Mount Tabor: Northern Israel’s mountain of history & biblical battles

Mount Tabor in northern Israel gives a very satisfying silhouette on the horizon, a perfect hump when seen from a distance, but like everything in Israel there’s more to the site than just a pretty shape.

Situated southwest of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Nazareth, the neat, almost symmetrical dome stands 575 meters high (1,886 feet) and overlooks the Jezreel valley. The hill was formed by the meeting of two faults in the earth’s crust, a formation known as a “horst,” which is a German word meaning "heap" or "thicket". 

The mountain stands where the territories allotted to the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali meet, and it was at this hill that the biblical prophet, Deborah, told Barak to summon troops to fight the King Jabin and the Canaanites who were oppressing Israel 3,200 years ago:

“She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, 'Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand?'" (Judges 4:6-7).

The book of Judges tells us that King Jabin reigned from Hazor, which is northeast Israel today, on the northern side of the Sea of Galilee. With his powerful Canaanite army he had managed to cruelly subjugate the people of Israel for 20 years.

Sisera was the commander of the army, which had 900 chariots of iron – a formidable force back in the early Iron Age. Unintimidated, Deborah – who interestingly, the Bible identifies first by her service to God as a prophetess, second as wife of Lappidoth, and lastly as her role as judge of Israel – tells Barak:

“Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” 

So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot (Judges 4:14-15).

But as we know, he didn’t escape. Surrounded by enemies, the ancient Israelites were learning that if God was with them, they could conquer any army. God’s methods and salvations were many and varied, and this is a chapter of distinctly feminine heroism as God uses Deborah the prophetess to summon the troops to Mount Tabor, and also Yael the Kenite to finish off Sisera with a tent peg in Barak’s hometown of Kedesh-naftali, a little further north.

Many believe Mount Tabor was also where the Transfiguration took place, when the full glory of Jesus was revealed to his disciples on top of a “high mountain” after a discussion in which Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah at Caesarea Philippi.

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him" (Matthew 17:1-3).

Dr Sheila Gyllenberg, lecturer at Israel College of the Bible in Archaeology and Land of Israel studies says the two contenders for this "high mountain" are Mount Hermon and Mount Tabor. She favors Mount Hermon: "Hermon is higher and closer to Caesaria Philippi. Tabor was probably populated at the time, so not such a good choice for a solitary event," she says. “Mount Tabor is south of the Sea of Galilee, quite far from Caesarea Philippi, which is in the foothills of Mount Hermon, much further north even than Hazor. "However," she adds, "There is not enough evidence in the text to prove it."

While Mount Hermon is just 22 kilometers (14 miles) from the place they were standing in Caesarea Philippi, Mount Tabor is almost 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, as the crow flies. Still, many remain convinced that Mount Tabor is the place of the transfiguration and a Franciscan church was built in the 1920s called the Basilica of the Transfiguration. There is also a Greek Orthodox Church on the mountain, honoring the Prophet Elijah along with later remains of Crusader and Saracen fortifications.

The Franciscan basilica is a beautiful building to visit. Designed by Antonio Barluzzi, a glass plate on the floor of the church reflects sunbeams to fill the place with light, and an elaborate mosaic portrays the Transfiguration event. The mountain is covered with trees including Tabor oaks, and the lush forest together with the stunning views of the valleys below makes Mount Tabor a great trail for hikers.

In the Second Temple period, the mountain was used as one of the high places where fires were lit as beacons sent messages to Jewish communities far and wide. The system was used to communicate when the authorities officially declared a new moon or holiday by watching the skies. Whether lit up by the glory of Jesus or by fires communicating the Jewish calendar, Mount Tabor has been associated with light for centuries.