Climate Of The Holy Land

by Wayne Blank

Although a relatively small country (about 275 miles / 445 kilometers north to south, 50 miles / 80 kilometers east to west at the widest), Israel experiences a wide variety of weather - from Nazareth and the The Sea Of Galilee can be seen the distant year-round snow cover on Mount Hermon (some believe it to be where The Transfiguration occurred) at Israel's northern boundary (9,000 feet above sea level, which before modern refrigeration was used as a source of ice), to the severe heat in the area around Jericho (1,300 feet below sea level), just north of The Salt Sea in The Jordan Valley. Between the two extremes however, much of Israel has a climate similar to that of California.

The climate permits a profusion of agricultural produce, with oranges and olives (see The Olive Tree) along the coastal plains, figs (see The Fig Tree) and grapes (see Fruit Of The Vine) slightly inland, and grain crops such as Barley in the hill country. A number of the Parables Of Jesus Christ used agricultural analogies, as does much of Prophecy. Christians are even referred to as the firstfruits of salvation (see Pentecost). Most rainfall occurs from November to January (e.g. Ezra 10:9), and then a "latter rain" in March (e.g. Joel 2:23).

Jerusalem Weather	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
Maximum ° Fahrenheit	55	55	64	73	81	84	88	88	84	81	70	59	73° F.
Maximum ° Celsius	13	13	18	23	27	29	31	31	29	27	21	15	23° C.
Minimum ° Fahrenheit	41	43	46	50	57	61	63	64	63	59	54	45	54° F.
Minimum ° Celsius	5	6	8	10	14	16	17	18	17	15	12	7	12° C.
Rainfall inches	5.3	5.3	2.6	1.1	0.1	0	0	0	0	0.5	2.8	3.4	21.1" total
Rainfall millimeters	132	132	64	28	3	0	0	0	0	13	71	86	529 mm total

Fact Finder: Did Jesus Christ use weather and agricultural analogies in describing His Return?
Matthew 24:32-33, 24:1-31
See also The Return Of Jesus Christ

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