| | | Mount Hermon (33°24′N 35°51′E ; Hebrew: הר חרמון, Har Hermon; Arabic: جبل الشيخ, Jabal el-Shaiykh, Djabl a-Shekh, "mountain of the chief" and "snowy mountain") is a mountain in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its highest point is 2,814 m (9,230 feet) above sea level, and is on the border between Syria and Lebanon. Though the summit remained under Syrian control, the southern and western slopes of Mount Hermon came under the control of Israel as part of the Golan Heights as a result of the Israeli victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, and were unilaterally annexed by Israel in 1980. | | There, Jesus revealed to them his purpose to build his Church and to go to Jerusalem to die (see crucifixion) and be resurrected (see resurrection of Jesus, Matt 16:18-21). Mount Hermon was a possible site of the Transfiguration, where Jesus took three of his disciples, Simon Peter, James, son of Zebedee and James' brother John the Apostle, up on a high mountain for prayer. Before their eyes, Jesus was transfigured. He became radiantly white and conversed with Moses and Elijah, who had appeared beside him. The disciples' amazement and fear were further increased, when a voice from Heaven exclaimed, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!" (Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:29-36) and also in Matthew: The Transfiguration 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (Matthew 17:1-8) In the Book of Enoch (1 Enoch 6) in the Apocrypha, Mount Hermon is the place where the Grigori ("Watcher") class of fallen angels decended to Earth. They swore upon the mountain that they would take wives among the daughters of men and return. Geography | | The mountain is actually a cluster of mountains with three distinct summits (right), each about the same height. The Anti-Lebanon range extends for approximately 150 km (93 miles) in a northeast-southwest direction, running parallel to the Lebanon range on the west. The Hermon range covers an area of about 1000 square km, of which about 70 km² are under Israeli control. The mountain forms one of the greatest geographic resources of the area. Because of its height it captures a great deal of precipitation in a very dry area of the world. The Jurassic limestone is broken by faults and solution channels to form a karst topography. Mount Hermon has seasonal snow which covers all three of its peaks for most of the year in winter and spring. Meltwater from the snow-covered mountain's western and southern bases seeps into the rock channels and pores, feeding springs at the base of the mountain, which form streams and rivers. These merge to become the Jordan River. Additionally, the runoff facilitates fertile plant life below the snow line, where vineyards and pine, oak, and poplar trees are abundant. |  Panoramic photo of Mt. Hermon from Manara Feb. 2006
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 View of Mount Hermon from Nimrod (Israel)
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 Panoramic view of the Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Hula valley and The Upper Galilee from Mount Hermon
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Panorama of the Road to Masaade, including the Hermon Mountains and the Hula valley to the Naftali heights
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| | The springs, and the mountain itself, are much contested by the nations of the area for the use of the water. It is important that the government that controls the mountain, as well as the springs below, realize their responsibility to guard against deforestation and pollution. Mount Hermon is called the "gray-haired mountain," or the "mountain of snow." It is also called "the eyes of the nation" in Israel because its altitude makes it Israel's primary strategic early warning system. Contemporary Situation Since 1981, the Israeli-held area has been governed under the Golan Heights Law. Mount Hermon houses Israel's only ski resort, including a wide range of ski trails at novice, intermediate, and expert levels. It also offers additional winter family activities such as sled-riding and Nordic skiing. Those who operate the Hermon Ski area live in the nearby Israeli moshav of Neve Ativ and the Druze town of Majdal Shams. The ski resort has a ski school, ski patrol, and several restaurants located on both the bottom and the peak of the area. The Israeli sector of the mountain is heavily patrolled by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police, and the Israeli Security Forces maintain a strategic observation post for monitoring Syrian and Lebanese military activity near Mitzpe Shelagim ("Snow Lookout"), which is at an elevation of about 2,224 m (7300 feet). Its adjacent peak, at 2,236 m, is the highest elevation under Israeli control. The Syrian government has recently unveiled plans to develop a multi-billion dollar ski resort on its slopes. Israeli villages In the Israeli slopes of the mountain there are three villages: Majdal Shams (Druze), Neve Ativ and Nimrod. Lebanese villages On the western Lebanese slopes of the mountain, there are the following villages: Rachaya Al Foukhar, Kfar Hamam, Chebaa, Kfar Chouba, Hebbariyeh, El Mari, Khalouat El Bayada and Majidiyeh. References - Middle East Online Retrieved 3/07/2009
- Julien Aliquot, "Sanctuaries and villages on Mt Hermon during the Roman period," in The Variety of Local Religious Life in the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods. Ed. by T. Kaizer. (Leiden, Brill, 2008) (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, 164.
- Christian Study Travel Programs, Ltd. Retrieved 3/07/2009
- lexicorient.com Retrieved 3/07/2009
- infoplease.com Retrieved 3/07/2009
- "Syria". Ynetnews. 2007-12-23. Retrieved 3/07/2009
- Julien Aliquot, "Sanctuaries and villages on Mt Hermon during the Roman period," in The Variety of Local Religious Life in the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods. Ed. by T. Kaizer. (Leiden, Brill, 2008) (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, 164.
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