Qishon River

Qishon River
or Kishon River

River, northern Israel.

It rises near Mount Gilboa and flows northwest for about 25 mi (40 km) through the Plain of Esdraelon to the Mediterranean Sea just north of Haifa. It was the scene of biblical events, including the Israelite victory of Deborah over the Canaanite general Sisera and of Elijah's slaying of the prophets of Baal. In modern times, the river's mouth has been developed as part of Haifa's port complex. It is the main base of Israel's fishing fleet.

* * *

also spelled  Kishon River,  Hebrew  Naẖal Qishon,  

      stream, northern Israel, one of the country's few perennial rivers. It is formed by small streams and seasonal watercourses (wadis), which rise chiefly in the Hare (Mountains of) Gilboaʿ to the south and west and the Nazareth Hills of Lower Galilee to the north. From the river's southern sources the Qishon's total length is about 25 miles (40 km); the area of the drainage basin is about 400 square miles (1,000 square km).

      The Qishon's headwaters unite in the western Plain of Esdraelon, southwest of kibbutz Sarid. There a dam has been built, impounding a 3-mile-long, multipurpose (flood control, irrigation, fishpond) reservoir, Agam Kefar Barukh. Before this was constructed by Jewish settlers, the Qishon overflowed its banks annually during the winter rains and hindered settlement in the surrounding area. From there the river flows northwest through the plain, is deflected north by the Mount Carmel ridge, and resumes a northwesterly course through the plain of ʿAkko (Acre) to the Mediterranean Sea in the Bay of Haifa.

      The Qishon in flood is the biblical setting of the Israelite victory over the Canaanite general Sisera, under the leadership of the judge and prophetess Deborah and the commander Barak (Judges 4:7, 12; 5:21). Centuries later, the dramatic confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel ended in Elijah's drowning the 450 false prophets in “the brook Kishon” (I Kings 18:40).

      In modern times the river's mouth has been developed as part of the Haifa port complex. The Kishon Port (so spelled by the Israel Ports Authority) has a cargo wharf 2,100 feet (640 m) long, enclosing a protected basin with depths from about 21 to 26 feet. It is the main base of Israel's coastal and deep-sea fishing fleet. The Israel Shipyards Company, located there, builds and repairs smaller craft.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • river — river1 riverless, adj. riverlike, adj. /riv euhr/, n. 1. a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels. 2. a similar stream of something other than water: a… …   Universalium

  • Qishon — geographical name river 45 miles (72 kilometers) N Israel flowing NW through Plain of Esdraelon to the Mediterranean …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Israel — /iz ree euhl, ray /, n. 1. a republic in SW Asia, on the Mediterranean: formed as a Jewish state May 1948. 5,534,672; 7984 sq. mi. (20,679 sq. km). Cap.: Jerusalem. 2. the people traditionally descended from Jacob; the Hebrew or Jewish people. 3 …   Universalium

  • Palestine — /pal euh stuyn / for 1, 2; /pal euh steen / for 3, n. 1. Also called Holy Land. Biblical name, Canaan. an ancient country in SW Asia, on the E coast of the Mediterranean. 2. a former British mandate (1923 48) comprising part of this country,… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”