Section JCaves on the Eastern slope of Mt. Nitai (Leibner's Site 33, Har Nitai Caves) click text to see the picture 801 Mt. Nitai (left) is part of the same geological formation as Mt. Arbel (right), as this photo illustrates. 802 View of Mt. Nitai, Horvat Vradim and Hamam from the Arbel cliffs (east). Its plateau has a triangular shape pointing East, rising to 96 m. above sea level 803 Closer view of Mt. Nitai from the Arbel cliffs (west). The defensive wall crossing the apex of the plateau is visible. Although its origin is a unknown, archaeological findings suggest it was fortified by Josephus in 66 CE. 804 The cliffs and slopes of Mt. Nitai are littered with caves modified for human habitation from at least 100 BCE 805 Caves surveyed by Israeli Cave Research Center, and others (1980-2011), from Yinon Shivti'el, Cliff Shelters and Hiding Places in the Galilee During the Early Roman Period, Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht (2019), 53. 806 Many caves are impregnable, accessible only by rope 807 The mountain dominates the valley like an immense citadel 808 These caves are clearly built for shelter, in contrast to those in the Arbel Cave Village, which are much more accessible from the ground. 809 A huge natural fortress 810 Changing colour with the seasons 811 The same view from higher ground, showing the wall 812 Almost touching the sky
Section JCaves on the Eastern slope of Mt. Nitai (Leibner's Site 33, Har Nitai Caves) click text to see the picture