The Issachar Plateau or Issachar Heights ( he, רמת יששכר, Ramat Yissaḫar/Ramot Yissaḫar) is a

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

in the eastern part of Lower Galilee. It is bounded by the Tabor Stream in the north and the

Harod Valley The Harod Valley ( he, עמק חרוד, Emek Harod) is a valley in the Northern District of Israel. It is the eastern part of the Jezreel Valley,a transitional zone that extends to the Beit She'an Valley. From south it locked by Mount Gilboa and ...

in the south and

Givat HaMoreh Givat HaMoreh (Hebrew: גבעת המוֹרֶה), in Arabic: Jebel ed-Duhy, is a hill in northern Israel on the northeast side of the Jezreel Valley. The highest peak reaches an altitude of , while the bottom of the Jezreel Valley is situated at ...

in the west and the

Jordan Valley The Jordan Valley ( ar, غور الأردن, ''Ghor al-Urdun''; he, עֵמֶק הַיַרְדֵּן, ''Emek HaYarden'') forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Unlike most other river valleys, the term "Jordan Valley" often applies just to ...

in the east. Its area is about 115 km².רמות יששכר
/ref> The plateau is named after the

Tribe of Issachar According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Issachar () was one of the twelve tribes of Israel and one of the ten lost tribes. In Jewish tradition, the descendants of Issachar were seen as being dominated by religious scholars and influential in ...

. The runs across the plateau into the Jordan Valley. The plateau may be divided into three parts: רמת כוכב (Ramat Kochav, "Plateau of Stars"), רמת צבאים (Ramat Tzevaim "Plateau of Gazelles"; due to the population of Palestine mountain gazelle in the plateauקהילת הצבאים בארץ נמצאת במגמת ירידה, במיוחד ברמת הגולן
''

Ha'aretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner ...

'', January 27, 2011), and ורמת תבור (Ramat Tavor, "Plateau of

Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...

), with Issachar River separating Ramat Tzevaim from Ramat Kochav. Therefore, it is also referred in plural.

Landmarks and populated places

The

Belvoir Castle Belvoir Castle ( ) is a faux historic castle and stately home in Leicestershire, England, situated west of the town of Grantham and northeast of Melton Mowbray. The Castle was first built immediately after the Norman Conquest of 1066 an ...

national park and

archeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

is a

Crusader castle Crusader or Crusaders may refer to: Military * Crusader, a participant in one of the Crusades * Convair NB-36H Crusader, an experimental nuclear-powered bomber * Crusader tank, a British cruiser tank of World War II * Crusaders (guerrilla), ...

on the eastern edge of the plateau, on the edge of Lower Galilee between the Sea of Galilee (20 km southwards) and

Beit She'an Beit She'an ( he, בֵּית שְׁאָן '), also Beth-shean, formerly Beisan ( ar, بيسان ), is a town in the Northern District of Israel. The town lies at the Beit She'an Valley about 120 m (394 feet) below sea level. Beit She'an is be ...

. Settlements include Moshav

Moledet Moledet ( he, מולדת, ''Homeland'') was a minor right-wing political party in Israel. History Moledet was established by Rehavam Ze'evi in 1988. It won two seats in the Knesset elections later that year, taken by Ze'evi and Yair Sprinzak ...

, Taibe, Ramat Tzvi,

Beit HaShita Beit HaShita ( he, בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה, lit. ''House of the Acacia'') is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located between Afula and Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gilboa Regional Council. As of it had a population of . ...

Kfar Kish Kfar Kisch ( he, כְּפַר קִישׁ) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located adjacent to Mount Tabor, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. In it had a population of . History It was established in 1946 by Jewis ...

Menahamiya Menahemia ( he, מְנַחֶמְיָה) is a village in the Jordan Valley in north-eastern Israel. Located near Highway 90 between Beit She'an and Tzemah Junction 5 km south of Tzemah, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs R ...

, Gesher,

Yardena Yardena ( he, יַרְדֵּנָה) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located on route 90, 13 kilometers north of Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Council. In it had a population of . History Yardena was ...

, Beit Yosef,

Hamadya Hamadia ( he, חֲמַדְיָה) is a kibbutz in the Beit She'an Valley, just north of Beit She'an in northern Israel. It belongs to the Valley of Springs Regional Council. In it had a population of . Name The kibbutz took its name from al-Ham ...

Neve Ur Neve Ur ( he, נְוֵה אוּר, lit. ''Oasis Ur'') is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Beit She'an Valley on the Jordan River and to the south of the Sea of Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Co ...

Sde Nahum Sde Nahum ( he, שְׂדֵה נַחוּם, ''lit.'' Nahum Field) is a kibbutz in the Beit She'an Valley in northern Israel. Located around 4 km northwest of Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Council. ...

Na'ura Na'ura ( ar, ناعورة, he, נָעוּרָה) is an Arab village located in northern Israel. Located to the east of Afula, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Gilboa Regional Council. In it had a population of . See also *Arab localities ...

Tamra Tamra ( ar, طمرة, he, טַמְרָה or ) is an Arab city in the North District of Israel located in the Lower Galilee north of the city of Shefa-Amr and approximately east of Acre. In it had a population of . History Tamra is an ancient ...

References

Mountains of Israel {{israel-geo-stub