Nahal Og

Nahal Og or Wadi Og (Hebrew: נחל אוג), or Wadi al-Muqallek, also spelled Wadi Mukallik/Mukellik/Muqallik (Arabic: وادي مكلك) is a winterbourne stream on the West Bank that drains the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives range east of Jerusalem and runs for 30 km till the Dead Sea.[1][2] It is the northernmost of the streams that flow from the Judaean Desert into the Dead Sea.[1]

## Name

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### Nahal Og

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The Hebrew name of the stream is derived from the local sumac plant (Rhus tripartita), that grows in the wadi, which is named og in Hebrew.[2][3] Nahal is the Hebrew word for wadi or creek, and the corresponding valley.

## Course and geography

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### Course

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The wadi (seasonal stream) drains the slopes of the Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus and Abu Dis in Jerusalem at 800 m above sea level and descends till the Dead Sea at 400 m below sea level.[3] The steepness of the stream results in heavy flooding during the winter,[1] and in the past, parts of Highway 90 have been swept away.[4][5] The stream sweeps mud and debris along with the water and sometimes during flooding times it is possible to see a trail of mud, hundreds of meters long, in the waters of the Dead Sea.[6]

### Ruins of the Monastery of Theoctistus

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On the course of the wadi are the ruins of the Monastery of Theoctistus, known in Arabic as Deir Muqallik.[7] They are hard to access, being situated quite high on the steep northern bank of the wadi at the spot where the valley deepens, turning into a canyon.[7] According to Byzantine sources, it was established in the 5th century by Euthymius and Theoctistus[7] (for more about the monastery see these two articles). Archaeologists confirm that the main phase of the cave church complex and related structures date back to the 5th-7th century, the monastery's 'golden era', with signs of a far less significant habitation period during the Early-Mid Muslim period in the 7th-11th or 12th century.[7] The cave church complex was established at the beginning of the 5th century, and at the end of the 8th the monastery was deserted.[7]

### Lower course landmarks

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At the foothills of the Judaean Mountains the stream passes by the Muslim shrine of Nabi Musa.[6] In the plain, before reaching the Dead Sea, it also passes next to the kibbutz and Israeli settlement of Almog.[2] Here, towards the end of the stream, a reservoir was built which stores waters from the floods that is used by Almog.[6]

Panorama of Wadi Og from Og Lookout

## See also

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* Sabbas the Sanctified, who lived at the monastery of Theoctistus starting in 457

## References

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1. ^ a b c Nahal Og (Og Stream) Archived 2015-05-11 at the Wayback Machine at Israel Traveler
2. ^ a b c Nahal Og at Afek Family Travels
3. ^ a b Nahal Og Archived 2020-05-01 at the Wayback Machine at Dead Sea Guide
4. ^ Israelis Welcome Rain at Israel National News
5. ^ Floods make some people's day, ruin others' at Haaretz
6. ^ a b c Israel goes "from Red Line to Black" as the water crisis worsens at The Jerusalem Post
7. ^ a b c d e Goldfus, Haim (HUJI); Arubas, Benny (HUJI); Alliata, Eugenio (SBF) (1995). "The Monastery of St. Theoctistus (Deir Muqallik)". LA (45): 247–292. Retrieved 8 July 2019.

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Nature reserves of Israel

Jerusalem District|

* Adullam
* Avshalom Cave
* Ein Hemed
* HaMasrek
* Lifta
* Nahal Sorek
* Har HaTayasim
* Te'omim Cave

Northern District|

| Acre|

* Achziv Islands
* Nahal Gamal
* Nahal Kziv
* Nahal Yehiam
* Rosh HaNikra

|

Golan|

* Gamla1
* Hasbani River1
* Hermon1
* Yehudiya Forest1
* Nahal Hermon1

Jezreel|

* Alonei Abba
* Balfouria
* Gilboa Iris
* Hurshat Zakum
* Mount Gilboa
* Mount Tabor
* Nahal Tavor
* Shimron

Kinneret|

* Ein Nun
* Mount Arbel
* Nahal Yavne'el

Safed|

* Nahal Amud
* Nahal Ayun
* Nahal Betzet
* Nahal Dishon
* Ein Avazim
* Ein Elah
* Ein Te'oh
* Hula Valley
* Hurshat Tal
* Kerem Ben Zimra
* Mount Meron
* Pa'ar Cave
* Shamir-Nahal Rachum
* Tel Anafa
* Tel Dan

Haifa District|

* Ein Afek
* Alonei Yitzhak
* Dor Beach and Ma'agan Michael Islands
* Ein Nymphit
* Gador
* Mount Carmel
* Nahal Taninim
* Tel Shikmona

Central District|

* Bnei Zion
* Bitan Aharon
* Hadasim
* Horvat 'Ethri
* Neot Kedumim
* Nahal Poleg
* Palmachim Beach
* Tel Yitzhak
* Udim

Southern District|

| Ashkelon|

* Brekhat Zmorot
* Kurkar Gvar'am
* Nitzanim Dunes
* Mevo Ashdod
* Yam Shikma

|

Beersheba|

* Nahal Abuv
* Coral Beach
* Ein Gedi
* HaMakhtesh HaGadol
* HaMakhtesh HaKatan
* Makhtesh Ramon
* Timna Valley
* Yotvata Hai-Bar

Eshkol|

* Be'eri Badlands

Judea and Samaria Area|

* Alonei Shmuel2
* Einot Tzukim2
* Um Tzafa Forest2
* Nahal Og2

Located in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights1 and West Bank.2

31°46′39″N 35°25′40″E﻿ / ﻿31.7775°N 35.4278°E﻿ / 31.7775; 35.4278
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