MEGDAL ZEDEK, ISRAEL

The Afek Tower fortress stretches across the Afek Pass, which is a narrow passage through Via Maris, which led from Egypt through Eretz Israel to Aram Naharayim. The passage through the sea on the narrow plain between Tel Afek and the Afek tower was necessary to bypass the Yarkon, as well as the swamps and streams of the Sharon region. During the Second Temple period there was a Jewish settlement called Migdal Afek, which was destroyed by the Romans during the Great Revolt of 1967. At the beginning of the 12th century, in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, a fortress was erected by the Iblin family called Mirabel (Yefe Nof) because of the beautiful scenery from there. In 1187 the fortress was conquered by Muslims. This fort strengthened the army of Queen Melisanda headed by the senor of Ramle, when Melisanda and her son Baldwin III fought on the throne. Baldwin III triumphed, and Samor Ramle was exiled from Israel, and Malisanda was entrenched in the fortress of Jerusalem. In 1191 the Third Crusade was destroyed by the Muslims, but was built by the Mamluks. From the 16th century there was a village called Majdal Yaba. In the 19th century Sheikh Sadeq al-Gemini took over the area and built a castle on the ruins of the citadel to concentrate its rule and illegally collect passersby. He was eventually exiled by the Turkish authorities. Since then, the village of Majdal Yaba has been named after Majdal Sadeq, which was translated into Hebrew at Migdal Tzedek [1]. But in most sources, as in maps, the place is called Majdal Yaba [2]. On the door of one of the rooms is the Greek inscription: "Martyrdom of Cyrus Church". This stone may have been taken from another location and used in secondary use. Martyrion is a martyr memorial. According to Christian tradition, Siricus was a three-year-old boy who was killed for his faith during the reign of Emperor Diocletian at the end of the third century CE. The inscription is dated to the fourth-eighth centuries CE [3]. Near the road junction and at the entrance to the destroyed village stands a monument commemorating the fighters of the War of Independence who fell in the conquest of the village. Today, the villages of Rosh Ha'ayin, Einat and Givat Hashlosha are occupied by the village. The site was recently declared as the Migdal Afek National Park. As of 2009, work is underway, but the site is open for public visits. A parking lot was prepared and explanations and explanations were explained. In 2013 the park was closed to visitors until further notice due to vandalism