When you think of Israel, what comes to mind geographically? Perhaps you think of the Jerusalem, the city on a hill. Or, maybe the Sea of Galilee, or even the Dead Sea. The barren wilderness of southern Israel may come to mind.
Those places alone represent significant diversity in geography and climate. But I want to stretch your mind a little. Israel is the size of New Jersey…or the size of my home county, Maricopa County (Arizona). It is a tiny nation!
Yet, in that tiny place, climate ranges from temperate to tropical, hot and dry to cold and rainy, and even arid in a large swath of southern Israel. One might take a four hour drive from one end of Israel to the other, and see snow on Mt Hermon, tropical beauty in northern Israel, fertile valleys in central Israel, Mediterranean mildness on the coast, crisp coolness and rain in Jerusalem, and balmy beach weather in Eilat (southern tip of Israel). Yes, all in one nation the size of my home county!