The History of Climate and Meteorological Observations and Research in Israel

Abstract

Interest in weather and climate is universal and has a long history. Descriptions of normal and exceptional weather and climate phenomena can be found in the Bible and other ancient sources. Droughts were recorded in the times of the Patriarchs, Joseph, King Ach’av, and Jeremiah. Natural phenomenon such as the strong kadim (easterly) wind are mentioned in reference to the locust plague, the splitting of the Red Sea (see Nof & Paldor, 1992) in early scriptures and in the Book of Jonah. Another natural phenomenon found in the Bible is Gideon’s dew saturated wool fleece. A comparison between the lands of Egypt and Israel can be found in the quotation at the opening of this chapter. Numerous studies on Israel weather history include, Ashbel (1933H; 1968bH), Feliks (1963H), Katsnelson (1975H), Rosenan (1977H) and Sperber (1974).

For the land, into which thou goest to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence you came out, where thou didst sow thy seed, and didst water it with thy foot, like a garden of vegetables: but the land, into which you go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water of the rain of heaven. Deuteronomy 11, 10–11.