
Location
Hurfesh
Why is it called Habis?
According to tradition, Sabalan was one of the distributors of the Druze religion. He arrived from Egypt to Hebron to spread the new religion. When the Hebronite Muslims realized that he is trying to persuade them that his religion is superior to theirs, they became very angry and began chasing him.
Sabalan ran for dear life, until he reached the ravine of Habis Stream. He appealed to God for help with a quick prayer, crossed the stream and began ascending the mountainside. When his pursuers reached the stream banks, the floodgates of the sky were opened and the stream became a raging impassible watercourse. Thus Sabalan was saved, lived a life of abstinence in the cave at the top of the mountain and became one of the Druze religion prophets.
Consequently the stream was named “Habis” a derivative of the word “Habas” meaning a blockage or blocked.
The Hurfeish Trail – Habis Stream
Getting There
Entering Hurfeish from the direction of Kefar Vradim, travelers should drive on the main road crossing Hurfeish and turn right when they reach a street with a blue trail marking on an electric poll. The right turn is near Jubran’s Hummus Restaurant and can be found a few dozen meters after it on the right side. Driving to the end of the street travelers will reach two large none-residential buildings, where they can park their vehicles and head out on foot.
Following the trail marking into the Wadi for about one kilometer (0.621 mile) will lead hikers to Ein Hotam (Hotam Spring).
Ein Hotam used to be the water source for the village of Hurfeish. Ein Hotam is a stone structure built by village inhabitants around the spring and it contains a trough collecting the spring water for the livestock. The spring is surrounded by poplar trees, flowers and rock surfaces where people can sit comfortably. Following the blue trail hikers will reach the Habis Stream creek. Here the trail marking turns green and leads hikers along the stream.
It is a pretty creek with a few active springs, green thicket and rock walls. The pathway passes above the creek and follows its flow and the small pools it contains.
The route ends by the old bridge, adjacent to the soccer field west of the village. To reach the soccer field, travelers must take road 89 from Hurfeish towards Alkush, turn left of the road before the Alkush intersection and drive towards the soccer field; follow the narrow road north of the field until the bridge, where they can park their cars conveniently.
Trail Type: linear-trail system (Vehicles must be transported to end of trail).
Trail length: about 4.5 km (~2.8 miles).
Difficulty Level: Easy – Moderate
Recommended Season: all year
Suitable for the entire family
The Nebi Sabalan trail – Habis Stream
Another possibility is to begin the trail at Nebi Sabalan. It is a holy site and very important to the Druze. The place can be visited, but proper attire is required (men are also required to wear long pants). This observation point provides the best view of the Galilee in its entire beauty. The verdant Meron mountains spread to the east, in the North the landscapes of the Galilee and Lebanon can be seen and to the west the ocean and the Western Galilee can be observed.
Getting There
Entering Hurfeish from the main road, in one of the central intersections, travelers should pay attention to the right sign towards “Nebi Sabalan” and follow it up to the top of Mount Zevul where the site is located.
After visiting the place, hikers will leave the compound and follow the black trail marking to the left of the exit.
The trail marking leads towards a pathway inside a beautiful grove on the slopes of Mount Zevul, and descends to the Habis Stream creek, where it meets the blue trail marking, and continues along the Habis Stream creek.
Trail Type – Linear (Vehicles must be transported to end of trail).
Trail length: about 4 km (~2.5 miles).
Difficulty Level: Moderate (descent from Mount Zevul, a bit steep)
Recommended Season: all year
Suitable for the entire family
By: Ayelet Bar-Meir, Qualified Tour-guide
