by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths

A few miles south of Beit Shemesh in Israel is Socho.  What’s Socho?  The 3rd Mishneh of Pirke Avos (the chapter Ethics of our Fathers) starts “Antichnos the man of Socho received (the oral tradition) from Shimon HaTzadik.  He said…”.

Today Socho is a hilltop ruin of Antichnos’s town of 3,000 years ago.  It’s also famous in Israel for it’s yearly wildflower display.  “Oddly” this particular hill isn’t covered with thorns, scrub bushes and scrub trees.  Instead it’s covered with wildflowers, wheat and oats, and a small number of fig trees.  And ruins.

Most of the wildflowers haven’t popped yet…but the wild Israeli poppies have just started to…

This is the full hill, in a panorama view, where once stood the Mishnaic town of Socho…

At the top of the hill one can see this 3,000 year old retaining wall…

In general the area is stunning in spring.  As soon as the rains stop it will be a major stop for thousands.

The small valley in front of the hill, the hill to the left and the surrounding scrub hills to the front and right.