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Located on the north end of Wings of the World, the
Garden of Peace is composed of several distinct garden areas that
represent habitats of Israel and neighboring areas. The rich cultural
and spiritual heritage of the Middle East is one of the great foundations
of western civilization and world history in general. This garden
enables us to better understand our diverse cultural heritage and
its relationship with the natural world. For its small size, this
Middle Eastern geographical area has a great natural wealth of plants
and animals. It is a virtual biological highway, connecting the
continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, with species indigenous to
each of these regions. There is a wide range of habitats, from freshwater
and marine wetlands to arid deserts, and from 2,400 feet high down
to the lowest point on Earth at the Dead Sea, 1,600 feet below sea
level. The land of Israel lies within the "Fertile Crescent,"
an area that stretches from Egypt to the Persian Gulf. Its one of
the oldest areas of human civilization, with an economy based on
domestication of plants and animals. The earliest uses of cultivated
crops and domesticated livestock date back at least 8,000 years.
The Bible contains a fascinating historic record of these domesticated
species, many of which can be found as you walk through the Garden
of Peace. |
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