Mount Carmel
“God’s Vineyard “
The Carmel Mountain Range
Mount Carmel is actually a small mountain range (a group of peaks) located on the border of the portion of the tribe of Asher, and extends for 22 km East to West, and 40 km North to South, parallel to the Kishon River, from the Ephraim Mountains to the sea coast south of Haifa, and borders the Jezreel Valley and the Zebulun Valley to the east.
The Carmel is not very high (548 m). Because it is surrounded by plains and valleys, it stands out strongly from its surroundings and gives the impression of a tall mountain to anyone approaching it from the sea or the valley. From its top, a sublime view of the city of Haifa and the bay, and the settlements to the north as far as Acre, is revealed. In its northern part, the Carmel descends steeply to the seashore, as the prophet says: “And like Carmel is by the sea” (Jeremiah 46:18).
From Biblical Times to Modern History
In ancient times, the top of the Carmel and its slopes were covered with forest trees, groves, and vineyards, and commentators say that the name “Carmel,” which is composed of the Hebrew words “CARM” (vineyard) and “EL” (God), means “The vineyard of God”.
The multitude of trees on it was used poetically by King Slomon in the Song of Songs as a symbol of the Shulammite’s full and beautiful hair: “Your head is like Carmel…” (7:6). With its fertility and beauty, Carmel was used by the prophets and poets as a symbol of the fertility and beauty of the land. In his prophecy about the beauty of the land in the days of the return to Zion, Isaiah says (35:2): “The splendor of Carmel,” and Jeremiah calls the entire land of the Promised Land by the name: the Land of Carmel.
The mountain became known in Israel and among the nations only after Elijah the Prophet commanded Ahab to gather to him “all Israel and the prophets of Baal,” and upon it the prophet proved that “the Lord is God” (Kings 1 18:39). According to tradition, on the highest peak of Carmel, the Lord answered Elijah with fire.
With the destruction of the Kingdom of Samaria, the settlements of Carmel were also destroyed, as implied in the prophecy of Amos (1:2): “The Lord will roar from Zion… and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither.” In the five-year war that Alexander Jannaeus fought to conquer the coastal strip, he also succeeded in returning Carmel to the Jews.
In the limestone soil of Carmel and its branches are about a thousand caves, narrow and winding at their entrances, and they are convenient to use as a place of refuge. Prehistoric remains of world importance were discovered in these caves: remains of a unique type of prehistoric man, known in science as “Israelite man.” Remains of animal bones and remains of tools were also discovered there, some of which date from the Middle and New Stone Ages. These caves were apparently also the dwelling place of hermit prophets, including Elijah and his disciple Elisha, as evidenced by the writings in Kings 1 and Kings 2 (18:24; 4:25). Perhaps Obadiah also hid the prophets of God in these caves (Kings 1, 18:4, 13).
In the first centuries of the Christian era, many Christian monks found refuge there, and therefore the mountain is also sacred to Christians who built many churches and monasteries on it. During the Crusades, an order of Catholic monks called the Carmelites was founded on it in the 12th century, with the prophet Elijah as their revered saint. This order built a large monastery in the northwest of the mountain under French patronage, in which the “Cave of Elijah” is shown below the altar. Jews and Muslims identify “Elijah’s Cave” (El Khachar) on the northern slope of the mountain, opposite Bat Galim on the seashore.
20 Years of Exploration for Precious Gems Deposits on Mount Carmel
Despite the biblical sources for the existence of precious gemstones in Israel – the search for the deposits of precious stones in Israel only began in 2000 in accordance with a modern prophetic vision (of the Lubavitcher Grand Rebbe)- which focused on northern Israel.
From that date, the company began exploring the area and mapping the potential locations. The responsible exploration activity is managed in accordance with and subject to licenses and permits from the Inspector of Mines at the Ministry of Energy of the State of Israel, with care for preserving the environment and considering nature, and is carried out by a professionally trained and technically qualified workforce and accompanied by an international team of geological experts with decades of proven experience in their fields.
As part of the exploration activity, it was discovered that Mount Carmel consists of several volcanic bodies, some of which are composed of kimberlite rock (the source rock of diamonds and precious gemstones in the world).
In 2004, a De Beers delegation arrived to inspect the kimberlite discovered in Israel, and defined it as having potential as a diamond-bearing deposit, after they found a diamond in one of the deposits.
The first economic gemstone deposit identified by the company and officially recognized in 2020 by the State of Israel is located in the Kishon River area and is a secondary alluvial deposit (the Kishon Mine) – meaning that the gemstones concentrated in it were not formed there but rather reached it from the kimberlite source rock on the mountain via its tributaries and slopes. The diverse concentration of gemstones found in the Kishon deposit has proven in practice which types of gemstones were formed in the primary sources on the Carmel, and all that remains for the company in order to make additional primary kimberlitic discoveries, with God’s Help, is to identify the source of each type of gem and which of the deposits are the most economic.
Gemstones found in Israel to date include – Garnet (red), Spinel (black and red), Sapphire (blue, olive-green and azure), Ruby, ilmenite, Zircon, Hibonite, Moissanite and Diamond.
Another amazing discovery was a gemstone unique to Mt. Carmel, and therefore called Carmel-Sapphire – consisting of corundum (sapphire) and other minerals new to science, which earned it the Mineral of the Year for 2018 by the International Mineralogical Association.
In 2022, the company identified the first economic source on Mount Carmel itself, a primary kimberlite deposit located in the Bat Shlomo settlement area of Carmel (the BTS mine). Which so far produced mainly garnet, spinel and olive green sapphire.
The additional primary sources discovered on Mount Carmel as mentioned are currently being explored by the company, and are in various stages of development. For more information, please contact us.
Today, the only gemstones traded on the market under license, meaning the only natural certified gems mined under license from the land of Israel – are traded exclusively under our HOLYGEMS brand – and include the following gems: Carmel-Sapphire, Garnet, Spinel, and Sapphire.
