- Address: Jerusalem, Israel;
- Length: 2700 m.
The Ghena Valley of Fire ( Israel ) has a large number of names, this is the Valley of Hinnom, the Valley of the Hinnom's sons and many other similar combinations, it looks like a deep and steep gorge. The valley is located near the old city of Jerusalem , namely from the Mamila basin to the source of Ein-Rogel in the Silwan settlement, its length is about 2700 m.
Beliefs associated with the valley
The Geena Fire Valley has a long history, it was the basis for the creation of two large reservoirs, which are now known as the Mamila basin and the Sultan's basin. During the division of the Israeli lands, the Valley became the boundary between the separate possessions of the ruler of Benjamin and Yehuda. To date, it looks like a division between two countries - Israel and Jordan. In religious beliefs, this place became a divider between two worlds: a city and a necropolis, living and dead people, a holy and cursed place.
Most of all, the Fire Valley is associated with the fact that they sacrificed here to the god Molech, it was somewhere 2800 years ago. For a long time, boys were burned here on a special elevation, so this place was sometimes referred to as the Valley of the Killing. From such fire bonfires, the word "Gena" appeared, which is translated from Hebrew as the place of punishment of sinners by fire. In Christian doctrines, this valley was referred to as the threshold of Hell. A little later the valley became a burial place for ordinary people, animals and even dead unknown warriors.
Thanks to the actions that took place in the Valley of Ennom, it became a magical place, the local people thought. A variety of rituals, where burning was present, filled the place with bad energy. The Old Testament considered this place to be damned, so all sinners had to suffer here. The Jews sacrificed only animals, because to kill a man was a sin. In this valley, a bloody flame was constantly visible, and the smell of a burnt body was heard, which greatly alarmed the locals. According to the legend, to bury the body, it was necessary to betray his land or fire, if such a rite did not occur, then this is a huge sin.
The tourist value of the valley
The area has a very interesting structure: on one side of the Valley of Gena of Fire there is a policy, and in the other - graves, very similar to crypts. So people were buried as it was impossible in the city, and it was possible only outside, here there were two large cemeteries: Kidron and Gay Bin Hinom. Also in this area are well preserved funerary caves, to some for several centuries, they look like caves, but have very narrow entrances. In the Valley of Hinnom you can see a cave that resembles the skull of Golgotha, elevations in this area have traces of fire and smoke, which is confirmed by the fact that there were incineration.
The Geena Fire Valley became a kind of inspiration for many talented people, even Shakespeare in his creation "Hamlet" mentions this gorge. Many tourists want to get to this place to enjoy the peculiarities of the sights and to be imbued with those terrible events that occurred on these lands, because in Israel this place is perceived as Hell in a geographical location. Here come fans of rock climbing, mountain slopes, here are very unpredictable. Despite the unfortunate nature of this place, infrastructure develops around it. At the top of the valley are built hotels and entertainment centers, and in the valley is a musical educational institution for boys.
How to get there?
You can reach the Gena Fire Valley by public transport or by sightseeing bus.