This is the second cache along the Beit Zait Geo-Trail, near the inner parking lot. The Beit Zait Geo-Trail is a series of geocaches running along the Motza Valley bike trail, near the beautiful Beit Zait Reservoir area. It is best to visit during the winter and spring, when the Reservoir is full of water. The containers are large micros -- so they will likely be too small for a TB. Bring your own pen!
Beit Zayit (Hebrew: בֵּית זַיִת, lit. House of Olives) is a moshav in Israel located seven kilometres west of Jerusalem, at the edge of the Jerusalem Forest. Nearby is the Beit Zayit Reservoir (Ein Kerem dam), which was built to store winter flood waters, but generally dries up by the early summer.
Beit Zayit was founded in 1949 by immigrants from Yugoslavia, Romania and Hungary. Later, immigrants from Egypt also settled in the village. Its economy was based on fruit orchards, vegetables, poultry and other farm products. In 2007, it had a population of 1,300.
A village named Beit Zayit is mentioned in the book of the Maccabees, but it is believed to have been further north, possibly at the site of the Arab village of Bir Zeit, north of Ramallah.
Note: The Beit Zait Geo-Trail is a subsection of the
Jerusalem Ring trail.