The Golan Heights extends like a 15 x 32 mile finger between the borders of Lebanon, Jordan and Syria in the northeastern section of Israel. Israel's highest mountain, snow-capped Mt. Hermon (7,296 ft.), is located to the north of the 444 square mile plateau. The plateau was once actively volcanic and the northernmost points remain weathered and desolate. When held by Israeli forces, the highland has little military importance. If controlled by a hostile country, however, the Golan would be a strategic nightmare for Israel.
The Golan Heights rise from 400 to 1700 feet overlooking the Hula Valley, Israel's richest agricultural area, only about 60 unobstructed miles from Haifa and Acre, Israel's industrial heartland. The Golan falls within the Biblical boundaries of the Land of Israel (biblical Bashan), and was always part of the Jewish homeland. The uprising against the Roman Empire featured the battle of Gamla on the Golan Heights in 67 CE, three years before the fall of Jerusalem (70 CE). Over 9000 Jewish citizens were killed in a Madada-like encounter.
Syria, a province in the Ottoman Empire until World War I, did not have well defined borders in the area. In 1923, as part of difficult negotiations between England and France, the northern border between Syria and then British-controlled Palestine was established, and the Golan Heights were arbitrarily allocated to Syria, including some of the most fascinating and significant Christian sites in the Holy Land.
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